NOONIE FORTIN

IN MEMORY -- OTHER AREAS

This page honors the women who have died serving our country while in other areas of the world since Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and the War on Terror began on 11 September 2001.

PAARNG SPC Kirsten Fike, 36, of Warren, PA died while on duty along the Arizona-Mexico border watching for illegal aliens. She had deployed there with her unit the 28th Military Police Co based in Greensburg, PA. She collapsed during a 12-hour mission and was tended to by a combat medic and lifesaver to no avail. She died later in the Yuma Regional Medical Center. Kirsten was a former member of the US Air Force and had joined the National Guard on 12 June. Kirsten is survived by her son Cody and her parents, Arden and Nina Chittick. According to Fike’s ex-husband, Jeffery Fike of Corry, PA she is the mother of three children, a son, Cody 13, a daughter Taylor, 16, and a son Tanner, 19, of Tidioute.

18 Jan 06:

USA SGT Katherine P Singleton, 25, formerly of Pensacola, FL died from non-hostile circumstances “undetermined per certificate of death” and no cause of death is listed on government documents. She was off duty at the time and it appears that she did not die in Iraq though she had been there prior to her death. Katherine had attended Escambia High School and enlisted under the Army’s Delayed Entry Program in 2001. She had received the Good Conduct Medal for service Nov 01-Nov 04 and an Army Commendation Medal for exemplary service during combat operations with the 101st ABN in Iraq Mar 03-May 03. However at the time of her death she was assigned to HHC Training Support Bn, Ft Bragg with an MOS of 15F10. Her father had notified the Pensacola News Journal and local TV stations that she had died but no further information has come out about her. DoD has not published a News Release regarding her death. She is survived by Doryce Blake and Maryon Singleton of Myrtle Grove, FL. She was buried at the Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola. Many questions have arisen about Katherine's death and perhaps The Agonist answers some of them!

12 Oct 00:

The destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) was refueling off-shore near Aden, Yemen when it was attacked by a suicide bomber who approached the ship as if it was a vendor transporting food. Suddenly there was an explosion! The side of the Cole was blown open. There were 17 deaths including two female sailors as well as 39 injured sailors. Here is the info about the two women who died that day and apparently became the first two female sailors to die aboard a ship from a hostile action. Since the Cole was in service during the time frame following Operation Desert Storm and that date is still open as for receiving ribbons for service at that time I have decided to add these two women to this list of serving our country in other areas--

USN CSSN Lakeina Monique Francis, 19, from Woodleaf, NC was a Seaman (E-3) Mess Management Specialist (though she hated to cook and hoped to become a military police officer) serving aboard the USS Cole when she died while cooking lunch. She had only been onboard for two weeks. Born in Philadelphia, PA Lakeina died off-shore near Yemen. She was listed as missing in action for two weeks before her body was found among the wreckage. Lakeina attended schools across the country while her father served in the Navy and graduated from Eastern Wayne High School in Goldsboro, NC. She worked at Sears in Statesville, NC but shortly after her dad retired she enlisted. She posthumously received a Purple Heart and was buried at Salisbury National Cemetery Annex, in Salisbury, NC. She is survived by her parents Ronald and Sandra Francis, and brothers David and James Francis.

USN SN Lakiba Nicole Palmer, 22, from San Diego, CA where she had been born and raised died off-shore near Yemen while serving as a Seaman Apprentice (E-2) aboard the USS Cole. Lakiba graduated in 1996 from San Diego High School where she had been on the track team specializing in sprints and the 400-meter relay. She enlisted in the Navy following graduation with hopes of traveling around the world. On 19 Nov 2004 a 12-story energy efficient state of the art barracks was opened at the San Diego Naval Base and named in her honor as Palmer Hall for sailors E-1 to E-5 to live in while off ship. She is buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego. She leaves behind a very young daughter who will never know her mother as well as other family members.

14 Dec 90:

MOARNG CWO2 Carol L McKinney, 36, a native of St Louis, MO died when a military UH-1 helicopter she was co-piloting crashed in fog near Cleveland, TX while enroute from Fort Leonard Wood, MO to Houston, TX for deployment for Operation Desert Shield-Desert Storm. Carol was a member of the 1267th Medical Company out of Jefferson City, MO. She was a graduate of Southwest High School and had worked for Southwestern Bell prior to being deployed with her unit. Carol had joined the Army National Guard in 1979, switched to the Army in 1983 to become a pilot and returned to the Guard in 1989. She is survived by her mother Erma McKinney.

Use the buttons below to go to another page.

HOME   IN MEMORY   IRAQ   AFGHANISTAN   OTHER AREAS   THE PENTAGON
OKC   DESERT STORM   VIETNAM   EARLIER WARS
SCHEDULE   LINKS   BOOKS   MOVIES   NOONIE
BUDDY SEARCH   BOOKSTORE   ORDERS   AWARDS    POW-MIA
LANGMARC PUBLISHING   PHOTOS   FAMILY   WHALES    THREE HEROES   WEB RINGS
MAGGIE   FRENCHY
MOM Excerpts   POW Excerpts   WAR Excerpts
MOM Reviews   POW Reviews   WAR Reviews
MOM Comments   POW Comments   WAR Comments
SPEAKERS
INTERVIEWS   PRESENTATIONS   
WRITING   PUBLISHING   SPEAKING

Copyright 2004-2008 by Noonie Fortin. All rights reserved.