Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom

"To Paul's family: Though time has passed, you remain in my thoughts & prayers. I love you all"
Emily Spake Brown of Bremen, Georgia

"I've know Paul since Middle School. He was always smiling and had kind words for others. Words can't describe the respect and thanks I have for him and other soldiers putting their lives on the line for us. My son will be able to grow up with freedom because of people like him. Patti and Jamie, you are two wonderful parents and I have deep admiration for the both of you! Thank you very much!!"
Amber Kidd Knott of Bremen, GA

"For Lance - Go ahead and tell Paul what you feel, almighty God can hear everthing. He is a great listener"
Charles Saylor of Orlando

"Praise to the Lord and those who served and gave their life so that we can have a 4th.
Peace and Grace"
Charles Saylor of Orlando, Florida

"Paul,
i think of you often. i feel somehow reponsible for your life, and it is hard to reconsile my feelings. i haven't even gone to see you since we got back. i hope you understand. i pray for your family and the guys that are going back for a second round. you were so full of life and so much potential. i remember the day you got into NGCSU you were so happy to have a goal. and every time you came to the base i always made a point to speak with you. then that mourning we droped the ball. i didn't know it was your hmmv but it didn't matter because we couldn't find you every means was used that day but it wasn't enough. there is so much i want to say and i can't just know i will never forget you."
lance of atlanta, ga

"Another Memorial day and we shall remember, never forgetting how God has blessed this country and the heros who have fallen.
Until we meet on the other side.
God Bless All"
Charles Saylor of Orlando

"May we always remember as we do our savior this Holy week of our Lord"
Charles Saylor of Orlando

"May the Lord Bless You and keep you on this Holy birthday day of our Lord 2008.
O Holy Night
"Fall down on your knees
O listen to the angel voices
O night divine
O the night that Jesus was born"
O night divine.
Thank you Lord for Jesus and men like Paul.
We Remember"
Charles B Saylor of Orlando, Fl

"I'm just a high school student who went to Fort Stewart, and walked the Walk of Warriors and found his name, came home,looked him up, and felt like I have known him forever. To the families of the fallen but not forgotten Sgt. Paul Saylor. I will keep all of yall in my prayers."
Zach Saylor of Millwood, GA

"WHAT STARTED OUT AS RESEARCH ON THE FAMILY NAME....... A DISTANT RELATIVE & A MILITARY "BROTHER IN ARMS". GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. MY PRAYERS & DEEPEST SYMPATHY."
BARRY L. SAYLOR of HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA

"I did not know Sgt. Saylor, but today I received a Hero's bracelet which I will wear in his memory. I have read the touching posts which describe Paul and his zest for life. May my small act of wearing his memorial bracelet remind people of Paul and all of our soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice. It will not be in vain. Thank you Sgt. Saylor."
S. O'Grady of Arizona

"Patti and Jamie,
I was just thinking about you. Please know that you and your family will forever be in my thoughts and prayers. I will never forget the contributions Paul made to my freedom. God bless you always and I hope to see you real soon."
Andrea of Smyrna, GA

"thanks for everything.. havent had a chance to meet the rest of your family, but your brother is a great person, and he loves you!! CHUUCH!!"
LaVonte Jackson of Miami, FL USA

"July 6, 2008
To the family of Sgt. Paul A. Saylor:
Paul gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. I cannot and will not let our fallen heroes be forgotten. My deepest sympathy to you. "Some gave all."
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org"
Peggy Childers of Carson City, NV

"A Great Man Does Not Have To Talk. His Legacy Is Left By The Way He Walked.

In Memory Of Our Beloved Family Hero Paul A. Saylor - Fallen But Not Forgotten. You will forever be in our hearts."
Dottie Callina of Morrow, GA, United States

"On this Memorial Day 2008 a flag flies at First Baptist Church Orlando in memory of Paul, this flag will stay there thu July 4. There is a Flag for every solider lost in Iraq and Afganistan, placed individually by members with the name of a fallen hero attached. This plat covers a large area and is adjacent to a well traveled street. The church has dedicated this plat as simply "WE REMEMBER" and is the second year we did this memorial. More importantly we will continue to pray for the families thru out the year. Just as fathers and mothers have lost sons and daughters so that we may be free on earth God has sacrificed his SON for our eternal freedom. God Bless the United States, the troops and Paul who gave it all.
We will never forget.
'WE REMBER"
John 15 (13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Charles B. Saylor of Orlando, FL

