Michigan Heroes Museum

Michigan Heroes Museum Michigan Heroes Museum's mission is to Honor, Respect, and Remember Michigan's citizens' personal contributions to our nation's military and space programs.
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Our mission is to educate and inspire people of all ages, nurture the memories of the men and women from Michigan who served in the armed forces during America’s foreign wars, and to support current members of our nation's military. We also honor the peacetime bravery of Michigan’s space pioneers and astronauts. Michigan's Own includes exhibits on Michigan's governors who have served in the armed

forces, the Polar Bear veterans (members of the American North Russia Expeditionary Force who fought on Russian soil during WW I), veterans of WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War of 1991, and the War on Terrorism. There are special exhibits to those who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. Michigan's Own is the home of the largest collection of Medals of Honor in the world. We also feature exhibits on Michigan's astronauts.

Our hero today is Gunny Sergeant Daniel Price who is celebrating his 41st birthday today with his fellow fallen brothers...
06/08/2026

Our hero today is Gunny Sergeant Daniel Price who is celebrating his 41st birthday today with his fellow fallen brothers.

Daniel Price
Gunny Sergeant, United States Marine Corps
June 8, 1985 – July 29, 2012
Age – 27

Holland, Michigan

Operation Enduring Freedom
1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Pendleton, California

Died while conducting combat operations in Badghis province, Afghanistan


While deployed with Team 8232 from H&S Co., 1st MSOB, GySgt. Price was on a routine cordon and search mission near Bala Bokan when his patrol was fired upon from an enemy machine gun position, killing GySgt. Price and another team member.
GySgt. Price’s personal decorations include the Silver Star awarded posthumously in July 2014, Bronze Star with combat V, two Purple Hearts, three Combat Action Ribbons and three Good Conduct Medals
Dan was killed in action while conducting combat operations in Badghis province in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operation Battalion, United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, based at Camp Pendleton California. Dan entered the Marine Corps in July of 2003. While at the School of Infantry, Camp Pendleton, California he checked into 1st Reconnaissance Battalion in Camp Pendleton and then was screened and selected to become a Reconnaissance Marine. Dan attended the Basic Reconnaissance Course in 2004.
Dan's deployments consisted of six combat tours to include three deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and three tours to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom. During his combat service he was meritoriously promoted to Sergeant during a tour to Iraq. Due to Dan's exceptional performance he was selected to be a part of Marines Special Operations Command (MARSOC) in January of 2008.
During his career, his personal decorations included a Bronze Star with combat V for his heroic combat actions in Afghanistan, a Purple Heart as a result of a combat injury in Afghanistan in July of 2011, a Navy and Marine Achievement Medal, three Good Conduct Medals and three Combat Action Ribbons. Dan was an expert in pistol and rifle marksmanship.

He was remembered by his brothers-in-arms as follows:

My name is Tyler Sytsma, and I severed with Dan in Recon in the 13th MEU deployment back in '07. I was always inspired by his casual smile despite whatever was going on, his optimism in all circumstances, and his backwoods stories of working on pig farms and stalking crows as a youth. Truly a continual inspiration in my life and it was an honor to have known him.
Tyler

I am so sorry for your loss. I'm very glad that the Lord gave me the privilege to know Dan. I will always fondly remember times spent at coffee, over a beer, or trying to figure out how he could play a game so badly :)

The memory I will treasure is hearing his interview with the Consistory at Escondido URC when he and Rachel were being interviewed to become members. It is a tremendous comfort for me to think back to his sure, unwavering testimony to his hope in Jesus Christ alone for his salvation. While we mourn his loss, those words he spoke comfort us with the assurance that he is surely with the Lord, resting from the difficult earthly labors to which he was called, and is blessed with a glory that is beyond our capacity to imagine.

But for those who he leaves behind, his wife, his parents, and his siblings, I pray for you every day. May God comfort you with His grace until you are reunited with Dan in glory. God bless you all.
Bill Godfrey

On this day in 1965, Jackson, MI native Brigadier General James McDivitt (USAF, Ret.) and Ed White splashed down in the ...
06/07/2026

On this day in 1965, Jackson, MI native Brigadier General James McDivitt (USAF, Ret.) and Ed White splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean after their Gemini IV mission.

Gemini IV spent 4 days, 1 hour, 56 minutes and 12 seconds off the planet, and orbited Earth 62 times. In addition to Ed White becoming the first American to walk in space, the crew also performed experiments in color Earth photography, celestial navigation, spacecraft radiation, and crew exercise.

