SEAL of Honor (34 page)

Chief Warrant Officer Chris Scherkenbach was buried with full military honors in Section 60, site 8200, in Arlington National Cemetery, next to a teammate, Sergeant First Class Marcus Muralles. Approximately thirty days after Chris’s death, Michelle traveled to China and brought home their daughter, Sarah Grace Xiaomei Scherkenbach.

Sadly, Chris Scherkenbach never had the opportunity to meet his daughter. Nevertheless, if he had known in advance what the outcome of his mission that fateful day would be, he still would have gone, epitomizing the inscription on the Night Stalker Memorial Wall at Fort Campbell, Kentucky: “I serve with the memory and pride of those who have gone before me, for they love to fight, fought to win and would rather die than quit.” Sarah may not understand now why her father died, but the example of his courage will light her path for a lifetime.

Born February 13, 1970, in Clarks Grove, Minnesota, to Donald and Deborah Goodnature, Cory was driven to become a military pilot and changed his plans
more than once as a young man to realize his goal. After graduating from Albert Lea High School, where he participated in wrestling and track, he enrolled in the University of Minnesota and its Air Force ROTC program. Due to funding problems, the program was cut. He then transferred to the Marine Corps and had a pilot’s slot in the ROTC, but that program was also cut. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with an associate’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1991 and enlisted in the Army in October 1991.

Though his earlier efforts to become a pilot had been derailed, he was undeterred and worked his way up in the Army to achieve his goal. He served as a parachute rigger at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the Warrant Officer Basic Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Upon graduation from flight school in 1995, his first assignment was flying UH-1s (Hueys) in Korea, and in 1996 was assigned to Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii. He tested for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in 1998 and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th SOAR at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, as an MH-47D Chinook pilot. Having served one tour in Iraq, he was on his fourth deployment in Afghanistan when he died. He leaves a wife, Lori, and two teenage boys, Shea and Brennan.

A memorial service for Cory Goodnature was held on Friday, July 8, 2005, at the Isle of Hope Methodist Church in Savannah, Georgia. His funeral service was conducted at the Albert Lea United Methodist Church in Albert Lea, Minnesota, on July 16, 2005. With full military honors, he was buried at Graceland Cemetery in Albert Lea, where he remains on permanent station.

Each year the Isle of Hope Methodist Church hosts more than two hundred runners in the Cory Goodnature Run for Missions. The Cory Goodnature Memorial Scholarship Program is funded by an annual Golf Classic in Albert Lea.

James “Tre” Ponder was born June 24, 1969, in Alabama, and was a resident of Clarksville, Tennessee. He joined the Army in March 1990 as a Chinook helicopter repairer. After graduating from basic training at Camp Eustis, Virginia, he was assigned to Camp Humphreys, Korea. He arrived at the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in December 1992 and served in a variety of positions in the 2nd Battalion, including flight engineer instructor, standardization instructor, and regiment standardization instructor. He was on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan in June 2005.

His military education consisted of the Primary Leadership Development, Combat Lifesaver, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE), Basic Noncommissioned Officer, Equal Opportunity Representatives, Air Assault, Airborne, and Army Advanced Noncommissioned Officers courses and schools.

Following a funeral service on July 7, 2005, at the First Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee, Master Sergeant Ponder was laid to rest with full military honors at the nearby Greenwood Cemetery. Tre is survived by his wife, Leslie, and his daughters, Samantha and Elizabeth.

A resident of Rincon, Georgia, he was born on September 28, 1973, in Virginia. Russell joined the Army in October 1991 as a Chinook helicopter repairer. After completing basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, his first duty station was Barbers Point, Hawaii, where he remained until April 1995.

In May 1996 he departed to the 158th Aviation Regiment located at Fort Carson, Colorado. In August 1996 he was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, in which he served as a flight engineer with the 3rd Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.

His military education included the Primary Leadership Development, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE), and Basic Noncommissioned Officers courses.

Sergeant First Class Michael Russell is survived by his wife, Annette, of Savannah, Georgia, and two daughters, Lauren and Megan. He was buried with full military honors in Stafford, Virginia.

Marcus V. Muralles was born October 5, 1971, in Louisiana, and was raised in Shelbyville, Indiana. He joined the Army in December 1988 as an infantryman. After completing Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia. After completing his initial enlistment obligation, he was assigned to the inactive ready reserve in 1993.

In August 1998 he returned to active duty and graduated One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning in the summer of 1998. His first duty station was Company B, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment as a medical administrator, platoon medic, and company senior medic. In August 2003, Muralles was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as an aerial flight medic.

His military education and training included the Emergency Medical Technician, Basic Airborne, and Ranger schools, as well as the Primary Leadership Development, Jumpmaster, Special Operations Medic, Basic Noncommissioned Officer, and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Development courses.

Sergeant First Class Marcus Muralles was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Diana, and their two children, Anna and Dominic.

Shamus O. Goare was born May 28, 1976, in Danville, located in the upper northeastern corner of Knox County in northwestern Ohio. After graduating from Danville High School, he joined the Army in 1994 as a Huey helicopter repairer at the age of seventeen. He got his mother to sign his enlistment papers by convincing her that the forms were for something different. Attracted to the military life in general, he chose the Army because he liked its uniforms. He attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

From December 1994 to October 1996, Goare was assigned to Company I, 158th Aviation Battalion as a utility helicopter repairer at Fort Hood, Texas. In October 1996 he was reassigned as a UH-1 crew chief to 1st USA Support Battalion, Sinai, Egypt. Upon completion of a one-year tour in Egypt, he was assigned as a crew chief to 12th Aviation Brigade at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. From January to May 1999, he attended the Heavy Helicopter Repairer Course at Fort Eustis, Virginia, and upon completion became a Chinook helicopter repairer. In June 1999 he was assigned to Company C, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Camp Humphreys, Korea, where he performed duties as a MH-47 mechanic until May 2000.

In June 2000 Goare was recruited and volunteered for the Night Stalkers and assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Training Company. Upon completion of the Basic Mission Qualification Course (Green Platoon), he was assigned as a flight engineer for Company B, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. His mother, Judy, says that Shamus agreed to join the Night Stalkers because he liked their maroon berets.

His military education and training included the Primary Leadership Development, SERE, Utility Helicopter Repairer, and Medium Helicopter Repairer courses.

Single, Shamus frequently volunteered for additional overseas deployments to allow men who were married or expecting the birth of a child soon to remain with their families, claiming that they would do the same for him. He had successfully completed two deployments to Iraq and was on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan.

Shamus was the frequent target of bullies while growing up. It wasn’t until after his death that those in Danville learned that Shamus personified character, courage, honor, humility, and valor.

Shamus Goare is survived by his parents, Charles and Judith Goare, of Danville, Ohio. His funeral service was held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, July 12, at the Fischer Funeral Home.

He was laid to his earthly rest with full military honors in St. Luke’s Cemetery in Danville. At the funeral, Lieutenant General Philip Kensinger, the commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, presented Shamus’s parents with the Bronze Star with “V” device, the Purple Heart, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

Kip was born September 2, 1983, to Stephen and Susan Jacoby of Pompano Beach, Florida. After graduating from Northeast High School in June 2002, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in October that same year. He successfully completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, after which he attended and subsequently graduated from Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, Virginia, in May 2003.