"On Memorial Day, I am thinking of Sgt Paul A. Saylor and his family, Patti his Mom, Jaime his Dad and his brother Jaime, also, his Aunt Dottie Callina who was so very kind to me, while I was down in Georgia with my Mom after her car accident, Today I said a prayer for you and I remember Paul as the beautiful Hero he was and always will be...Please know that I think of you each and every day, my prayers are with you always,
May the Peace of the Lord be in your hearts today and always, Sharon Grimm,sihudson@aol.com"
Sharon Grimm of Michigan, USA

"On Memorial Day, I am thinking of you Paul. We love you so! Thank you.. Em"
Emily Spake Brown of Bremen, GA

"Two years have gone by since you died. At the time, I thought that I would never smile again. But through the grace of God, I can smile again and I see your beautiful smile in my mind every day. I will always love you Paul. You are forever in my heart. I love you.
Aunt Dottie"
Dottie Callina of Morrow, Georgia

"Hi my name is john, i have just met one of the best people in the world.Jamie spending so much time with you in the bay of islands made my brother and i closer. i want you to know that you have two new brothers and best friends for life!!!!!!!! love you man see you in canada"
john hastings of victoria bc canada

"To honor the Georgia soldiers who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families, the professional portrait artists of the Atlanta Fine Arts League are offering to paint a portrait of the individual soldier for his family. These 16 X 20” original portraits are being offered completely free of charge in recognition of the sacrifices made by these brave soldiers and in condolence for their families’ loss. Please visit our website www.atlantafineartsleague.org or email us at AtlantaFineArtsLeague@Yahoo.com for further information."
–The Atlanta Fine Arts League of Georgia

"Deeply sadden of the lost to Paul. I became aware today by accident. An was surprised and shocked. I e-mail the site. Paul will always be in my heart and prays. He has not died in vain! He is a hero and so much more. He will never ever be forgotten ever. You will understand better by my e-mail. If you don't recieve it my e-mail is (leonard_wahl@hotmail.com) Please e-mail me I have qyuestions. Maybe you can help me understnad things about our son."
leonard Wahl of leonard_wahl@hotmail.com

"To the family of:Paul A. Saylor I am so sorry for the loss of your love one. My heart cries out for you in your grief and you have my thoughts and prayers. He died a hero defending freedom. May you have the peace and understanding that only comes from God. Prayerfully we will all meet in Heaven one day where we will rest in the arms of Jesus. If you need prayer or need someone to talk to, please call or write my pastor: Rev. John Pearrell 11677 Brown Bridge Rd., Covington, GA 30016. (770)787-1015. Your friend in Jesus Christ, Polly Ballew Covington,Ga"

"Patti, I so enjoyed our meeting. The "Paul Saylor"s we know may be with each other now. Thank You for our(Patty & Debbie) visit. I wish they could have known each other in person.They did bring us together, though."
Debbie Saylor- Kennison of Peachtree City,Ga.

"Only God knows how much I miss you Paul and only God has gotten me through. Our family will never be the same without your beautiful smile. You will forever remain in our hearts. I am comforted knowing that now, you are at peace and in God's hands. I can't wait until the day we meet again. I will love you forever."
Aunt Dottie of Morrow, GA USA

"May 9th, 2006 11:30 pm
Senate wants review of war-zone mortuaries


By Lisa Burgess / Stars and Stripes

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Senate has approved a measure requiring the Pentagon to review the way it handles autopsies and embalming for those killed in combat zones.

Republican Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson of Georgia said they were compelled to act after hearing one family’s story about their son, 21-year-old Georgia Guardsman Spc. Paul Saylor, who drowned Aug. 15, 2005, when his Humvee ran off a road and toppled into a canal.

Although Saylor’s body was flown from Iraq to Dover Air Force Base, Del., embalmed there, and then flown home to Bremen in just three days, his body was so decomposed that the Army deemed him “non-viewable.”

Bill Hightower, a funeral director and a family friend, said there was only one way to recognize the child he had watched grow into a man.

“I recognized his nose,” Hightower told. “Just his nose.”

When the Army casualty officers came to the Saylor home “and told me Paul had drowned, I thought to myself, at least I’ll get to see him,’” said his mother, Patti Saylor, thinking of the many families whose children were too badly mangled by IEDs to be recognized in death.

But when Paul’s casket arrived at the airport, the family learned that the Army had deemed him “non-viewable.”

“They said he had a head injury,” Patti said.

“At no time did they mention” his true condition, she said.

Patti said she still hoped that she could see her child one last time, even if the casket would have to be closed during his funeral.

Dr. Terry Martin, professor of psychology and thanatology (the study of death and dying) at Hood College in Frederick, Md., says that for a family to successfully grieve the loss of a loved one, it’s important to view the body.

