Word of five more deaths comes as Fort Lewis honors the memory of a Stryker soldier from Bremerton. PFC Charles Hester just joined the army three years ago.

There were quite a few family and friends from the Bremerton and Poulsbo areas joining the soldiers from the 3rd Stryker Brigade here today.

Hester's family is saddened, but proud of their son's sacrifice.

At only 3 years of age, Elizabeth Hester doesn't fully understand the sacrifice her father made for his country. He was killed by a roadside bomb.

But the children of this war start to realize the loss. The 6-year-old daughter of Maj. Kyle Marsh knew another life was taken when the family's phone rang in the middle of the night when the 3rd Brigade commander got the news.

"She sleepily came into our bedroom and said, 'Daddy, a soldier died today, didn't he? I heard the phone ring.' I said, 'Yes honey, a good man died today,'" he said at the memorial.

More than 30 times the phone has rung for the 3rd Stryker Brigade. More than 30 families have received the awful news.

"This has been a terrible week for us at Fort Lewis," said Chaplain Chris Cieply. "Life seems so fragile and temporal as we learn of soldier after soldier making the ultimate sacrifice."

This is particularly tough for our region. Hester is a local boy raised in Bremerton. His wife Roxanne will now have to raise Elizabeth without him.

Hester's fellow Stryker soldiers say he'll be deeply missed.

"Always smiling, great man that we would come to love and adore," said Staff. Sgt. Chess Johnson.

Hester will be buried Saturday at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent.

Next week a memorial for two Stryker soldiers is set for Tuesday and seven more soldiers are to be memorialized one week from today.

This is all happening while the post commander still tries to figure out how best to handle so many casualties.

For More Information:

Stryker News Web site