The first photo shows the crew being recovered by Navy Frogmen from the aircraft carrier USS Wasp after splashdown. The second photo shows McDivitt’s display here at the Museum.

Gen. McDivitt’s Air Force uniform, astronaut flightsuit and other items he has donated can be seen at Michigan Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth. Honor. Respect. Remember.

On this day in 1944 Operation Overlord, commonly known as D-Day, took place. SGT Donald Burgett (US Army) of Detroit was...
06/06/2026

On this day in 1944 Operation Overlord, commonly known as D-Day, took place. SGT Donald Burgett (US Army) of Detroit was there. He is one of the many from Michigan we honor every day at the Michigan Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth, MI.

Don Burgett was born in Detroit, Michigan on April 5, 1925. His father was a police officer with the Detroit Police Department. When Don turned 18, in 1943, he was ordered to report for induction. His brother, Elmer, had already joined the paratroops which as Don said, “...was incentive enough for me...”. Don left Detroit on May 11, 1943 and was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas where he had basic training. He was then sent to Fort Benning, Georgia for paratroop training. While at Fort Benning, the recruits had to run everywhere. They were trained how to jump out of planes, how to hit the ground so as not to injure themselves, how to pack their parachutes, and eventually performed five parachute jumps to qualify as airborne soldiers. Don’s first jump started fine; however he hit the ground hard and received a small fracture of the leg and several torn ligaments. He was put into a cast and could not complete the next four jumps until he had healed. Although he didn’t think it at the time, this was a lucky break for Don. On the next jump, the plane he would have been on crashed and killed everyone on board. A month later, he finished his remaining jumps and was then sent to England. Don was placed with 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Able Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division at Aldbourne, England. For the next several months, Don and the rest of the 101st trained in England for the invasion of France. Finally, on June 5, 1944, the men loaded on the C-47 transport planes, the invasion was on. Don jumped at approximately 0114 on June 6, 1944. His plane was flying very low and the opening shock of the parachute and hitting the ground seemed almost simultaneous to him. He was knocked out for a few moments. Coming to, he tried to find other men from his plane. As the night turned to day, he found many men and his platoon leader.

They were involved in liberating Ravenoville, and eventually Carentan. It was outside of Carentan, in the hedgerow country, where Don was wounded one week after jumping into Normandy on D-day. A mortar round had gone off close to Don and the shrapnel went through 8 rounds of rifle ammo, two layers of clothes, and nearly severed his right arm. The medics picked him up and he was sent back to England. He eventually healed and rejoined his unit. On September 17, 1944, Don performed his second combat jump, this time near Eindhoven, Holland. This was part of Operation Market-Garden. This was supposed to be a three day operation, but Don would spend 72 days in continuous combat in Holland. In November 1944, the 101st was pulled back to rest at Mourmelon-le-Grand, France. However, their rest would be short lived. On December 16, 1944, the Germans performed a counter attack through the Ardennes and the 101st was ordered to the vicinity of Bastogne, Belgium. Don and the 1st Battalion, 506th PIR were sent to the town of Noville, a few miles from Bastogne. They were told to hold the town along with elements of the 10th Armored Division. They held for two days until they were surrounded and finally had to pull back to the main defensive line around Bastogne. The 101st spent 30 days around Bastogne fighting off everything the Germans threw at them, including elements of 7 German Divisions. The 101st was again supposed to be relieved for a rest, but they were rushed to the Alsace region. After fighting for a month on the Moder River front in Alsace-Lorraine, the 101st was withdrawn to Mourmelon le Petit, France, to receive replacements and get a brief break from frontline duty. In April, 1945, the 101st was sent to the area along the west bank of the Rhine River, below Dusseldorf, to help close the ‘Ruhr Pocket.’ From there, they entered Germany, eventually taking and holding the town of Berchtesgaden, where Hi**er had his mountain retreat. Don was here when the Germans surrendered. He was put on occupation duty and arrived back in the U.S. on New Year’s Eve of 45-46. Don tried to buy a beer, but was refused service, because he was not yet 21 years old. Mr. Burgett eventually wrote four books about his experience in WWII, and he was the first enlisted member of the 101st Airborne to do so. His first book ‘Currahee’ was the only combat book written by a WWII veteran to be endorsed by General Eisenhower. Don did many things in civilian life, but was proudest of his children. Donald R. Burgett made his last jump on March 23, 2017 leaving a legacy and hundreds of friends.

