IED blast sends ripples through close community

IED blast sends ripples through close community
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 21, 2012 8:58:17 EST
Spc. Robert J. Tauteris Jr. re-enlisted last summer so he could deploy to Afghanistan with his son.

On Jan. 8, the younger Tauteris, also named Robert, performed the most solemn duty asked of a son. He escorted his father’s remains home from Afghanistan.

THE FALLEN

Four soldiers from the Indiana National Guard’s 713th Engineer Company were killed Jan. 6, when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in southern Afghanistan.

They were:

• Staff Sgt. Jonathan M. Metzger, 32, of Indianapolis: Metzger served in the Marine Corps from 1998 to 2005 before joining the Indiana National Guard. He deployed to Iraq in 2008 and volunteered to deploy with the 713th Engineer Company for its 2011 tour in Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, Erica; his parents, James and Jacquelyn; and two siblings.

• Spc. Robert J. Tauteris Jr., 44, of Hamlet, Ind.: Tauteris joined the Indiana Guard in 2007, serving as a heavy construction equipment operator. He deployed to Afghanistan with the 1613th Engineer Support Company in 2009, and upon completing his service obligation in May 2010, he transitioned into the inactive reserve. Tauteris re-enlisted in July 2011 so he could deploy with his son, Robert Tauteris III, and the 713th Engineer Company. He is survived by his sons, Robert and Matthew; three siblings; and his father, Robert Tauteris Sr.

• Spc. Brian J. Leonhardt, 21, of Merrillville, Ind.: Leonhardt joined the Indiana Guard in 2008 and served as a combat engineer. He was posthumously promoted to sergeant. He is survived by his wife, Dianne Dreger; his parents, Robert and Marie; and seven siblings.

• Spc. Christopher A. Patterson, 20, of Aurora, Ill.: Patterson joined the Indiana Guard in 2009, immediately after graduating from high school. After he qualified as a combat engineer, Patterson joined the ROTC at Valparaiso University, where he was majoring in music. Patterson put on hold his plans to become an officer in order to deploy with the 713th Engineer Company. He is survived by his parents, Robert and Mary; three brothers; and both sets of grandparents.
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