“If it’s a sudden loss,” Martin said, “being able to see the body, or even a portion of the body really helps them accept the reality of the loss.”

Those hopes were shattered when Hightower opened the casket.

Hightower did not detail what he saw except to say, “if they embalmed him, they used dishwater.”

“I was disgusted,” he said. “Angry, and totally disgusted. I was unable to do anything for this family.”

Defense officials said the decision not to embalm military remains in Iraq or Afghanistan goes back to decisions made after the Gulf War, when Pentagon officials used “lessons learned” to develop a mortuary doctrine, Joint Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for Mortuary Affairs in Joint Operations.

Servicemembers who die overseas in combat zones are to be repatriated at Dover and processed at the mortuary facility there.

In Iraq, servicemembers who die are placed in body bags, covered with ice-filled plastic bags and moved as quickly as possible from their bases, usually by helicopter, to one of about a dozen or so small “collection points,” each of which is staffed with a half-dozen Army mortuary affairs soldiers, according to the Army Quartermaster’s professional bulletin from winter 2004.

Of the more than 2,400 servicemembers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 584 have been listed as “non-viewable” for a variety of reasons, Dover spokeswoman, Air Force Lt. Col. Cheryl Law said.

But even with the intense summer heat in both countries, subsequent decomposition is relatively rare: About 39 servicemembers who have died in the Middle East, “or about 2 percent,” have been listed as decomposed, he said.

For Patti Saylor, “the point is, one’s too many.”

“We had mortuaries in the ’70s in Vietnam,” Saylor said. “This is 2006. There’s no excuse they can give me that they can’t do a better job.”

It’s not the soldiers “on the line” who are at fault, she said repeatedly. “We know the soldiers over there did all they could for Paul. They just didn’t have the equipment.”

The amendment was attached to the $106.5 billion supplemental package passed by the Senate last week. That bill must still be approved by the House and signed by the president before the funding, and any review, become law.

It’s too late for Paul, Patti Saylor said. “We just want it not to happen to someone else.”"
RussBBinVegas@aol.com of Las Vegas Nevada

"I'll see you in heaven, Brother."
SSG Rivera of Summerville, SC

"Although I did not know Paul, my heart and prayers go out to his family and friends.War doesn't make sense to some of us, but those called or volunteering have my upmost respect.
God bless all who are going and those who are not coming back to their loved ones."
Georgia Blashaw of Stone Mountain, Ga.

"We pray your hearts and lives will some how be blessed."
Cindy Astin and family of Bowdon, Ga

"My prayers are with you daily. I seek for GOD to deliver a calm and reassurance of peace to all of you.
Thank you for your courage, thank you for being OUR HERO!"
Debora Walston (wife of: Spc James Walston,HHC 108th St. Michael of Pendleton, SC

"This is just a little poem I would like to pass on to Paul's family and finacee... Paul was a great guy and always joked around. He played with my daughter alot and I have some great picturs, so she will always remember him.. Thank you.. Thank you for sharing him with us all... God Bless :

When tomorrow starts without me
And I'm not there to see
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me

I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today
While thinking of the many things
We didn't get to say

I know how much you love me
As much as I love you
And each time that you think of me
I know you'll miss me too

But when tomorrow starts without me
Please try to understand
That an angel came and called my name
And took me by the hand

And said my place was ready
In heaven far above
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love
But when I walked through heaven's gates
I felt so much at home

When God looked down and smiled at me
From His great golden throne
He said "This is eternity
And all I've promised you"

Today for life on earth is past
But here it starts anew
I promise no tomorrow
For today will always last
And since each day's the same way
There's no longing for the past
So when tomorrow starts without me
Don't think we're far apart
For every time you think of me
I'm right here in your heart"

Scouts Out...... Jeannie and Olivia Faith Harn----- Spc. Chad G Carter"
Jeannie of Douglasvile, Ga

"I'm so sorry for the loss of Paul. He seemed like a wonderful guy. We all may not be able to see him physically, but he will always be in our hearts. He's left an imprint in everybody's hearts. His life was given for freedom, and knowing that makes him the strongest person out of us all. You are all in my prayers. I'm so sorry for the loss.

