Age: 35

Hometown: Fort Worth, TX

Military Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion,

502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

U.S. Army Capt. Blake Russell, 98 was killed on July 22, 2006, while investigating a possible weapons cache during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq.

Assigned to the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Russell had been awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart during his career and served as a general's aide before the war began and went on to serve two tours in Iraq as a field artillery officer -- the first for the 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Fort Hood, Texas) and the second for the 2nd Brigade of the 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

Capt. Russell graduated from Fort Worth Boswell High School and earned his bachelor's degree in Marketing in 1998 from Texas A&M University.

"He's my hero," his father said. "He exemplifies what this country is built on and totally believed in what we were doing. A father could not be more proud of his son."

Russell is survived by his wife, Bellinda, son Dylan, 8, and daughter Haley, 3, who live at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

"His children were the reason he served - once telling our son he had to deploy so he could fight the bad guys over there so he can be safe here," Ms. Russell said in a written statement.

Source: The Association of Former Students and Bellinda Russell

Messages:

26 December 2007

You are still missed Blake. Thomas and I placed a wreath at your grave over Christmas. Thomas said he is looking forward to seeing Uncle Blake someday in Heaven. Those thoughts are shared by 1000's.

Robb Stine - Grapevine, TX

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