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1SG Ernest E. Utt

    
Wednesday, June 30 2004 @ 10:18 AM MDT
Contributed by: Lauty
Views: 2,695
Individuals US

Ernest E. Utt Jr., remembered as devoted to loved ones, Army career

By HUEY FREEMAN - H&R Staff Writer

Denise Utt talked to her husband in Baghdad while she was at work Sunday morning.

She might have heard the last words 1st Sgt. Ernest E. Utt Jr. ever spoke.

"The morning he died he called me," Denise Utt said in a phone interview from her home at Fort Hood, Texas. "He was walking away from the phone booth. A mortar round came across the wall."

Three hours later, she received a call from one of her sons, telling her to come home because there were Army people outside.

When she saw the van with the Army chaplain inside, she knew her worst fears had been realized.

"He was the most wonderful person you could ever ask to meet," said Utt, who celebrated her 10th anniversary with her husband Feb. 1, shortly before he was deployed. "His life revolved around his family and working on his cars."

A career soldier, Ernest Utt, 38, had joined the Army shortly after graduating from Atwood-Hammond High School 21 years ago. He had planned to retire next year.

He commanded about 80 soldiers in Battery B, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division.

Denise Utt said he did not have to go to Iraq but did not want his soldiers to go there without him.

"He was like a father figure to them," she said. "Everybody that met him loved him. The only way they can picture him is with a smile on his face. He was always making jokes.

"If it was a tense situation, he had to make a joke. He had to make everybody laugh."

Family members and friends of Ernest Utt, who grew up mostly in the tiny southern Piatt County town of Pierson Station, remember him as a joker who also was a gifted artist with a knack for fixing machines.

He was the son of Ernest Utt Sr., who lives in Pierson Station, and Mary Utt, who died in 1998.

"He was comical, a cutup comedian, from the time he was young until he was older," said Jordan "Herbie" Utt, his older brother, in an interview from his home in Southern California.

The 1983 Atwood-Hammond High School yearbook bears witness to this claim. Ernest Utt, one of 36 graduating seniors that year, was voted the most humorous male.

Jordan Utt, who turned 41 Monday, said his brother was able to use humor in commanding his soldiers, who numbered up to 100.

"He genuinely cared about people," he said. "He would go out of his way to do things the right way and made sure people had fun with it. He didn't make enemies."

The goofy sense of humor that endeared him to people in Pierson Station, now a town of about 78 people, persisted into adulthood.

Jordan Utt, who said his brother was also his best friend, recalled the times they would take his three young sons to amusement parks, such as Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm.

"He put funny-looking 'Billy Bob' teeth in his mouth," he said, adding that his brother also would don funky clothes and a cap proudly displaying the name of a trailer park. "People would just stare at him. He just did that to get a laugh out of people."

On the serious side, Ernest Utt was a responsible father who was awarded custody of his three young sons after a divorce from his first wife.

"For a while, he raised those three boys on his own," Jordan Utt said.

Denise Utt said the boys, ages 12, 13 and 15, are all being little troopers in the wake of their father's death, but it's been hard, especially on the youngest one.

"He always said, 'I think you're the most handsomest daddy in the world,' " she said.

The Utts had planned to move to Fayetteville, N.C., next year, after he returned from Iraq and retired from the Army.

Instead, he will be buried there, probably at the end of next week.

Valerie Reynolds, who grew up two doors down from the Utts in Pierson Station, said she was shocked to hear of his death.

"He was just a great guy, a fun-loving, personable guy," she said.

Reynolds plans to walk door to door in Pierson Station this evening to collect money to donate to local family members for travel expenses.

Ginger Luck, Ernest Utt's swing choir partner in junior high school, said he was always a pleasure to be around.

"He always made you laugh," she said. "He did the perfect impression of Steve Martin's 'wild and crazy guy.' "

Luck said Utt was a contestant on "The Price is Right" but did not advance to the final round.

Marjorie Jones, a longtime Pierson Station resident and retired Atwood-Hammond Grade School teacher, is the mother of one of Utt's childhood friends.

"He was over here all the time, always playing games," she said.

She said the town is reeling from the news of his death. "If somebody hurts, everybody hurts."

Rheba Beck, who has lived near the Utt home in Pierson Station for about 34 years, said Tuesday afternoon that she had not heard about Utt's death.

"He was a good boy, a real good boy, always polite," Beck said. "Dear God. He was just a really good kid. His dad's a really good guy. I'm sorry for the family. When things like this hit a real small place like this, it hits home, doesn't it?"

Beck said Utt, a lineman on his high school football team and middle distance runner on the track team, was always running through town.

