Honoring Laura M. Walker

Rest In Peace Laura

Tribute to EzineArticles.com Author and 24-year-old 1st Lt. Laura M. Walker

Less than 3 weeks ago, Laura Walker opened up and registered an EzineArticles.com membership account. She sent in one article called “The Route to Democracy“.

On Friday morning at 5:07 AM, we received an email from someone who works with Laura:

“I regret to inform you that this fine officer was killed in action August 18th, in an IED attack in Afghanistan. Please pray for her family and the family of the Soldier who was killed in action with her. They will both be sorely missed by their unit and all that knew them.”

Laura had been recently named public affairs officer for the Fort Lewis-based 864th Combat Engineer Battalion, 555th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. She graduated with a degree in political science from West Point, had served in Iraq in 2004 and went to Afghanistan with the unit’s Company B, completing her 15 months as platoon leader before taking over as public affairs officer for Task Force Pacemaker, the Army construction unit in Kandahar.

In this capacity she was chronicling what it takes to build a 76 mile road that will help people cut 15 hours of travel to three hours, a road built through mountainous terrain. Along with another officer, Laura was riding in a convoy during an assault when the explosion occurred, the Pentagon said.

I then went into our system to review Laura’s EzineArticles.com account and noticed that she had forwarded her first EzineArticles.com article to her Mom a few days after it was published on July 27th, 2005. That’s when I lost it and wept for the loss her family is now experiencing.

You’re welcome to post your well wishes for her family to the comments section of her article and I also posted the defenselink source that confirmed this tragedy.

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 20th, 2005: Mrs. Walker (Laura’s Mom) sent me this link for everyone to see the Memorial site that is setup for Laura: http://www.west-point.org/users/usma2003/60262/

Posted by on August 23, 2005 at 11:19 am | 2,306 views

6 Comments »


1
Lance Winslow writes:

I remember reading about Laura Walker from Texas. I will email this article to all my friends. Thank you Laura. The World Thanks you.

Comment provided August 23, 2005 at 7:01 PM

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2
USA Patriot writes:

What a tragedy.

Bring our troops home now.

Comment provided August 26, 2005 at 10:19 PM

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3
TJK writes:

We knew Laura at WP. She was a wise kind wonderful lady willing to give her all. Her passing is a loss for all mankind. She held no hatred, only compassion and hope for all she encountered. She will not be forgotten. Her death only strengthens those left to fight her cause. Liberty and Freedom. Laura, you are with us forever.

Comment provided August 27, 2005 at 11:06 PM

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4
Richard writes:

1LT Laura Walker was one of the most passionate and motivated officers that I have every come in contact with. She believed in the mission of her unit and was committed to helping the people of Afghanistan. Please forward her story “The Route to Democracy” to everyone you know. She gave her life for that mission.

Comment provided August 28, 2005 at 6:41 PM

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5
Stephen Duncan Jr writes:

I went to high school with Laura in our senior year, and just found out about her death today.

She was a wonderful and impressive, strong person. I’m glad to find this article by her, and get to see what she was doing through her eyes, even though it’s for the last time.

I couldn’t help but start to cry a little though, when I read the following line:

“These measures have resulted in 100% success rate; not a single Pacemaker soldier has been attacked while working on the road.”

Comment provided August 29, 2005 at 2:05 PM

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6
Q Madp writes:

Thank you Lura! I will not forget!!
Q

Iraq War Heroes

Don’t Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away
http://www.IraqWarHeroes.org

Comment provided December 15, 2005 at 3:47 PM

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