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Campbell honors 10 killed in January

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Fort Campbell held a remembrance ceremony for soldiers killed in the Iraq war in January, a deadly month when the base lost 10 soldiers in its troops’ latest deployment.

Six soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team were honored Wednesday.

Two soldiers killed last month were assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group, a tenant unit based at Fort Campbell. One soldier from the 101st died from non-combat injuries and a soldier from 2nd Brigade was killed by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.

“They do know serving in Iraq was the honorable thing,” said 101st Airborne Division Commander Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser. “They are continuing to protect us today.”

Schloesser said each soldier brought unique, essential qualities to their units.

Pfc. Danny L. Kimme, 27, of Fisher, Ill., who died Jan. 16, was going to become a father in about 60 days and had an “uncanny ability to keep morale and spirits high,” Schloesser said.

Kimme, Pfc. David H. Sharrett II of Oakton, Va., and Spc. John P. Sigsbee of Waterville, N.Y., were killed when their patrol came under small-arms fire and grenade attack in Balad. Two other soldiers were wounded in the attack.

About a week before, three soldiers from the 1st Brigade were gunned down during a three-hour firefight in the Salahuddin province north of Baghdad.

One of those soldiers, Pfc. Ivan E. Merlo of San Marcos, Calif., joined the Army at 18 and was learning Arabic, an asset for his team. Schloesser said he was considered a mentor to his fellow soldiers.

The Army is investigating the incident to determine whether the soldiers were killed by the enemy or by U.S. troops in friendly fire. But the manner of their death does not diminish their sacrifice, fellow soldiers said.

“Friendly fire or enemy fire, [they] died in combat,” said Maj. Mike Oeschger, rear detachment commander of 1st Brigade.