Three Years On…

Sergeant Michael Stokely KIA August 16, 2005 near Yusifiyah, Iraq

It seems so fitting that today, 3 years and 3 days after Mike’s passing that I posted the letter from Major General John Kelley about Sgt Michael Ferschke, a letter that could very well have been written about Sgt Michael Stokely of E Troop 108 CAV 48th BCT Georgia ARNG. A letter that could very well describe the dedication and devotion to Duty, Honor and Country that Sgt Stokely exhibited through out his entire life. A letter that despite the belief by many liberals that our soldiers are nothing more than automatons following orders proves that they are anything but, for their devotion is unmatched by any other but those that wear the uniform of the US Military.

I never met Sgt. Stokely, but have been introduced to him through conversations with his father Mr. Robert Stokely. After only one conversation with Mr. Stokely it’s obvious that Mike was one of those men that you should have known: a devoted son he helped his father canvas for votes in his first election for County Solicitor, a son who according to his doctors was not supposed to live, but who in the end lived a life so full and purposeful that he touched, in a positive way, the lives all those with whom he came in contact.

Son, a simple three letter word, but one that is so full of meaning, a word that explains the conundrum of Mike Stokely and so many of those who have died in war and peace - a word that by itself in one breath defines the link to the father and the path to the future. It’s not hard to imagine after spending a few hours with Mr. Stokely the kind of son that Mike was, and by extension the kind of man he had become. Mike Stokely was without a doubt a man sure of himself and his place in this world. He knew not what to expect when he agreed to become a Scout in the U.S. Army, but he accepted that challenge like he accepted the challenge placed upon him by God. He lived his life’s purpose.

Mike like those before him, and the thousands of those who will follow, chose to leave the comforts of home and hearth, the predictable daily life of a civilian and took up the path of a warrior in service to his country. A life fraught with danger but also immense satisfaction and camaraderie, a life that most American’s will thankfully never know because men like Mike, serve while many debate.

Service - that is the life Mike chose. Service to an ideal greater than any known to man for not only did Mike serve his country, he served his God. He accepted his purpose in life and lived it without question and in doing so he gave his only life in service to his God so that his brothers might live.

Sgt Mike Stokely died 3 years and 3 days ago in a place called Yusifiyah, Iraq but the memory of Sgt. Mike Stokely will never die for it lives on in all of us that continue his work, spread his message and live our life’s purpose. I can only hope that one day I grow up to be the man he expects me to be.


Others honoring Sgt Mike Stokely: [Updated]
Keep My Soldier Safe
Some Soldier's Mom
They Have Names


Sgt. Mike Stokely died Aug. 16, 2005, in Iraq. He was one of those extraordinary young men who have a tremendous impact on so many people even though his time among us was cut short. To honor his memory, Mike's family has organized the Mike Stokely Foundation for the purpose of helping children and others who might not otherwise be able to afford it gain access to good books and the skills needed to read them for pleasure and learning. "Mike loved to read, from the time he was a small child till the day he died in Iraq. In fact, during the last call his Dad received on Aug. 8, 2005, he talked in glowing terms about how much he appreciated reading material sent to him."

In March of 2008 the Mike Stokely Foundation delivered nearly 1,000 pounds of school supplies via parcel post to Capt. Starz of 101st Airborne Division for distribution to schools in Yusifiyah. When the locals learned that the parcels had come from the family of a US Soldier killed there they wanted a picture of Sgt Stokely so they could use it as an example of forgiveness and understanding. Just another example how the life of Sgt Stokely, even in death, touched the lives of others, is it any wonder that his family believes in Romans 8:28 - “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”

I urge you to help honor the memory of one of America's fallen, by supporting The Mike Stokely Foundation. Your donation can be mailed to:

The Mike Stokely Foundation
P. O. Box 833
Sharpsburg GA 30277.
The telephone is 678-416-1387

Rest in Peace Mike, you will never be forgotten.

