Family lauds soldier who died in Iraq

Family lauds soldier who died in Iraq
Cause of death for South Jordan man still unreported
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 09/10/2008 11:12:10 AM MDT


The family of Jordan Thibeault, who died of as-of-yet unreported causes in Iraq on Friday, issued a statement late Tuesday saying that the 22-year-old soldier died "to keep mankind safe and free."

"While we feel enormous grief and loss, we want to explain why our son's passing should be heralded by each and every one of us," read the statement from the South Jordan family.

"Mankind today is faced with terrible calamities. Only a select few are willing to forgo comforts of home, indeed the very promise of a bright future, to place themselves between the forces of hate and oppression and the human spirit yearning for peace and safety."

Thibeault, an Army specialist who drove and repaired Jordan Thibeault M-88 and Bradley tracked vehicles, had served four years in the U.S. Army and was on his second combat tour in Iraq. His unit, headquartered in Germany, was four months into a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq when he died.

Before joining the Army, Thibeault attended Benjamin Franklin Academy in Sandy. He had an interest in airplanes, mathematics, computers and military history, according to the family.

"Young and eager to answer the cause of Liberty, Jordan followed his inner core of beliefs, taught by loving parents and family members, to ensure the peoples of Iraq were assured a chance of achieving peace and prosperity," the family said in the statement.
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