Jordan Utt, a high school sprinter who had competed at state three times, said he ran a 10K race with his brother in California when they were in their 20s.

"He finished second in an incredible time among seasoned runners, thousands of military and nonmilitary people," Jordan Utt recalled. "I finished third. The only reason I finished third was because he kept coming back for me.

"I wanted to drop out of the race. He came back to encourage me. He could have probably finished first."

Now Ernest Utt was the standout athlete.

"The roles had reversed," recalled Jordan Utt, who was well-known around town as a star halfback who helped lead his team to a state championship. "I was his older brother, but he ended up being more of an older brother to me later in life. He matured quite a bit."
 
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1SG Ernest E. Utt
Authored by: Lauty on Wednesday, June 30 2004 @ 02:06 PM MDT
I served with 1SG Utt, as his supply sergeant, for approximately a year and a half. It pains me greatly to discover of his sacrifice. I send my deepest sympathy to his wife, Denise, and his children. May God bless you all and send our "Pacesetters" home soon!
1SG Ernest E. Utt
Authored by: anonymous on Wednesday, July 07 2004 @ 05:04 PM MDT
I served with then SGT (E-5) Utt from 1986 to 1988 as part of the Werewolf Team at Fort Irwin, CA. Even then, he was the consumate professional soldier, coupled with a bit of rebellion.

His current soldiers might find it funny to know that Ernie often sported an earring in his off hours and wore "anarchy" t-shirts around the post. Due to a vision condition, he had a profile that allowed him to wear his issue RPG sunglasses all the time...which caused the "old guard" to grimace and his peers to grin.

He had an infectious grin, a mischievious sense of humor and was an amazing soldier. Although we didn't talk often in recent years, I am proud to have called him my friend. The US Army and our nation will not be same with his passing.

I will miss Ernie Utt.

Wolf 21-India, this is Wolf 21-Sierra....Echo Oscar Mike....Out.

John Trigg
San Antonio, Texas
1SG Ernest E. Utt
Authored by: anonymous on Wednesday, July 07 2004 @ 06:39 PM MDT
My best friend, My mentor, will be dearly missed,we go back to October 1988 Baumholder Germany as my section Chief, Fresh from FT IRWIN sporting his prescription issued sunglasses and always had that smile, then reunited back in Germany October 1992,Me as a civilian he was going to Bragg, we reminised about the past drank a few beers and said we would never fall out of contact, 9 years later I walked right by Ernie, Denise and the kids at the PX parking lot of FT HOOD, he had no idea I returned to active duty and i had no idea he would end up where i was from that day forward we never fell out of contact, I know you are up there leading your NCO"S Ernie look down on me continue to guide me brother.
SFC MICHAEL LEE WEBB
WACO TEXAS
1SG Ernest E. Utt
Authored by: anonymous on Saturday, July 10 2004 @ 10:50 AM MDT
I served with Ernest Utt while assigned to A Battery, 1-82 Field Artillery, and I can honesty say that we all have lost a great human being in 1SG Utt. The constant professional, he never let bad situations get him down and always looked on the positive side of things. May God bless him, and his entire family. You will be missed, Top !


Jose A. Burgos
1SG Ernest E. Utt
Authored by: anonymous on Wednesday, July 14 2004 @ 10:18 AM MDT
I met Ernest in December 1998 at Fort Irwin,CA. I knew right off that he was a caring compassionate person. We became good friends and still remain friends because he is still alive in my heart. We used to work together on his cars and trucks. He also helped me to repair the brakes on my 1989 Nissan Maxima which I still drive to this day. I met with his wife and kids yesterday at their home at Fort Hood, Texas. Ernest was there. He was alive in his Wife Denise and his kids. I truly miss my friend. It's not fair that he had to go home so soon. But I will see him on the high ground when it's my time to go home. I miss you buddy, I miss you friend.
Norman Travis Sr. Killeen, Texas
1SG Ernest E. Utt
Authored by: anonymous on Tuesday, May 31 2005 @ 08:53 PM MDT
I knew and respected 1SG Utt...I first met him when I was a PFC, he was a SSG, we were both assigned to Abtry 2-319th AFAR, 82d ABN. He was professional, friendly, and immensely likable. He made an enormous impression on me. It was examples such as his I tried to emulate through my ten years of service. I cry for the loss of this fine soldier...the world is a lesser place with out him.

SGT Patrick Gaebelein
  • 1SG Ernest E. Utt - Authored by: anonymous on Wednesday, March 11 2009 @ 01:58 PM MDT
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