Our hero today is SSG Ibrahim Karadsheh who died in a plane crash returning home from a peacekeeping mission in the Sin...
06/05/2026

Our hero today is SSG Ibrahim Karadsheh who died in a plane crash returning home from a peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula almost 41 years ago. This was the single deadliest peacetime air incident involving U.S. Soldiers. Please remember his sacrifice and that of the other soldiers on the plane.

Ibrahim Karadsheh
Staff Sergeant, United States Army
May 12, 1959 – December 12, 1985

Age – 26
Warren, MI

A Company, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion,
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY

Died in a plane crash along with 247 other soldiers and 8 crew members in Canada travelling home for Christmas.

SGT Karadsheh was born in Detroit, Michigan and grew up in Warren, Michigan. He was a 1983 graduate of the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. Died in the crash of Arrow Air Flight 1285. Of the 248 servicemen, all but twelve were members of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), most of whom were from the 3d Battalion, 502nd Infantry; eleven were from other Forces Command units; and one was an agent from the Criminal Investigations Command (CID). Sergeant Karadsheh served in A Company, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 101st Airborne.

“Abe was a consummate professional and soldier, a patriot, our friend – we will never forget” – Defense Language Institute Alumni, MSA Class 1983.

SGT Karadsheh had been deployed to the Sinai Peninsula. Their mission was to serve with the Multinational Force and Observers, a group that was established to enforce the terms of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel the two nations reached in 1979 following the signing of the Camp David Accords the year prior.
Flight 1285R took off from Cairo, Egypt at 8:35 PM on December 11, 1985. The trip back to the United States was intended to continue into the next day, with refueling stops in Cologne, West Germany and Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. The DC-8 arrived in Cologne at 1:21 AM and left just over an hour later with a new flight crew of eight.

At 9:04 AM, they arrived at Gander International Airport, where those onboard the plane disembarked while it was refueled and underwent an external inspection. At 10:15 AM, it took off down runway 22, hitting the air at 192 MPH. According to witnesses, the DC-8 appeared to experience difficulties during takeoff.

After hitting 198 MPH, the plane started to descend and was seen crossing the Trans-Canada Highway at a very low altitude. When interviewed after the crash, witnesses reported seeing a bright glow coming from the DC-8 before it struck the ground near Gander Lake, after which it broke up and burst into flames. The blaze was even more intense due to the extra amount of fuel the aircraft had taken on. Everyone onboard the plane, including the members of the 101st Airborne, perished in the crash. To this day, the death toll is still the highest of any plane crash to occur in Canada and is the single deadliest air incident to involve the US Army during peacetime.

Immediately following the plane crash, the Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB) sent a response team to gather evidence that would aid them in figuring out what happened. At the end of the investigation, five out of nine board members concluded that during the DC-8’s approach to Gander, conditions were favorable for the formation of ice on the aircraft’s wings. It continued to be exposed to freezing precipitation upon landing and hadn’t been de-iced prior to taking off for Kentucky.

While the members weren’t able to determine the sequence of events that led to the crash, they wrote in their report that “the weight of evidence supports the conclusion that, shortly after lift-off, the aircraft experienced an increase in drag and reduction in lift that resulted in a stall at low altitude from which recovery was not possible.” They went on to say that the cause of the stall was ice contamination on the upper portion of the DC-8’s wings.

Four members of the CASB disagreed, speculating “an in-flight fire that may have resulted from detonations of undetermined origin brought about catastrophic system failures” and downed the plane. They also noted inadequacies with the data recovered. Judge Willard Estey of the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the available evidence didn’t support either conclusion, the fallout for which resulted in the closure of the CASB and the establishment of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

A few days after the plane crash, US President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan visited Fort Campbell to comfort members of the 101st Airborne and the families of those who’d perished. Speaking before the group, he said, “Some people think of members of the military as only warriors, fierce in the martial expertise, but the men and women we mourn today were peacemakers. They were there to protect life and preserve peace, to act as a force for stability and hope and trust.”

Following the recovery period, the bodies of the fallen were repatriated to the US, escorted by their comrades in the 101st Airborne. Since the plane crash, a number of memorials have been erected to honor the victims, including one overlooking Gander Lake and another at Fort Campbell. A Memorial Park also opened in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

On this day in 1956 Col. Richard Searfoss of Mount Clemens, MI, was born.Colonel Searfoss received a Bachelor of Science...
06/05/2026

On this day in 1956 Col. Richard Searfoss of Mount Clemens, MI, was born.

