Families cope with deaths of 3 guardsmen

Families cope with deaths of 3 guardsmen

By Sean Murphy - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Sep 20, 2008 9:18:12 EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY — Sgt. Dan Eshbaugh was an ace helicopter mechanic. Cpl. Michael Thompson volunteered to go to Iraq after learning his unit needed helicopter gunners. Chief Warrant Officer Brady Rudolf, a helicopter pilot, always looked for ways to relate to his fellow soldiers.

These three members of a Lexington, Okla.-based Oklahoma National Guard unit died Thursday when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in southern Iraq — marking the deadliest day for the Oklahoma Guard since combat operations began overseas in 2001.

The deaths bring to 70 the number of Oklahomans killed in Iraq since 2003. Four Texas National Guard soldiers also perished in the crash, military officials said.

The Department of Defense still had not released the names of those killed late Friday, but friends and families of the Oklahoma soldiers said all three had previously deployed to Iraq.
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