Oregon soldier killed in Iraq
Friday, April 13, 2007 10:58 AM PDT
PORTLAND (AP) — A soldier from Portland died when an improvised explosive device struck the Humvee he was driving in Baghdad, said Kay Fristad, a spokeswoman for the Oregon National Guard.
Army Pfc. Brett A. Walton, 37, died Monday, less than a month after he was deployed to the Middle East, Fristad said. Walton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment,2nd Infantry Division out of Ft. Carson, Colo. Walton graduated from Grant High School, and was a driver for Airgas Inc. in Portland before entering the U.S. Army on Sept. 13. Fristad said. He deployed to Iraq on March 10.
He is survived by his wife, Lindsay, and 5-year-old daughter, Sydney. They moved to Sherwood after Walton joined the Army, to be closer to Lindsay’s family, Fristad said.
Family members asked Fristad to handle interviews Thursday. Fristad said Walton told his family that he signed up for the war because: ‘‘I want to do something to be part of the solution, to make a difference to the people of Iraq.’’
A memorial service is being planned at the Solid Rock Church in Tigard, with interment at Willamette National Cemetery.