UPDATE: Project Yusufiyah / school supplies for children of Yusufiyah / Muhlafayed

Mike Stokely Foundation Inc.'s Project Yusufiyah is now in full swing with shipment of nearly 1,000 pounds of supplies sent parcel post to Capt. Starz of 101st AB DV on Thursday 6 March, and I anticipate arrival in 14 - 20 days.

Here is what was sent - 35 boxes, weighing from 20 lbs to 58 lbs:

Boxes 1 - 15 of 35 - contains 13 2.5 gallon zip lock bags for school children each bag containing a three tab folder with unlined paper, with additional loose paper for future insert, 1 dozen pencils, two Bic ink pens, colored pencils (or markers), hand held twist type pencil sharpener, small bag of hard candy.
Box 16 of 35 - contains 11 more bags as listed above.
Boxes 17 - 26 - these ten boxes are for teachers and contain chalk, dozen pens, four or more dozen pencils, a full ream of three hole punch paper and a full ream of white paper, two hand held pencil shapeners, some colored markers, quart size bag of hard candy, toilet/facial tissue, several three tab folders, and topped off by a stack of loose three hole punch plain paper and a stack of plain white paper.
Box 27 of 35 - This is a box for the Tribal / Civilian leaders - it has a dozen pens some pencils and several reams of paper.
Boxes 28 - 35 - these 8 boxes, divided as four boxes three hole punch plain paper and four boxes of plain white paper to re-supply the teachers and students.

Summary:
74,000 sheets of paper,
225 three tab folders,
244 dozen pencils,
100 dozen pens,
225 pencil sharpeners,
251 dozen colored pencils (or markers),
100 boxes of chalk, and facial tissue.

$822.00 to ship the supplies, but that is pretty good considering the weight and distance.

Hopefully, these basic supplies will help the children and teachers of Yusufiyah where Mike served, and nearby Muhlafayed where he died from a roadside bomb. We are planning a follow-up shipment once we get a clearer assessment of remaining needs.

Robert Stokely
proud dad SGT Mike Stokely
KIA 16 Aug 05 near Yusufiyah Iraq
E 108 CAV 48th BCT GAARNG

If you would like to participate in this project, please leave a comment with your contact information and I will provide you the mailing address for school supplies.

Yusufiyah School Supplies Project

Robert Stokely father of Sgt Mike Stokely sends the following:

Mike's Forward Operating Base was in Yusufiyah, and he died about two miles away on Aug. 16, 2005 near the village of Muhlafiyah. A goal of the Mike Stokely Foundation Inc., since the early moments, has to been to do something in Mike's memory to help the school children of Yusufiyah and Muhlafiyah. Recently, a special donation was made to the Foundation for that purpose.

I have established a contact with the 101st Airborne in Yusufiyah and they are ready to help with the project. The project consists of packing school supplies in a plastic bag - pens, pencils, crayons, three hole punch writing paper, three whole punch folders, etc. Also, purchasing chalk for the teachers, which is in short supply. Essentially, school supplies like we would normally purchase for our own children.

Anyone who wants to help with this project can contact me.

I'll be picking up some school supplies tonight and dropping them in a bulk mail box from the USPS.


If anyone would like to collect supplies and would like to contact Mr. Stokely about this, pelase drop me an email and I'll provide you with Mr. Stokely's contact information.



Thank you.

Yusufiyah Joint Security Station Opens

By Spc. Chris McCann
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

In the village of Yusufiyah, Iraq, local government representatives refuse to stand still and allow the fear of explosions to stop them from discussing issues.

Several members of the Yusufiyah nahia, or local council, met April 29 at the Joint Security Station in Yusufiyah to discuss projects with civil affairs officers from 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., and the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion, out of Perrine, Fla., and attached to 4-31 Infantry.

