Saturday, June 28, 2003
By ANGELA DELLI SANTI
Associated Press Writer
June 28, 2003, 6:55 PM EDT
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe called home nearly every week and counseled his little brother to swear off girls and keep his head on straight. Pfc. Kevin Ott owned a gray and chrome Harley-Davidson motorcycle that he'd rev up at 7 a.m. whenever the weather was nice.
The bodies of the two soldiers _ Philippe, 37, of Roselle, N.J., and Ott, 27, of Orient, Ohio _ were discovered northwest of Baghdad early Saturday. The soldiers were reported missing three days earlier from the town of Balad, 25 miles north of the Iraqi capital.
The soldiers, both members of an artillery unit based in Fort Sill, Okla., disappeared Wednesday night amid a torrent of the guerrilla-style attacks and sabotage that have marred U.S. efforts to re-establish order since Saddam Hussein's ouster.
The U.S. death toll since the war in Iraq began now exceeds 200. About a third of U.S. troops killed in the Iraqi conflict have died in attacks or accidents since major combat was declared over May 1.
Philippe entered the Army in November 1988, and Ott had served since January 2002, said Maj. Steve Stover, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon. Philippe saw action in the Gulf War.
The eldest of nine children, Philippe enlisted after graduating from Elizabeth High School. He competed on the school's bowling team, and he carried a passion for the sport into adulthood, said Fedlyn Philippe, 16, Gladimir's youngest brother.
"He was like my best friend and my brother at the same time," Fedlyn said. "He was a person I could just talk to. I looked up to him a lot."
Fedlyn said members of his large extended family were still assembling at the Philippe home by midday Saturday. Gladimir's stepmother, who had just gotten the news after returning from work, sobbed loudly in the background.
Gladimir's father, Renisse Philippe, brought his family to New York from Haiti in 1970 and moved to New Jersey two years later.
On Friday, he said his son was not too concerned about combat in Iraq. "That's his job," the elder Philippe said. "He's going to do his job."
Gladimir called home two or three weeks ago, and left a long message when no one was home to receive the call, Fedlyn said.
The Army "was something (Gladimir) chose to do," his brother said. "He always told me not to join. He told me to play basketball and keep my head strong and don't worry about girls, and to do good in school."
Ott's parents live in Orient, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, and have requested privacy. A woman who answered the phone at the Ott home Saturday said, "Please don't bother us at the moment, and thank you very much for respecting our wishes."
Matt and Anna Gailis, who have lived next door to the Otts for about a year, spoke of Kevin's passion for his Harley, which he'd take out early in the morning.
"He was in and out at odd hours," Matt Gailis, 31, said. "He seemed like a nice enough guy."
Five other Army soldiers from New Jersey have died during Operation Iraqi Freedom: U.S. Army Spc. Kyle Griffin, 20, of Emerson; Master Sgt. Terry Hemingway, 39, of Willingboro; Cpl. Michael E. Curtin, 23, of Howell Township; Army Spc. Gil Mercado, 25, a native of Paterson whose family lives in Puerto Rico; and Spc. Narson B. Sullivan, 21, of North Brunswick.
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Associated Press Writer
June 28, 2003, 6:55 PM EDT
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe called home nearly every week and counseled his little brother to swear off girls and keep his head on straight. Pfc. Kevin Ott owned a gray and chrome Harley-Davidson motorcycle that he'd rev up at 7 a.m. whenever the weather was nice.
The bodies of the two soldiers _ Philippe, 37, of Roselle, N.J., and Ott, 27, of Orient, Ohio _ were discovered northwest of Baghdad early Saturday. The soldiers were reported missing three days earlier from the town of Balad, 25 miles north of the Iraqi capital.
The soldiers, both members of an artillery unit based in Fort Sill, Okla., disappeared Wednesday night amid a torrent of the guerrilla-style attacks and sabotage that have marred U.S. efforts to re-establish order since Saddam Hussein's ouster.
The U.S. death toll since the war in Iraq began now exceeds 200. About a third of U.S. troops killed in the Iraqi conflict have died in attacks or accidents since major combat was declared over May 1.
Philippe entered the Army in November 1988, and Ott had served since January 2002, said Maj. Steve Stover, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon. Philippe saw action in the Gulf War.
The eldest of nine children, Philippe enlisted after graduating from Elizabeth High School. He competed on the school's bowling team, and he carried a passion for the sport into adulthood, said Fedlyn Philippe, 16, Gladimir's youngest brother.
"He was like my best friend and my brother at the same time," Fedlyn said. "He was a person I could just talk to. I looked up to him a lot."
Fedlyn said members of his large extended family were still assembling at the Philippe home by midday Saturday. Gladimir's stepmother, who had just gotten the news after returning from work, sobbed loudly in the background.
Gladimir's father, Renisse Philippe, brought his family to New York from Haiti in 1970 and moved to New Jersey two years later.
On Friday, he said his son was not too concerned about combat in Iraq. "That's his job," the elder Philippe said. "He's going to do his job."
Gladimir called home two or three weeks ago, and left a long message when no one was home to receive the call, Fedlyn said.
The Army "was something (Gladimir) chose to do," his brother said. "He always told me not to join. He told me to play basketball and keep my head strong and don't worry about girls, and to do good in school."
Ott's parents live in Orient, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, and have requested privacy. A woman who answered the phone at the Ott home Saturday said, "Please don't bother us at the moment, and thank you very much for respecting our wishes."
Matt and Anna Gailis, who have lived next door to the Otts for about a year, spoke of Kevin's passion for his Harley, which he'd take out early in the morning.
"He was in and out at odd hours," Matt Gailis, 31, said. "He seemed like a nice enough guy."
Five other Army soldiers from New Jersey have died during Operation Iraqi Freedom: U.S. Army Spc. Kyle Griffin, 20, of Emerson; Master Sgt. Terry Hemingway, 39, of Willingboro; Cpl. Michael E. Curtin, 23, of Howell Township; Army Spc. Gil Mercado, 25, a native of Paterson whose family lives in Puerto Rico; and Spc. Narson B. Sullivan, 21, of North Brunswick.
