Fallen Heroes of Operation Enduring Freedom

"Thinking of you Godson on the 11th Anniversary of your death at the tender age of 21. You are missed. Rest in Peace, til we meet again."
Uncle Bob of Plantation, Fl

"Robert, you were such a great friend and cousin!! I'm so sad that I did not get to know you better during my life time... You will not be forgotten. Love you!"
Cayla of Atlanta, GA

"To the family of:Robert W. Defazio 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"

"November 10, 2007
To the family of Spc. Robert W. Defazio:
Robert 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

"I served with Defazio while in Kandahar. I still remember the day that our platoon was given the sad news of his untimely death. We were all devastated. My heart goes out to his family. He was a good soldier, with an incredible sense of humor."
Chase Hines of Atlanta, GA

"To the Family of Robert De Fazio,
I have a son Christopher and it saddens me to see so many young men losing their lives. I cannot comprehend losing my own. Your son gave his life so that our country could be strong. He will not be forgotten. I will tell my son of your son. He will remember as will I. God Bless you All."
Robert J. De Fazio of Morgantown, WV/USA

"Robert,
I would like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for our Country. And to your family, I wish to extend my deepest sympathy."
Mike Casey of El Paso, TX

"TO ROBERT'S FAMILY MR. FLECTHER, MRS. YOUNGBLOOD AND MYSELF. WILL BE PLACING CHRISTMAS WREATH THIS SUNDAY ON ALL OUR FALLEN SOLDIERS AT PINELAWN AND CALVERTON. THEN NEXT WEDNESDAY AT ARLINGTON. THANKS TO A DONATION OF 150 CHRISTMAS WREATH'S BY THE GARDEN WORLD OF FRANKLIN SQUARE. ALSO I NEED A CHRISTMAS BALL MADE UP TO HONOR ROBERT. I NEED IT BY 12-16-05 AS IT WILL BE HEADING TO A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS TREE IN INDIANA A FIFTY FOOT PINE TREE."
LEONARD WAHL of VALLEY STREAM

"As a mom of five young children, I am so grateful for the sacrifice of this brave solder Robert W. Defazio. You are loved by many. Words can not express the emotion. He payed the ultimate price for our freedom. May God be with his family in this time of sorrow and may you find comfort in the fact that we think about Robert's sacrifice for the love of his country. May we NEVER forget! Thank you!"
Jill Hughes of Houston TX"

"lwahl1@Sears Robert deserve to to be honored by our state. Please get involved to have a MEMORIAL BUILT in ALBANY. Our fallen soldier deserve that. In past years memorial took many many years after a conflict and or war. We must confront our political leaders of NYS. We want it NOW!"
LEONARD WAHL of VALLEY STREAM NY

"DeFazio was a good man and I enjoyed every chance I had to work with him. His death is a great loss to us all. To his family, I can't express my condolences in proper words for there are none that convey my feelings. Just keep always in mind that he is smiling down on us from his place in heaven."
Michael Everist of K'lautern, Germany

"To the Defazio Family, I wish to offer my deepest condolences on the loss of your fine young Robert. Robert is a true American Hero who will always be remembered and honored. May God Bless all of you."
Mary Ghaney of Brooklyn, New York

"To the family and friends,

Our prayers are with you in this most difficult time and we thank you for your loved ones bravery and sacrifice. May God strengthen you from knowing that fellow Americans and people around the world care about you and grieve with you in your loss. Your loved one is a hero. Greater love have no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13.

God bless you.

Home Front Ministries
Shepherd of the Hills Church
Porter Ranch, CA""

"To the Defazio Family,
Because of soldiers such as your son my pre kindergarten class believes that the world is a place filled with kind loving people. After sharing pictures of a friend who was stationed in Kandahar my class wanted to send their own clothing and toys to the children in Knadahar. Through the many soldiers compassion my class was able to see that there is more going on over seas then just fighting. The world has people that really do love each other. Myself and my class will always be indebted to your son for his bravery."
of Frederick ,MD

"MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND HERE! ROBERT IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO MEET YOUR FAMILY. ALL LOVED YOU VERY DEARLY. I REMEMBER! THAT YOU A SOLDIER SERVED FOR OUR COUNTRY. PROTECTED US AGAINST TERRORISM. I VISITED 911 THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. THAT IN ITSELF, IS WHY? I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. TO MAKE AMERICANS SAFE AND FOR YOUR FAMILY. I WILL BE WITH YOU, MY SON AND ALL THE FALLEN SOLDIER'S FROM LONG ISLAND AT PINELAWN. EVERYONE ONE OF YOU ARE HEROES! I PRAY THAT YOUR FAMILY HEALS! YOU LOST IS VERY HARD ON THEM. AS IT IS WITH ALL OUR FALLEN FAMILIES. I DIDN'T JUST LOSE MY SON, I LOST MY NEIGHBOR'S SON TOO! YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN YOU LIFE IN VAIN AND YOU ARE A HERO!"
LEONARD WAHL of VALLEY STREAM NY

"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. Your HERO, Robert will be remembered by name. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. God Bless you ALWAYS. Pat & Sandi Breckenridge from Montana "

"As I search through all these websights containing information on SPC Defazio, it all seems so unreal. He was not only a great soldier, and a great guy, but he was also one of my closest friends. It's hard to believe that he will not be returning to Miesau with the rest of the unit. I care alot about him and I will miss him greatly. His stories, his sense of humor, his all around personality. We suffered a tremondous loss when he died. He was part of our family. For over two years we grew together as people and as soldiers. He was an asset to the Army, and I hope his family realizes how many lives he touched, just for being him. My heart goes out to his parents and siblings, as he talked about you all the time

With love,"
SPC Laura Painter of 23rd Ordnance Company Miesau, Germany

"I know you're in heaven now. Please help your family heal. They just lost a true hero and I know they will never forget you!"
Catherine of New York

"TO THE DeFAZIO FAMILY FROM THE WAHL FAMILY. WE ARE DEEPLY SORRY! TRUELY, ROBERT WAS A SPECIAL INDIVIDUAL, SOLDIER, HERO AND THE LOVE OF HIS FAMILY. ROBERT WILL HAVE NOT GIVEN HIS LIFE IN VAIN. HE HAS TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF SO MANY. THOSE IN HIS COMMUNITY, FRIENDS, NEIGHOR'S, HIS MILITARY FAMILY OF HUNDRED OF THOUSAND BROTHERS AND SISTER'S, AND HIS OWN LOVING FAMILY. HE WILL BE MISSED BY ALL. AN HE WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED. FOR HIS ROLE TO PROTECT ALL AMERICANS FROM TERRORISM AND TO GIVE OTHERS IN THIS WORLD, FREEDOM! ROBERT IS VERY DEAR TO ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE FALLEN. AN ESPECIALLY, TO THE FALLEN FAMILIES OF LONG ISLAND. WE ARE HERE FOR ROBERT AND YOUR FAMILY. YOU ARE NOT ONLY! I REALIZE OUR SON'S ARE LONG ISLANDER'S. AN PROBABLY NEVER CROSS PATHS IN THE MILITARY. STILL BOTH HAD EACH OTHER'S BACKS. ROBERT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART AND PRAYS. TO THE DeFAZIO FAMILY ROBERT NEEDS YOU TO BE STRONG FOR ONE ANOTHER. GOD BLESS!"
LEONARD WAHL of VALLEY STREAM NY

"To Robert's Family and Friends:

On behalf of the Blanco-Caldas family, we send our sincerest condolences. We share the same loss ... the same pain. Our son returned safely from Afghanistan, only to lose his life in Iraq. Our prayers are with you in this most difficult time and we thank you for your soldier's bravery and sacrifice.

Sincerely,

The Family of Capt. Ernesto M. Blanco-Caldas, 82nd Airborne
KIA Iraq 12/28/2003.
Gloria Caldas (The Big Ern's Mom) of San Antonio, TX
gloria_caldas48@hotmail.com"

"Thank you Robert Defazio, 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 Spc. Robert Defazio:
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 Robert 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 Spc. Robert Defazio:
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 Robert, who continues to live on in your heart."
Tim Rivera of Powder Springs, Georgia