POW-MIA  United States  United Kingdom  Denmark  Bulgaria  Poland  Spain  Ukraine  Italy  Thailand  Estonia  El Salvador  Netherlands  Slovakia  Latvia  Hungary  Australia  Kazakhstan  Fiji  Romania  Canada  South Korea
   The Iraq Page
 
Remembering Those who Lost Their Lives
in the Iraq War of 2003 - 2006
 
 
 Welcome to The Iraq Page Friday, March 19 2010 @ 05:59 AM MDT  
 Home  :  Contribute  :  Directory  :  Web Resources  :  List of War Dead  :  Printable List of Dead  :  About the Iraq Page  
Articles
Home
Operation Enduring Freedom
Individuals Missing (1)
Individuals US (4353)
Individuals GB (164)
Individuals Italy (32)
Individuals Spain (18)
Individuals Poland (17)
Individuals Ukraine (9)
Individuals Bulgaria (8)
Individuals Denmark (7)
Individuals El Salvador (5)
Individuals Australia (2)
Individuals Slovakia (2)
Individuals Netherland (2)
Individuals Latvia (2)
Individuals Estonia (2)
Individuals Romania (3)
Individuals Czech Republic (1)
Individuals South Korea (1)
Individuals Georgia (4)
Individuals Canada (1)
Individuals Fiji (1)
Individuals Kazakhstan (1)
Individuals Hungary (1)
Individuals Azerbaijan (1)
Individuals Thailand (1)
General News (158)
Site Index
Who's Online
Guest Users: 17
Ads
User Functions
:

:

Don't have an account yet? Sign up as a New User
Lost your password?

Aaron M. Forbes

    
Sunday, January 01 2006 @ 08:44 AM MST
Contributed by: River97
Views: 1,981
Individuals USwww.newsobserver.com -- The father of a 24-year-old soldier killed in an explosion in Iraq said his son joined the military because he had trouble finding other work, but grew into "a heck of a man" who came to love the Army and his service in the Middle East.

Army Spc. Aaron M. Forbes was killed when an improvised explosive device exploded near his Humvee during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 67th Armored Regiment, which is part of the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Hood, Texas.

Forbes left for his second tour of duty in Iraq just a day or two before Christmas, said his father, Allan Jokisch of Oak Island.

"You know what Aaron told me when he was on his first tour? He said the civilians over there loved the American soldiers," he said.

"He said, 'Dad, you don't see that side on the news. All you see is the bombings. ... You don't see them coming up and hugging us, shaking our hands. That's why I want to go back, because they love us.' "

Forbes joined the Army in 2002 and married his wife, Brittany, that July 4, shortly after he finished boot camp. A couple of weeks before he left for his second Iraq tour, they finalized his adoption of her 5-year-old son, Alex, from a previous marriage.

"He loved that little boy so much," Jokisch said.

The couple lived at Fort Hood. Forbes' wife learned of her husband's death while spending the holidays with her grandmother in Hilton Head, S.C.

Jokisch said the men had a sometimes distant relationship when Forbes was growing up, which led the son to take his mother's maiden name.

Things began to change when Forbes moved in with his father in 2001, after Forbes' mother died of cancer and his 21-year-old sister died of still unexplained causes within six months of each other, Jokisch said. Another son, 22-year-old Kenny, lives in Sarasota, Fla.

Struggling to find work, Forbes enlisted in the Army, which proved to be a transforming experience for father and son.

"If you knew him before he went in the military, you would have seen a totally different guy -- he matured so much," Jokisch said. "We grew so close after he got in the military. ... In the last four years, whenever we'd get ready to hang up [the phone], we'd always say, 'I love you, man.' "

Those calls came regularly while Forbes was at home, Jokisch said.

"That's the thing I'm going to miss," Jokisch said. "He was my best friend, I swear. My son was a heck of a boy -- a heck of a man."
 
