Professional Soldiers ® - SFC Daniel Crabtree

SFC Crabtree was an 18B (USASOC News Release not available yet)

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Falls officer killed in Iraq
Community mourns guardsman, who leaves wife, young daughter
By Kymberli Hagelberg
Beacon Journal staff writer

Flags were flown at half-staff Friday in Cuyahoga Falls for a police officer killed in Iraq while serving with the Ohio National Guard.

According to a news release from the city, Sgt. Daniel Crabtree, 31, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group of the Ohio National Guard. He died Thursday in Iraq.

Crabtree was with the Falls police department for nine years. He was assigned to the Patrol Division and was a member of the SWAT team and the honor guard. He previously worked with Hartville police.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy, and a 17-month-old daughter, Mallory.

A representative from the National Guard reached in Columbus on Friday said he could not release details of Crabtree's death or his military service.

Local colleagues remember Crabtree as someone who was dedicated to becoming a soldier and a police officer at an early age.

"He entered the National Guard as a junior at Lake High School, earned his degree in criminal justice and became an M.P., but he was always interested in the special forces,'' said John Norman of the Hartville police. "This was his second tour of Iraq, and he's also been to Nicaragua.

"When he was home, on Saturdays, he used to strap a 70-pound bag of rocks to his back, run seven and a half miles to my house, get a drink and run back.

"This was his thing. I used to tell him he had his motivation and mine, too.''

Norman's last e-mail from Crabtree was on May 22.

"He was monitoring the radio and talking about building his new house,'' Norman said. "He was training Iraqi special forces, but he couldn't really talk about that.''

Crabtree's friends in Hartville saw him off before his last tour to the Middle East.

Hartville Police Sgt. Dan Stiles said Crabtree kept in touch often, and he was excited to be going to California for training in urban combat before leaving for Iraq.

"He stopped by right before he was called up,'' Stiles said. "At the time, he seemed excited to go over. He was ready to go.''

News of Crabtree's death came to his friends in Hartville late Thursday night. "I got the phone call at about 10:30 p.m.,'' Stiles said, "but there wasn't a lot of details. The only thing I heard was that there was a Humvee and an improvised explosive device, and that he was gone.''

Crabtree is the fifth service member with ties to Cuyahoga Falls to be killed in Iraq.

"I understand Officer Crabtree's new home is just a month from completion,'' Mayor Don Robart said. "His young family is just heartbroken. We're going to do everything we can to be there for them.''

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Police Chief John Conley wore a black ribbon across his badge in honor of Crabtree on Friday. He said an officer has been posted with Crabtree's family since Thursday evening. Family members met with the National Guard on Friday.

Crabtree is one of four Cuyahoga Falls police officers to be called to active military duty. The officers were honored last year in the city's Memorial Day Parade.

"This is a great shock,'' the chief said of Crabtree's death. "It has affected everyone in the city building. Everyone here is grieving.''

A benevolent fund has been established for the Crabtree family. Donations can be made at any FirstMerit branch.