5th GRP KIA
 

Army major based at Fort Campbell killed in IraqWSMV-TVJune 17, 2004 -
LAKE ZURICH, Ill. (AP) -- A decorated
U.S. Army major from northern Illinois who was scheduled to return
shortly from Iraq has been killed, his
family said.

Army Maj. Paul Syverson III, 32, was killed in action Wednesday, said
his mother, Joy Syverson. He was
assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group, based at Fort Campbell, Ky.

"Everything is so hard," she said Wednesday, hours after hearing the
news from an Army major who visited the
family's house in Lake Zurich. "I'm going to have an emptiness in my
heart for the rest of my life."

Paul Syverson grew up in Arlington Heights and graduated from John
Hersey High School in 1989. He graduated
from the Virginia Military Institute in 1993, Joy Syverson said.

"His whole life, from the time he was a child, he was interested in our
country," she said. "He followed his
heart. That's where he always wanted to be, he always wanted to serve
the country."

Officials at the Department of Defense declined to comment Thursday. A
telephone message left at the public
affairs office at Fort Campbell was not immediately returned.

Paul Syverson had been promoted to the rank of major on April 29, Joy
Syverson said. He was awarded the Purple
Heart and Bronze Star for helping put down a November 2001 prison
revolt in Afghanistan, she said.

Paul Syverson was scheduled to return home in two weeks, Joy Syverson
said.

"He was supposed to be home," she said. "We were going to see him on
the Fourth of July."

He is survived by his parents, a wife, Jackie, a son, Paul, 7, and a
daughter, Amy Elizabeth, 2 months.

Charles Venegoni, an English teacher at John Hersey High School,
remembered Paul Syverson as "a good-natured
kid" who worked hard for his grades.

"He was a quiet kid who was always smiling," Venegoni said.

Paul Syverson also played on the high school football team that won the
state championship in 1987. A memorial
service has been scheduled for Tuesday in Kentucky.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

RIP, Major.

Prayers out to the family.

TR

Rest in Peace

It always seems to hurt more when they were so close to being home.
:(

A hometown Man. RIP Major.

Rest In Peace, Sir. God Bless Your Family.

Rest In Peace

RIP Major Syverson.

And when he gets to heaven
To St Peter he will tell
Another soldier reporting
"Sir I've served my time in hell"

RIP Sir

De Oppresso Liber
RIP Sir

RIP.

New guy signing on.

I am interested in what's going on over there. I have a dog in this fight.

Rest in Peace, Major. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Gentlemen, there is a trust fund set up for his children, and there is a memorial fund set up with SFA.

"Syverson Children Trust Fund"
c/o Bank One
1 Bank Plaza
Lake Zurich, IL. 60047

SFA donations can be sent in Maj Syverson's name to:

Chapter 38, Special Forces Association Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 223
Fort Campbell, KY 42223-0223

I found these in the VMI news release, and thought they would be appropriate to post here.

Rest in peace, sir.

Maj. Paul Syverson is the fifth VMI alumnus to die in this war. My son, a 2003 VMI graduate, is a 2LT with the 10 Mountain Division over there. Interesting, this is the second time that my wife has sent a 23 year-old off to war. The other time was in 1967.

RIP Sir

A military honor guards carries the casket U.S. Army Special Forces Major Paul Syverson III during a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., July 13, 2004. Syverson was killed on June 16 in Balad, Iraq, during a mortar attack which hit his camp. Syverson was assigned to the Army's 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Syverson is survived by his wife Jacquelyn, son Paul IV, daughter Amy, father Paul Syverson II and mother Joy. REUTERS/Mannie Garcia

Jacquelyn Syverson, wife of Army Maj. Paul Syverson III, and son Paul IV, 7, lay flowers on her husband's casket on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Syverson was killed in Balad, Iraq on June 16th. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. Army Special Forces Lt. General Philip Kensinger (Left) presents a U.S. flag to Joy Syverson (2ndRight), mother of Major Paul Syverson III, during a full honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., July 13, 2004. Major Syverson was killed on June 16 in Balad, Iraq during a mortar attack which hit his camp. Syverson was assigned to the Army's 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Major Syverson's wife, Jacquelyn, embraces their son, Paul IV, at left. The major's father, Paul Syverson II, is at right. REUTERS/Mannie Garcia

Joy Syverson, mother of U.S. Army Special Forces Major Paul Syverson III, is comforted by U.S. Army Special Forces Lt. General Philip Kensinger (Left) during a full honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., July 13, 2004. Syverson was killed on June 16 in Balad, Iraq during a mortar attack which hit his camp. Syverson was assigned to the Army's 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Syverson is survived by his wife Jacquelyn (3RDRight), son Paul IV, daughter Amy, Father Paul Syverson II (Right) and mother Joy. REUTERS/Mannie Garcia

Thank you for posting those, Dan.

U.S. Army Special Forces Lt. General Philip Kensinger presents a U.S. flag to Jacquelyn Syverson (2ndLeft), wife of Major Paul Syverson III, during a full honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, July 13, 2004. Major Syverson was killed on June 16 in Balad, Iraq during a mortar attack which hit his camp. Syverson was assigned to the Army's 5th Special Forces Group in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Syverson is survived by his wife Jacquelyn, son Paul IV (3rdLeft), daughter Amy, Father Paul Syverson II (Right) and mother Joy (2ndRight). REUTERS/Mannie Garcia

Great pictures, thanks!

A real tribute to the soldier.

TR

Well done Dan

Thanks for posting those. I have spent a lot of time at Arlington over the years and it still grabs my gut ever time I see that cassion. My uncle, and now his son, was (is) the superintendant of Arlington and there is nothing that will raise a tear quicker for me than to hear taps echoing across that hollowed place.

Jack Moroney

I too have spent a lot of time at Arlington, but it was to say goodby to my generation of SF...C.Q. Williams, George McGovern, Jack "Iceman" Isler, and a few others. Seeing those VMI cadets in the background sends a shiver up my spine. One of the recent KIAs was a 2003 graduate of the USMA. His twin brother was a BR of my son at VMI.

Dan, thank you for this great service. I sent the URL to the SF-List.