What's Related

Story Options

Trackback

Trackback URL for this entry: http://iraq.pigstye.net/trackback.php/ForbesAaron

No trackback comments for this entry.
Aaron M. Forbes | 5 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Aaron M. Forbes
Authored by: anonymous on Monday, January 02 2006 @ 12:55 PM MST
TO THE FORBES FAMILY FROM THE WAHL FAMILY. VERY PROUD OF YOUR SON AARON. AARON SO SIMILAR TO OUR SON GREGORY. AARON THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, FOR BEING A MILITARY BROTHER TO OUR SON GREGORY. SADLY, BOTH OF YOU DIDN'T KNOW ONE ANOTHER. WELL, YOU DO NOW NOW THAT YOUR TOGETHER. OUR FAMILY UNDERSTAND THE HEARTACHE TO LOSING SOMEONE SO LOVED. AARON YOU BECOME A VERY UNSELFISH AMERICAN. ONE THAT ANSWERED HIS CALLING IN LIFE. RISKING YOUR LIFE EVERDAY FOR EVERY AMERICAN AND THOSE IN IRAQ. NOT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT YOUR FAMILY OR OUR'S WANTED. DEALING WITH YOUR LOST. NOT AN EASY PROCESS ON YOUR FAMILY AARON. YOU HAD BEEN LOVED SO HEARTEDLY BY YOUR FAMILY AS YOU LOVED THEM. AN THE HEALING PROCESS HAS NO REAL ANSWERS. YOU CAN ONLY TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME. SOME HEAL RIGHT AWAY, SOME OVERTIME, AND SOME NOT. I SHED TEARS OFTEN, AN NOT ALWAYS FOR MY SON. TODAY THOSE TEARS ARE YOUR'S. YOU HAVE NOT DIED IN VAIN AARON! YOU ARE AN AMERICAN HERO! SO I URGE YOUR FAMILY. TO REACH OUT TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND POLITICAL LEADERS TODAY. REQUEST A STREET BE NAMED IN AARON'S HONOUR. HE HAS SERVE NOT JUST HIS COUNTRY, HE SERVED HIS COMMUNITY, COUNTY, AND STATE. AN THE VERY LEAST HIS COMMUNITY, COUNTY, STATE AND COUNTRY CAN DO FOR HIM. TO PLACE HIS ANME ABOVE A STREET IN HIS COMMUNITY. WE THE FALLEN FAMILIES NEED TO KEEP OUR FALLEN SOLDIERS. FRESH IN THE MINDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND AMERICA! WE DOI NOT WANT AMERICA TO MISTREAT OUR FALLEN, WOUNDED FROMFIGHTING TERRORISM, AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. LIKE AMERICAN'S MISTREATED VIETNAM VETERANS. AARON PROTECTED EVERYONE LIBERITIES AND FREEDOM'S. FROM FALLEN FATHER OF US ARMY SGT GREGORY L. WAHL DRAGON SOLDIER KIA BALAD IRA 05-03-04. AARON YOU ARE ALWAYS IN MY HEART AND PRAYS.
Aaron M. Forbes
Authored by: anonymous on Thursday, January 05 2006 @ 12:49 PM MST
To: The Forbes Family,
The news of your lost saddness my heart deeply. Aaron was serving in Iraq with my son-in-law. They where both in the same company 4th ID from Fort Hood. My family would like to thank you and your son for giving the most perious gift for our freedom. You will be in my prays and thoughts. All of our soldiers are Heros, they are the bravest of the brave. All should stand and salute each soldier and his family for unself duty they preform each day. Thank you Aaron for my freedom, may you walk with your head held high and proud with God.
Barbara - Texas
Aaron M. Forbes
Authored by: anonymous on Friday, January 06 2006 @ 11:14 PM MST
Aaron,
I would like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for our Country. And to your family, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy.

A grateful citizen
Aaron M. Forbes
Authored by: anonymous on Sunday, March 05 2006 @ 01:00 AM MST
To the family of SPC Aaron Forbes: I did not know Aaron, but felt close to him. As a senior leader in the US Army who attended an "Angel Flight" memorial service in Iraq for Aaron, I am so greatful for his service and sacriface. Because of Aaron and his fellow warriors, I am now home with my family, safe and unharmed. I will not forget him.
Aaron M. Forbes
Authored by: anonymous on Monday, September 11 2006 @ 05:04 PM MDT
My church just had a tribute to our armed forces on 9/10/06. We had listed on two large walls a running list of all servicemen who died in Iraq or Afghanistan. I noticed your son's name, and wanted to learn more so that I could pay my respects. This is my small way of reaching out and saying thank you for your son's sacrifice for freedom.

Stephen Forbus
 Copyright © 2010 The Iraq Page
 All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners.		 Powered By Geeklog 
Created this page in 0.53 seconds