Colonel Searfoss received a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1978 and a Master of Science degree in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology on a National Science Foundation Fellowship in 1979. After several years of piloting and later serving as a flight instructor of the F-111, he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1988 as a U.S.A.F. exchange officer. Searfoss was selected in the thirteenth group of astronauts in 1990. His first shuttle mission was as a pilot on STS-58 Columbia, a mission which studied the effects of spaceflight on humans and animals, in October 1993. In March 1996 he served as pilot of the STS-76 Atlantis, the third mission to dock with the Russian space station Mir. His third mission was as commander of STS-90 Columbia in April 1998, which carried the Neurolab Spacelab laboratory module to study the effects of weightlessness on the human nervous system. Among other honors, Col. Searfoss was an Eagle Scout, Tactical Air Command F-111 Instructor Pilot of the Year (1985), and Outstanding Young Men of America (1987). He later served on the Board of Directors and as Chief Test Pilot at XCOR Aerospace, a privately-held company involved in research, development, and production of reusable rocket powered, horizontal launch vehicles for suborbital spaceflight. During his three spaceflights he orbited Earth 626 times over 39 days, 3 hours, and 19 minutes in space. Col. Searfoss passed away September 29, 2018 at age 62.

Col. Searfoss’ Air Force uniform, astronaut flightsuit and other items he has donated can be seen at the Michigan Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth. Honor. Respect. Remember.

Our hero today is Specialist Donald R. McCune who is celebrating his 42nd birthday today with his fellow brothers in Hea...
06/04/2026

Our hero today is Specialist Donald R. McCune who is celebrating his 42nd birthday today with his fellow brothers in Heaven while watching over his mother. Please take a moment to thank him for his sacrifice.

Donald R. McCune
Specialist, United States Army National Guard
June 4, 1984 – August 5, 2004
Age – 20
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Operation Iraqi Freedom
1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, 81st Brigade Combat Team, Washington Army National Guard, Moses Lake, Washington

Died of injuries sustained August 4 when an improvised device detonated near his patrol in Balad, Iraq

McCune, 20, of Ypsilanti, Mich., died Aug. 5 in Landstuhl, Germany, from injuries he sustained the day before in Balad, Iraq. McCune was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, 81st Brigade Combat Team, and stationed in Moses Lake, Wash. Before that, he served nearly two years with an Army Reserve unit out of Fraser.

McCune grew up in Chelsea. He attended high school in Fort Wayne, Ind., while living with his father and at Huron High School when he lived in Ann Arbor with his mother, Darcy Lewis, and stepfather, Army Sergeant Benjamin Lewis. He had enlisted in the Army by the time he earned his high school equivalency degree in 2002.

Benjamin Lewis served with the Michigan Army National Guard’s 156th Signal Battalion before returning home three months ago. McCune had left for Iraq the previous week, and was to have been there until May 2005.

Donald McCune wanted to be a fighter. He named his pets after characters in the fighter-pilot movie “Top Gun,” and when the time came, he asked to transfer to a unit that would go to Iraq.
“He felt this was something he needed to do, and I’m very proud of what he wanted to do,” said his mother, Darcy Lewis. “I’m proud of my son. I believe we’re there for a reason and I hope someday his death means something, that something’s been accomplished. He’s not just a statistic. Regardless of what people feel about the war, people need to remember there are Americans over there and they’re there for a reason. They still need to be supported, regardless of people’s feelings.”

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, rooting for the Detroit Red Wings, country music and cars.

He was remembered by fellow soldiers as follows:

I served with McCune in Iraq. I was in the command squad. I remember the day this happened.... I miss him, last I saw was the dust off of the Blackhawk taking him away. I am at work at the moment, and could not figure out what was bothering me.
Today’s date was the day, our SGT Major handed me his uniform and boots. I was to clean them for his military funeral on base. Every year I relive this moment, and to the day I die I will continue to relive it.
Miss you brother,
Dennis Dwelle

"SPC McCune,
Yourself and SPC Hobbs are what makes America great! It has taken me awhile but I want to express my heartfelt thanks to a young soldier that volunteered to go on that patrol with our Scout Platoon. I will never ever forget one of the first patrols that you went out with me. You had everything covered even the kids that were throwing rocks at us, although that didn't make you too happy! LOL! Love you brother!
Scouts Out!"
SPC Jason Huss of Grand Ledge, Michigan

