Memorial will honor 106th’s fallen soldiers

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http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2005...c752337560.txt

Memorial will honor 106th’s fallen soldiers

A war memorial to be dedicated in a public ceremony tonight was funded by soldiers who industriously started a store while serving in Iraq and used its profits to honor their fallen comrades.

The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Iowa Army National Guard’s Aviation Support Facility, 9650 Harrison St., Davenport. The unit is home to Detachment 1, Company F, of the 106th Aviation command.

“We’re taking this from the single representation of the unit to represent the folks of the Quad-Cities area,” Col. Randy Warm said. “It’s for all the people, not just our remembrance.”

The soldiers sold each other pizza, soft drinks and candy at the base in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad, he said. The funds they raised actually have helped build two memorials, with the other in Peoria, Ill., headquarters of Company F and base for one of the soldiers killed.

The memorial honors Chief Warrant Officer Bruce A. Smith of West Liberty, Iowa, First Lt. Brian Slavenas of Genoa, Ill., Sgt. Paul Fisher of Cedar Rapids/Marion, Iowa, and Sgt. Gerald Santos, Davenport, and Spc. Chad Baetke, Bettendorf.

Smith and Slavenas were killed Nov. 2, 2003, when the Chinook helicopter they piloted was shot down by a surface-to-air missile near Fallujah, Iraq. Fisher, a flight engineer onboard the aircraft, was evacuated for medical care but died from his injuries four days later in Germany.

Santos and Baetke, crew members, survived the attack but received extensive injuries. They have gotten medical treatment and therapy in the meantime.

Baetke has worked hard to return to a normal life. “From the time I woke up in Germany after the shoot-down, after I got all those bumps and bruises, my No. 1 goal was to get better and return to duty,” he said.

He does not dwell on medical problems but compares the incident to falling off a horse.

“I got right back on and have continued with my life,” he said, noting that he plans to spend many more years in the Iowa Army National Guard. “Until they say to me, ‘Chad, you’re done,’ ” he said.

Baetke will attend tonight’s ceremony with others associated with the 106th Aviation unit.

The five names are engraved on a large flat stone which is surrounded by landscaping, two matching stone benches and an ornate iron fence.

To reach the National Guard facility, take U.S. 61 north from Davenport to the Mount Joy exit and turn west to Harrison Street. The memorial is located beneath an Army helicopter, a “Huey,” that is mounted high on a pedestal.

Deirdre Cox Baker can be contacted at (563) 383-2492 or dbaker@qctimes.com.

if you go

What: Memorial for fallen and wounded soldiers of the Iowa Army National Guard’s 106th Aviation command. The memorial honors Chief Warrant Officer Bruce A. Smith of West Liberty, Iowa, First Lt. Brian Slavenas of Genoa, Ill., Sgt. Paul Fisher of Cedar Rapids/Marion, Iowa, and Sgt. Gerald Santos, Davenport, and Spc. Chad Baetke, Bettendorf.

Where: Guard support facility, 9650 Harrison St., Davenport.

When: Tonight, 6 p.m.