Many projects that 4-31 have begun in the community are complete or nearing completion – including streetlights for the town, especially the market area, garbage pickup, and irrigation canal cleanup and improvement. But some projects, such as a soccer field in the Ar-Barash-Tamuz neighborhood and a fire station for the village, are momentarily stalled as the residents try to determine the best places for them. Since the various representatives were together, they began discussing among themselves different ideas and mentioning people who might be willing to sell or donate land for the projects.

Capt. Chris Sanchez, a civil affairs officer with 4-31, has brokered many of the project meetings during the last several months. He said it was the first time the Yusufiyah locals had talked so animatedly and begun figuring things out for themselves rather than passing ideas through him, a valuable step in getting the Iraqi village to assume control of local governance and planning.

Read the Rest...

Troops Seize Anti-Aircraft Weapons, Find IED

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
RELEASE No. 20070104-05


2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs

YUSUFIYAH, Iraq — Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, “Polar Bears,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) captured and extracted two anti-aircraft systems during a combat operation here Jan. 1.

The operation, dubbed ‘Polar Pounce,’ was intended to seize anti-aircraft weapons identified by aircraft earlier in the afternoon.

The two 57mm anti-aircraft weapons were found. The weapons systems were evacuated from the area by Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd BCT.

During the same operation Soldiers of Task Force Iron Claw, 2nd BSTB, discovered an improvised explosive device made from a 120mm mortar, a bottle of homemade explosives and a crushed wire initiator as they were clearing the route for the crane and trucks to load and extract the guns.

The guns were taken to Patrol Base Yusufiyah.

Army Vets Help Iraqi Animals

Story and photo by Spc. Chris McCann
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div.


FOB YUSUFIYAH — In the rural areas south of Baghdad, homes are often made of mud and roofed with sheet metal or mats made of beaten reeds. A cow or two and a flock of sheep in the yard complete the scene. But animals can get sick, and due to terrorism – whether sect-against-sect or against coalition forces - travel is dangerous for veterinarians, too.

To begin addressing this issue, the Multi-National Division – Baghdad veterinarian, Lt. Col. Neil Ahle, and several Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) conducted a veterinary operation in a schoolyard in Al-Taraq, Iraq Dec. 22.

“One problem of the country at large is the infrastructure,” Ahle said, noting that while schools are opening and water treatment plants are coming back on line, medical and veterinary care in rural areas is still floundering.
Read the Rest...

(Photo: Lt. Col. Neil Ahle (left), Multinational Division-Baghdad veterinary officer, gives a lamb a dose of wormer at a veterinary operation in Al-Taraq, Iraq, as the shepherd holds the lamb still. The operation, conducted by Ahle and Soldiers of Company C, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), treated about 100 animals for worms and provided vaccinations and vitamin injections for the livestock that forms a critical part of the local economy.)

Soldiers Help Children in Rushdi Mullah

By Capt. Chris Sanchez
4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment

YUSUFIYAH — Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) receive attention for their rapid air assaults and fierce fighting. But in the village of Rushdi Mullah, Iraq, they are now also known for their tenderness toward local children.

Soldiers of Company B, 4-31st at Patrol Base Rushdi Mullah were visited by two young boys seeking medical help Dec. 25. One of the boys, Ra’ad, had been shot several weeks before when terrorists wanted to use his family’s house to attack the patrol base. When Raad’s father refused them entry, one of the terrorists shot the boy.

The Soldiers treated Ra’ad after the attack and transported him to Ibn Sina Hospital in Baghdad’s International Zone, and have been changing the dressings on his wounds regularly ever since. They changed the dressings again on Christmas, and also treated Ra’ad’s brother, Ahmed, for a skin rash affecting the boy’s scalp.
Read the Rest...

(Raad and Ahmed, two local Iraqi children, visit with Soldiers of Company B, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) Dec. 25 at Patrol Base Rushdi Mullah, Iraq, south of Baghdad. Raad and Ahmed received medical care from the Soldiers of the company. U.S. Army photo.)