MILLS Major H. Roger Mills, Jr., age 59, of Groveport, Ohio, a member of Co B, 2-19th Special Forces Group, attached to the 73rd Troop Command of the Ohio National Guard, stationed in Columbus, OH, died Sunday, October 24, 2010 at Grant Medical Center, of serious injuries in a parachute accident at Rickenbacker Field outside Columbus.
Major Mills graduated from Warwick High School in Newport News, VA and the US Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1973. He served in Korea, the "Old Guard" in Arlington, VA and at Fort Devens, MA joining the Army Reserve in August, 1978; was employed by Goodyear Tire Company for 14 years; joined the Ohio National Guard in 1994; managed Wayne-Dalton Plastics. He has served in Korea; Bosnia-Serbia; Kuwait; and Iraq, serving a total of 37 plus years in the military. He was a member of the West Point Alumni Association; a member and past president of the Special Forces Association Chapter 45; also a lodge member F&AM, Linden Lodge #637, 32nd Degree Mason.
Major Mills is survived by wife, Kathleen Mills; parents, Joan Mills of Poestenkill, NY and Herbert Mills, Sr., CW2 (Ret) of Allenwood, PA; sisters, Patricia (Michael) Walker of Waxhaw, NC, Ellen Parchen of Missoula, MT. and Anne Mills of Poestenkill, NY; brothers, William (Debbie) Mills SMC (Ret) of Katy, TX and Stephen (Jamie) Mills of Colorado Springs, CO; step-children, Capt. William (Grace) Epley and Capt. Melissa (Capt. Mark) Dubur; step-grandchildren, Tristian, Madelyn and Alexia Epley and Turin and Talon Duber.
A Funeral Service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, October 30, 2010 at The Aladdin Shrine Temple, 3850 Stelzer Rd., Columbus, Ohio, where the family will receive friends from 1-2:30 p.m. and following the funeral service.
Army Chaplain Dan Burris officiating.
The family has requested that donations be made in Major Mills name to the Wounded Warriors Fund, or to the Major H. Roger Mills Foundation to help Military Families.
There will be two additional Memorial Services later at Poestenkill, NY and West Point Alumni Association.
Interment at the Military Academy Cemetery at West Point, New York.
Funeral arrangements by the DWAYNE R. SPENCE FUNERAL HOME, Canal Winchester, Ohio.
Online condolences available at www.spencefuneralhome.com
Published online in The Columbus Dispatch from October 27 to October 29, 2010
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From the December 2010 National Guard magazine:
Maj. J. Roger Mills, 59, of Groveport, Ohio, died Oct. 24 at Grand Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, of injuries sustained during a parachute training excercise at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 20.
He was a member of the Ohio Army National Guard's B Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces, but was attached to the state's Headquarters, 73d Troop Command. Both units are based in Columbus.
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MILLS, HERBERT ROGER
DOB: 23 May 1951
DOD: 24 Oct 2010
Age: 59
DANIEL B. CRABTREE
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel B. Crabtree, 31, was a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to the Ohio Army National Guard’s Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Columbus, Ohio.
He died June 8, 2006, in Iraq after a roadside bomb exploded next to his vehicle during a combat patrol. He was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and attached to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula.
In civilian life, Crabtree worked as a police officer first in his native hometown of Hartville, and then as a member of the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT, unit.
After initially entering military service with the Army Reserve in 1992, Crabtree joined the Army National Guard in 1993 as an administrative specialist. He later retrained as a military policeman and served with the 135th Military Police Company in Brook Park, Ohio. He joined the 19th SFG in March 2002, and in 2003 he was selected to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. He earned the coveted green beret when he graduated from the course in May 2004.
Crabtree’s military education also includes the Basic Airborne Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course and the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course.
In Iraq, the work of Crabtree and his Special Forces operational detachment focused primarily on training members of the Al Kut SWAT, an Iraqi police force. Crabtree himself developed and implemented a comprehensive training curriculum for the Iraqi SWAT volunteers, which included advanced marksmanship training, offensive and defensive driving instruction, and urban assault training. As the police force’s lead trainer, Crabtree drew on his own experiences as a police officer and SWAT team member to prepare his Iraqi officers to counter both local criminal and insurgent forces.
He also assisted the Al Kut SWAT in more than 35 real-world missions as a combat advisor —
including six large-scale air assault operations — which resulted in the capture of over 100 known insurgents.
His awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge.
Crabtree is survived by his wife, Kathy, and his daughter, Mallory, of the City of Green. He is also survived by his father, Ronald Crabtree and his mother, Judy Ann Crabtree.
Wallace Cole Hogan
Wallace Cole Hogan was the first Green Beret to give his life for this country in the war on terror. He was killed at the Pentagon on 9/11 and was laid to rest at Arlington overlooking the Pentagon.
Major Wallace C. Hogan Jr., 40, who went by his middle name, Cole, served with the Green Berets, the Special Forces and, ultimately, as a general’s aide at the Pentagon. Major Hogan was laid to rest with full military honors in Section 64 of Arlington National Cemetery, within the shadows of the Pentagon where he fell victim to the September 11th terrorist attack.
