 Omaha World Herald -- When Sgt. Joseph B. Milledge wasn't busy kicking down doors in search of enemy combatants and explosive devices, he enjoyed tossing around a football with Iraqi children or handing them pieces of bubble gum.
The 23-year-old Army sergeant from Glenwood, Iowa, asked his family to send him socks and T-shirts so that he could distribute them to impoverished Iraqi children.
"He always loved the children in Iraq, and I know he just loved his own family very much," said his sister Jaclyn Dunkirk of Des Moines.
"He's just compassionate."
An improvised explosive device killed Milledge, an infantry specialist, during a combat mission Friday in Baghdad, Army officials told his family.
Milledge graduated from Glenwood High School in 2002 and joined the Army in 2004. while he was living in Texas.
He married soon after that. His wife, Amanda, is from Washington state. The couple have a 14-month-old son, Joseph Bradley Ryan Milledge Jr.
Milledge did his first tour of combat duty in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 and then was stationed in Germany. This August, his unit was deployed to Kuwait and moved to Baghdad less than two weeks later, said his mother, Carla Milledge of Glenwood.
"He was a sergeant and a team leader," she said. "He was a good soldier for the Army. He eventually wanted to get into the Special Forces."
In July, Milledge returned to Glenwood during a two-week leave. He visited Omaha's Old Market. He attended the Luis Palau Heartland Festival. He and his wife had their son baptized at a church in Council Bluffs, his mother said.
His sister Mary Cooper of Glenwood said Milledge tried to return to Iowa every six months to visit family and maintain his local ties.
"No matter where he was, it was always of the uttermost importance for him to see his family," Cooper said. "Even though he had nine nieces and nephews, he would spend quality time with every one of them while he was here."
Milledge was also an avid reader, especially about religion and philosophy. He especially enjoyed learning and reading about Socrates, Cooper said.
"My brother would always say, 'Don't let schooling get in the way of education,'" Cooper said. "He never stopped reading, and he was always a very good person. He doesn't want to be portrayed just as a soldier because he was much more than that."
The family plans a local memorial service at a later date. Tentative plans call for Milledge to be buried in the state of Washington, they said. |
We are Texas relatives who wish to say how much we will miss our cousin. His bravery will forever live in the hearts and minds of those who know and loved him. Our prayers are with his family, his wife, his son. Remember, Joey left a faultless mark, he is a hero, a selfless, giving man. He gave his life to ensure the quality of our future. A man worth remembering, a man worth thanking. We will miss you Joey, we will always remember your bravery! We are proud, we are sorry, we are forever...Thankful.
Matt, Wendy Tryston Mckown
Katy, Texas - Oct. 2007