God Bless You All, Always and Forever"
Sarah of Lilburn, GA

"To the Saylor Family: I attended the service last night. I knew Paul from high school, I was going through my annual the other day when i heard about him and saw where he had written in my annual. I will forever cherish the words he wrote me. I saw Paul everyday on my way to 2nd block and he had the most amazing smile that always made my days better. He always cheered me up when i was sad, he was one of the most tender hearted and caring people i've ever met. The service was so beautiful and amazing. Your Family and Jessica and Paul will forever be in my prayers and heart."
Kassie of Bremen, GA

"PAUL THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY AND ALONG SIDE OUR SON. OUR HEART AND PRAYS ARE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. WE LOST OUR SON LAST YEAR IN BALAD, IRAQ. WE ARE DEEPLY SORRY FOR YOUR LOST!"
LEONARD WAHL of VALLEY STREAM NY

"We are deeply sorry for your loss. The Courage, Honor, and Valor that your
Hero showed will always be remembered.
We are grateful for the loyal service and sacrifice that was made and
WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
Our cousin LCPL Michael Smith Jr. gave his life on 4-17-04 fighting for freedom.
Please know that this was not in vain and these American Heros will FOREVER be honored.
God Bless your family and please know that you are not alone.
All of our prayers are with you."
Jennifer and SSGT Larry Mays of Massillon, Ohio

"Paul and I worked together at the Target Store in Alpharetta Georgia. Paul was wonderful with both team members and guests. His great attributes earned him three promotions in the short time he worked with us.
Paul will sincerely be missed for his courage and dedication to this great Country. We will miss you greatly Paul, but we are comforted knowing you are resting peacefully by the side of our Lord. I also send my condolences to the family he left behind."
Chidi Ifedili of Roswell, Georgia, U.S.A

"I just came from Paul's funeral service tonight. Mon., Aug 22. 7PM.
They had the service at his former high school's stadium at Bremen High School because of the large crowd that came and paid respect to a young man who was brave and with a heart full of love.

I knew Paul in kindergarten. I was teaching kindergarten when he came to school. His classroom was across from mine. I remember a very sweet child whose smile can bring sunshine even during rainy and cold days at school. Paul was also helpful to teachers and to his classmates. He was very sympathetic to others. Whenever he saw a child crying, he looked as if he wished he can share that child's unhappiness. That was the Paul I know.

The service was lovely and bittersweet. The love of his life, Jessica, gave us a very rare insight about Paul's passion for life. It was Paul's wishes that we wear casual and colorful attire during his funeral. he made this known to his fiance as if in premonition for this sad day.
The Paul I know was in his early school days, but knowing him, he did not stray far from the sweet, smiling, ever-loving Paul that I knew long ago.
God speed my dear Paul and may God's blessings and comforting arms be around Patty, Jamie and Jamie Jr. and specially to Jessica."
Ms. Angel of Tallapoosa,GA

"Patti, Jamie, Little Jamie and the Callina Family,
I was so sad to hear of your loss. It's so hard to believe. There are no words to take away your pain. You are in my constant thoughts and prayers. I wish I could be there today, but I am not able. I love you so much. Please let me know if I can do anything for you. I am just a call away."
Peggy Grannan of Lawrenceville, GA

"I met Paul in a freshman intro class. He was a kind and sweet man. He will Not be forgotten! He will be missed here at North Georgia. I will remember all that he has done for our country."
Sonya of Dahlonega, Ga

"We Will NEVER FORGET !"
Please KNOW so many people share your sadness,
and we are remembering your family in your loss and your deep grief.
Our nations HERO, Paul will be remembered by name.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
God Bless you ALWAYS.
Pat & Sandi Breckenridge from Montana "

"The Salute


To those who have died,
And to those who have cried.
We Salute You.

To those who have lost,
Paid the ultimate cost.
We Salute You.

And to those who still serve,
The Red White and Blue.
Our grateful Nation,
Proudly Salutes You."
Tom Balstad of West Warwick RI

"Thank you Paul Saylor, you will not be forgotten. Your bravery goes beyond words. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your sacrifice. To the family and friends, my prayers and deep condolences in your loss. May God strengthen you from knowing that fellow Americans and people around the world care about you and grieve with you in your loss. God bless you all. A very appreciative fellow American,"
Leo Titus of Grayslake, Illinios

"To the family and friends of Sgt. Paul Saylor:
May God's grace be with you during your time of grief. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and we feel your loss and share in your sorrow. Bless Paul for the sacrifice he has made to make a better life for the rest of us."
The Ford Family of Wells, Nevada

"To the family and friends of Sgt. Paul Saylor:
I am saddened by the loss of your loved one. He will always be remembered as a hero for fighting for freedom. I hope that this website will be a source of comfort and encouragement for you during this difficult time, and in the future as you recall the memories of Paul, who continues to live on in your heart."
Tim Rivera of Powder Springs, Georgia