Cole served for 21 years in the Army. He received his commission in 1981 from Officer Candidate School and joined the Georgia Army National Guard as a Rifle and Mortar Platoon Leader. Major Hogan’s subsequent assignments provided him a broad base of troop and staff assignments. He attended the Infantry Officer Basic course and served with the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Colorado Army National Guard, as the Detachment Executive Officer and later as the Commander.
Major Hogan attended the Special Forces Officer Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He then served with the 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and Alabama Army National Guard as a Detachment Commander. He attended the Infantry Officer Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Georgia and the Special Forces Thai Language Course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He accepted an active duty appointment in the grade of Captain on April 4th, 1993. He served with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) Fort Lewis, Washington as a Battalion Operations Officer and Detachment Commander; and as the Commander, Special Forces Instructor Detachment, U.S. Army Jungle Operations Training Battalion, Fort Sherman, Panama. He joined the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans.
Major Hogan’s awards and decorations include: the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Scuba Diver Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge and Pathfinder Badge. Major General Kensinger (Cole’s supervisor) said, “Cole was an extremely dedicated officer with great attention to detail. He was a great athlete who was looking forward to commanding a Special Forces Company later this year. Cole loved the Army…” Cole was fond of using this simple quote by Colin Powell, “All my life I have always wanted to be a soldier.”
Major Hogan is survived by his wife, P. Pat Phermsangngam (Hogan), Major USAF, Alexandria, Virginia; his parents, Wallace and Jane Hogan of Macon, Georgia; and sisters, Meg Campbell and Kris Leggett.
Cole Hogan is buried at Arlington National Cemetery and overlooks the Pentagon. Learn more information about Cole Hogan at Arlington National Cemetery website.
Cole Hogan was remember on the 1st Special Forces Memorial at Ft. Lewis, Washington.
Special Forces Association Chapter 45 member Patrick Enlow served with Cole Hogan with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Ft. Lewis, Washington and Korea. Patrick Enlow said “He was one of the nicest guys you would ever meet and would help you any way he could. “
MAJ Cole Hogan was at the point of impact of United Flight 93 when it struck the Pentagon at 9:45 AM on September 11, 2001.
IN MEMORY OF MAJOR WALLACE COLE HOGAN, JR. -- HON. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (Extensions of Remarks - October 12, 2001) --- HON. SAXBY CHAMBLISS OF GEORGIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, October 11, 2001
· Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, today I honor Major Wallace Cole Hogan, Jr. for serving our country in the United States Army. Major Hogan grew up in Macon, Georgia, and attended Valdosta State University. After graduation, he joined the Georgia Army National Guard as a Rifle and Mortar Platoon Leader.
· Major Hogan was truly born to serve. His time with the National Guard included the 19th Special Forces Group Airborne, Commander of the Colorado Army National Guard, 20th Special Forces Group Airborne, and Alabama Army National Guard as a Detachment Commander. On April 4, 1993 Major Hogan accepted in Army active duty appointment in the grade of Captain. He was a member of the Green Berets and fought in the Persian Gulf War with the 1st Special Forces Group Airborne as a Battalion Operations officer and Detachment Commander. He also served as the Commander, Special Forces Instructor Detachment, U.S. Army Jungle Operations Training Battalion, Fort Sherman, Panama.
· Ultimately, Major Hogan arrived at the Pentagon and joined the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans in June 1999. His work at the Pentagon included Special Operations Staff Officer in the Directorate of Operations, Readiness, and Mobilization and Executive Officer for the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans. A committed serviceman, Major Hogan dedicated his entire professional life to the United States Army.
· On September 11, terrorists claimed the lives of our friends, family and loved ones from all over this nation and the world. Major Cole Hogan was one of these loved ones. His parents are from Macon and happen to be personal friends of mine. My wife and I have two children and I can't imagine any greater pain than that which floods ones heart upon the death of a child. My prayers are with the Hogans during their most difficult time of grief.
· In our mourning, we can't help but question how such a heinous act could come to fruition on American soil. But in a time where questions are many and words are few, I want to offer my most sincere condolences to the family of Major Hogan; his wife, Air Force Major Pat Hogan of Alexandria, VA and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wallace C. Hogan, Sr. of Macon, GA.
· In a lifetime of service that spanned half the globe, Major Hogan served from Hawaii to Panama before coming to work at the Pentagon. His outstanding accomplishments have not gone unnoticed as evident by the numerous decorations and awards earned during his service. These recognition’s include: The Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Scuba Diver Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, and Pathfinder Badge.
· I think we have a lot to learn from Americans like Major Cole Hogan. His dedication and patriotism are unwavering and a standard we all should strive to emulate. Major Hogan will be missed, as will so many others. These lives will not be forgotten. We must honor them by living on as they lived. The lives stolen by terrorists so easily could've been our own. We owe it to the fallen to press on and take hold of all that our forefathers fought for and dreamed we would live to enjoy. As a nation, Americans have always shown strength through adversity.
· I commend Major Hogan for his service and I thank his family for raising up a man whose heart was to give his all for his country. His presence will be missed and his legacy will not be forgotten.