"Dear Donald, I thought of you all last night 8/5/07. I cannot explain my feelings with words. I remember seeing you that night in the hospital as you went off to surgery and remembering training with you before Iraq and sitting in the back of the hummer with you on the 50 cal. We had a bet on when the next attack would take place at the city council meeting that Thursday but you didn’t make it. We all missed you in the command section. You were 100% soldier and I will always be proud to have served with you. You will always be remembered - I will never forget. Your friend and comrade. Sgt Godbout- Medic"
Joe of Hollister, Ca

On this day in 1965, Jackson, MI native Brigadier General James McDivitt (USAF, Ret.) and Ed White launched on the secon...
06/03/2026

On this day in 1965, Jackson, MI native Brigadier General James McDivitt (USAF, Ret.) and Ed White launched on the second manned mission of the Gemini program, Gemini IV. The early astronauts did not want the title “Co-Pilot”, so McDivitt served as Command Pilot while White served as Pilot.

Gemini IV launched from Cape Kennedy’s Launch Complex 19 at 10:15am EDT. After McDivitt had depressurized the cabin, White opened his hatch at 2:34pm EDT. Two minutes later he stood up out of his seat, beginning the first American extravehicular activity (EVA, or spacewalk). After spending 23 minutes outside on a 25 foot tether, White was ordered back in before the spacecraft passed out of communications and into darkness. With assistance from McDivitt, White closed his hatch at 3:10pm and the cabin was repressurized.

The first photo shows McDivitt (front) and White (rear) walking up the ramp at the launch pad before riding the elevator to the top. The second photo shows the launch of Gemini IV. McDivitt took the third photo of White during his spacewalk.

Gen. McDivitt’s Air Force uniform, astronaut flightsuit and other items he has donated can be seen at Michigan Heroes Museum in Frankenmuth, MI. Honor. Respect. Remember.

Another Medal of Honor Recipient Col. Bruce Crandall passed away. God rest his Soul.He was remembered by Joe Galloway....
06/02/2026

Another Medal of Honor Recipient Col. Bruce Crandall passed away. God rest his Soul.

He was remembered by Joe Galloway. ‘Ol’ Snake’ Crandall is the bravest, craziest, funniest helicopter pilot I ever met in 43 years of going to war. On Nov. 14, 1965, during the Vietnam War’s Battle of Ia Drang, Snake and his wingman, Maj. Ed ‘Too Tall to Fly’ Freeman, led 16 slick Hueys into Landing Zone X-Ray again and again – hauling in 1st Battalion 7th Cavalry troops, hauling out their wounded, and hauling in resupplies of ammunition, water and medical supplies. When the LZ got so hot that Lt. Col. Hal Moore closed it, ‘Snake’ and ‘Too Tall’ just kept coming. Both of them earned the Medals of Honor they received for their actions. Scores of the wounded are alive today because of their heroism.”

Our hero today was SSG Patrick W. Wisniewski who lost his life leaving Selfridge ANGB after his shift when an intoxicate...
06/02/2026

Our hero today was SSG Patrick W. Wisniewski who lost his life leaving Selfridge ANGB after his shift when an intoxicated driver hit his motorcycle.

Patrick Wisniewski
Staff Sergeant, United States Air National Guard
August 17, 1979 – June 2, 2013
Age – 33
New Baltimore, Michigan

Persian Gulf, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Harrison Township, MI
Died when an intoxicated driver hit his motorcycle as he left Selfridge ANGB

Jennifer Wisniewski says her 33-year-old husband sent her and her children a "sign" on the evening he died.
She'd spoken to Patrick Wisniewski a few hours earlier, she said "just a simple conversation."

Her husband since 2004, Staff Sgt. Wisniewski, finishing up his shift as a security officer at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township last Sunday, asked his wife to heat up some leftover pizza for his dinner when he got home. But something odd happened a little later, said Jennifer Wisniewski.

"I was on the couch relaxing, and my daughters went up and got our wedding album," she said. "They brought it to the couch and were flipping through it."

Jennifer Wisniewski said they looked through the album together, her daughters commenting, "look how pretty you are and look how handsome daddy was."

Thinking nothing of it, she asked her children to put it away before they wrecked the pages, she said. "Five minutes later I got the call," said the mother of five. Her husband since 2004, a New Baltimore reserve police officer who planned to take a full-time position as a school resource officer next year, was gone.

