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David J R Weisenburg |
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Portland, Oregon |
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September 13, 2004 |
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| Died in Taji, Iraq, when their military vehicle came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire and an improvised explosive device. | ||||||||
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Click Photo Below For A Couple Pre-Memorial Service Snapshots
September 21, 2004 |
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| From Whitney Mayor 05/10/05:
He was my cousin. I didn't know him all that well but i will never forget him. |
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| Friends, family eulogize dead soldier By Aviva L. Brandt Associated Press Writer PORTLAND, Ore.— Staff Sgt. David Weisenburg was remembered Sept. 21 for his contagious laugh, easy friendships and gentle spirit, just over a week after he was killed in a roadside bombing in Iraq. His father, Jim Weisenburg, described him as a “gentle warrior” who was dedicated to the soldiers who served under him. “My son was a warrior, and I’m proud of that,” Weisenburg said during a memorial service attended by more than 1,000 people. “None of us is quite as safe as we once were because this man is no longer at his post.” Weisenburg, 26, of Portland, and Specialist Benjamin Isenberg, 27, of Sheridan were killed Sept. 13 while on a daily patrol mission near Taji, Iraq. Insurgents detonated a bomb and then attacked the patrol with small arms fire. A memorial for Isenberg is scheduled for Sept. 23. Weisenburg joined the Army immediately after high school and served four years as a chaplain’s assistant in Kuwait and Korea. After completing his active duty, he enlisted in the Oregon National Guard. His unit was activated last October and shipped out early this year. Before going to Iraq, Weisenburg was taking classes at Portland State University and working as an assistant operations manager for Star Park in Portland. He returned home a few weeks ago to attend his sister’s wedding. While home, his father said the family wished they could keep him safe at home. “He said, ‘I want to go back.’ I asked why, and he says, ’There’s people there who depend on me and I have a job to do,”’ Jim Weisenburg said. His sister, Elizabeth Weisenburg, recalled a time when they were young children that she was baking peanut butter cookies and accidentally put in a cup of salt instead of a teaspoon. “I tasted them, and they were bad. I tried to talk Dad into eating them, and he wouldn’t have anything to do with them. But I heard David say, ‘I’ll eat them, Liz. I think they’re good,”’ she said. She said that story was indicative of the kind of brother David Weisenburg was. “I have a pain in my chest because I miss you so much, but I look forward to seeing you again,” she said. Longtime friend John Bachman described teaching 3-year-olds in Sunday school with Weisenburg, who, he said, could always comfort the children when they were upset about being left by their parents. And he entertained the children well, Bachman said. “David had a distinctive laugh. Sometimes David would laugh so loud, I’d think the pastor would come down in the middle of the sermon to tell us to be quiet,” Bachman said. Liane Brakke-Pound, who coached a high school swim team with Weisenburg, also remembered Weisenburg’s laugh. “He was always smiling and had the goofiest laugh, and I will always miss that laugh,” she said. Barry Schlesinger, one of the owners of Star Park, Weisenburg’s employer, said his company planned to establish a scholarship fund in Weisenburg’s name at Portland State University. |
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| David J. Weisenburg''s sister tells a story about the kind of brother he was: When they were young children, she was baking peanut butter cookies and accidentally put in a cup of salt instead of a teaspoon. "I tasted them, and they were bad. I tried to talk Dad into eating them, and he wouldn''t have anything to do with them. But I heard David say, ''I''ll eat them, Liz. I think they''re good,''" said Elizabeth Weisenburg. Weisenburg, 26, of Portland, Ore., died Sept. 13 when his patrol came under attack near Taji. He was stationed at Corvallis. After graduating high school in 1996, Weisenburg served four years as a chaplain''s assistant in Kuwait and Korea. He later enlisted in the Oregon National Guard. John Bachman recalled teaching 3-year-olds in Sunday school with Weisenburg, who could always comfort children when they were upset. "David had a distinctive laugh. Sometimes David would laugh so loud, I''d think the pastor would come down in the middle of the sermon to tell us to be quiet," Bachman said. Weisenburg is survived by his parents, Jim and Marilyn Weisenburg. | ||||||||
| Staff Sgt. David J. Weisenburg of Portland, Oregon is remembered for his contagious laugh, easy friendships and gentle spirit. He joined the Army immediately after high school and served four years as a chaplain's assistant in Kuwait and Korea. After completing his active duty, he enlisted in the Oregon National Guard. He was taking classes at Portland State University and working as an assistant operations manager for Star Park in Portland. He returned home a few weeks before he died to attend his sister's wedding. He was always smiling and had the goofiest laugh, and I will always miss that laugh. He is survived by his parents, Jim and Marilyn Weisenburg and a sister Elizabeth. David died in Taji, Iraq, when his military vehicle came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire and an improvised explosive device. He was 26. | ||||||||
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