Iraq Action Claims 2 N.C. Guardsmen

Raleigh, N.C. — Two North Carolina Army National Guard soldiers died in Iraq over the weekend, officials announced Monday.

Sgt. Thomas C. Ray, 40, of Weaverville, and Sgt. David Blake Williams, 26, of Tarboro, both members of the 1132nd Military Police Company, were killed near Baghdad when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device while on patrol on Saturday, officials said.

Spc. David S. Stelmat, 27, of Littleton, N.H., a member of the New Hampshire Army National Guard assigned to the company, also was killed in the incident, officials said.

The 1132nd Military Police Company is based in Rocky Mount.

Williams joined the National Guard in July 2003 and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq – the first was with the N.C. Army National Guard's 105th Military Police Battalion, which operated a large detention facility in southern Iraq.

Williams is survived by his mother and sister, who spent Monday remembering his commitment to military service.

His sister recalled that the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd prompted him to join the National Guard.

"He felt like he had a calling to serve," Mary Beth Williams said.

Coming from a family rich in military service, "He wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps," she added.

Williams' late brother, John (Chris) Williams, served in the Army for four years.

According to his sister, Williams had initial apprehension about returning to Iraq.

"After he met some of the people over there this time, he knew he needed to be there, he was making a difference," she said.

Ray was born in Asheville and joined the Navy in 1985, serving three years on active duty as a Navy medical specialist.

His mother remembered when he wanted to join the Navy, "He begged me to sign the early enlistment waiver."

Ray joined the National Guard in May 2006.

"I'm incredibility proud of my son," she said. "He gave his life doing what he wanted to do, and I can live with that."

Ray was married with one teenage daughter. His wife said he went to Iraq hoping to make a difference.

"He wanted to save lives and bring back the younger guys," Linda Ray said. "He's a loving husband and father who is irreplaceable and will be greatly missed."

The 1132nd Military Police Company deployed last June, with about 120 soldiers, and is scheduled to return to North Carolina this fall.

Seven N.C. National Guard soldiers have been killed in Iraq.

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Well, I can honestly say my husband didn't join for "the college education and free insurance". He's served for 24 years, been on multiple deployments, lost a job because of his most recent one - with an email that said "you couldn't expect us to hold your job for two years" and is now serving on yearlong orders at a time..each renewal we don't know if he'll have a job or not. Yes, we get insurance now, but try finding a doctor that will take government insurance on a continual basis in a decent driving distance - general doctors are easy to locate, but look for a specialist and good luck. And, no, he hasn't had a chance yet to use those "education benefits" you speak so highly of. Yes, there are some that sign for the benefits, but not a huge majority of them are in the Guard - it takes a lot more dedication that one might think. A good number of Soldiers with the 1132nd were volunteers for this deployment - would you do the same for college tuition?

thelewisclan
March 25, 2008 8:28 p.m.

rev rb,you need to get a clue,they joined so they could get money for college to better themselves......very few was a calling,and the free medical insurance

Actually, if you will check with a lot of the National Guard soldiers, the college fund was not the major reason they joined. Medical insurance is not free for traditional guard soldiers.

wstarhawks
March 25, 2008 3:53 p.m.

rev rb,you need to get a clue,they joined so they could get money for college to better themselves......very few was a calling,and the free medical insurance.check your stats at cnn.com/survey.besides,you can always become a missionary,lot other countries besides iraq that need our help.

050462
March 25, 2008 3:16 p.m.

Bush's war has nothing to do with Al-Qaida, Bin Laden, 9/11 or WMD - these points have been proven but unfortunately, there are so many ignorant Americans (how else could Bush get re-elected?) that they don't want to believe the truth.

I am sorry for the lost troops and their families but when the full story is revealed, history will be written that it all was in vain to satisfy the vanity of the cowboy president.

Believe me, I wish it weren't true but there are now countless books and documents out there - get your heads out of the sand and read...

yeah
March 25, 2008 1:43 p.m.

I'm so glad we sent our troops to Iraq to get Al Qaeda, hunt down Osama Bin Laden and end Saddam's WMD program. None of these deaths were in vain.

wildervb
March 25, 2008 12:39 p.m.