Patrick Wisniewski died in a motorcycle crash Sunday after colliding with an unlicensed and intoxicated driver who turned in front of him, according to police.

He was remembered by fellow airmen as follows:

My heart is broken just thinking about the loss of such an amazing guy. I was in CAP with Pat. When I saw him at the last Air Show, he was on bike patrol. He stopped and gave me a hug and introduced me to his coworker as his "Cadet Commander," A title I haven't had in 17 years. It meant the world to me and I loved catching up with him and staying in touch on Facebook. I offer his family my deepest sympathy and am praying for you all.
Maria Myers

Wiz... May I one day have your sense of true balance between family, duty, honor, and country. You were the glue which kept many people together during tough times. We were blessed with your passion. While you take over the shift on your new eternal watch, your Family and fellow Defenders will always miss you. When it's my turn to stand watch where you are now, I hope you are my Flight Chief.
Alan Parks

Today's hero is 1LT Adam Malson who lost his life after stopping to aid an Iraqi woman. Please remember 1LT Malson and ...
06/01/2026

Today's hero is 1LT Adam Malson who lost his life after stopping to aid an Iraqi woman. Please remember 1LT Malson and his family today and every day.

Adam Malson
First Lieutenant, United States U.S. Army

November 7, 1981 – February 19, 2005
Age – 23
Rochester, Michigan

Operation Iraqi Freedom
4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment,
Fort Drum, New York

Died from enemy fire after stopping to aid an injured Iraqi woman
1LT Adam Malson, 23, of Rochester Hills, Mich., was killed Feb. 19 by a su***de bomber in Baghdad while assisting a wounded Iraqi woman on her way to a mosque. He was based at Fort Drum. “I really think his compassion overcame him,” Ben Malson told the Detroit Free Press on Sunday. “He didn’t have to do that. He did what he felt was right. I think she must have felt comfort knowing that there was an American soldier over you, telling you everything’s OK.

He had been selected for training with the Army Rangers, an elite military unit similar to the Green Berets or the Navy SEALs. Adam was four months away from the end of his tour of duty. He would have celebrated his third wedding anniversary in May with his wife, Lindsey, 24, who is also in the military with the 10th Mountain Division of the Military Police. They met at Michigan State University in the ROTC.

Adam Malson began getting interested in current events in middle school and that prompted a special nickname. "We used to call him 'little Rush Limbaugh,' he was so conservative," his mother, Debra, said. "My dad was always very political. He adopted those views. He just felt it was important to defend his country."
Malson graduated from Michigan State University in 2003. He played football, wrestled and in high school was recruited for the shot put because of his size. His sister, Amy, said though she was the big sister, he was always the strong one. "We were complete opposites. I used to wonder how we came from the same people. He was always fearless and brave," she said. "He always had to be the best. If he couldn't excel, he didn't want to do it." That included academics, specifically grade point average. "I'm sure that really irked him, that he had a 3.97," she said.

1LT Malson was remembered as follows by two fellow soldiers.
“To the family of 1st LT Malson, I served with LT Malson. He was a great Officer and a great human being. LT Malson, I can never forget you, and all you have given. You had so much in life and you gave it all so that others could have it better, you died helping others. The Thanks I feel for your selfless service is beyond words. God be With You"
SSG Juhl of FT Leonard Wood, MO

Dear Malson Family,
It's been just over a year since this world lost a great man and a great soldier. I remember in the fall of 2004 when Adam came home to see his wife Lindsey who at the time has been my Platoon leader up until she became the XO for our Company. I met him briefly and right off the bat I knew he was a fun loving guy and it showed he made Lindsey's day when they were together. I was there the night my Squad Leader told me what happened to Adam and we both took a trip soon after to Lindsey's house to comfort her because we had so much love and respect for her and wanted to be there in her time of need. She has been by far my best PL I have ever had and every time we go to a formal military function we always toast to Adam in his honor for he truly was a Leader soldiers would follow.

To LT Malson, Lindsey you have been such an inspiration of what it means to be a true warrior, and a young NCO like myself couldn't have asked for a better LT. I am so sorry for your loss. I like other NCOs who have been around you since before we joined HHC know that Adam holds a special place in your heart and one in our souls. It's been a highlight in my career to have served with you and my prayers go out to you and your family.

To Adam: You fought the good fight, now go with God and fight no more. Will take it from here Sir!!."
SGT Michael Lang of Fort Drum, NY

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