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Two 3rd ID soldiers die in Iraq blast
Robert-Collins1
1st Lt. Robert W. Collins - photo by Photo provided.
Warriors Walk additions

A Warriors Walk tree dedication will be held at 10 a.m. tomorrow for two other fallen 3rd Infantry Division soldiers. The late Sgt. Aaron M. Arthur, 25, of Lake City, S.C., and Spc. Lakeshia M. Bailey, 23, of Columbus, will be honored. They died on March 8 north of Al Kut, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll over. They were assigned to the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd ID, at Fort Benning. The addition of the memorial trees will bring the total number of Red bud trees on Warriors Walk to 426.
Two 3rd ID soldiers from Fort Stewart currently deployed to Iraq were killed April 7 in Mosul, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
The fallen were 1st Lt. Robert W. Collins, 24, of Tyrone and Pfc. William Anthony Blount, 21, of Petal, Miss.
Collins was a signal officer assigned to Bravo Company. He joined the Army in May 2008 and arrived at Fort Stewart in June 2009. This was his first deployment.
According to The Citizen newspaper in Fayette County, Collins was engaged. He graduated from Sandy Creek High School in 2004 and West Point Military Academy in 2008. Collins was also a member of American Legion Post 105 in Fayetteville.
According to The Citizen, Fayette County Sheriff Wayne Hannah publicly expressed his department’s sympathy to Collins’ family and requested the community and media be considerate and allow the family “to privately grieve.”
Blount, an infantryman, was also assigned to Bravo Company. He joined the Army in September 2008 and arrived at Fort Stewart in February 2009. Like Collins, this was Blount’s first deployment.
According to the Hattiesburg American in Hattiesburg, Miss., he was due home for a short leave next month for the birth of his first child. Blount’s wife, Amanda, is eight months pregnant with a daughter, to be named Amanda Elizabeth, according to WDAM TV in Hattiesburg. Blount is also survived by his parents, Billy and Kay Blount, and two sisters. Blount graduated from Petal High School in 2007. Blount’s father, Billy Blount, was quoted by the Hattiesburg American as saying his son loved baseball and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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Exchange Service salutes Vietnam vets with custom truck design
Army and Air Force Exchange Service redesigned logo 2011

To thank Vietnam veterans for their sacrifices, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is debuting a new truck design, part of the Department of Defense retailer’s efforts alongside the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor veterans during the 50th anniversary of the war.

“The Exchange is privileged to have the opportunity to recognize Vietnam veterans through our fleet,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era. “These trucks will serve as rolling billboards, expressing gratitude for all who served during this era.”

The truck design features the silhouette of a lone service member set against the background of a faded horizon with a call to “thank a Vietnam veteran for service to our nation.” The single military member represents the warfighters who served during this time.

Three trucks in the fleet feature the commemorative design and will deliver merchandise to Exchange stores from the organization’s distribution centers in the continental United States.

The West Coast Distribution Center at Sharpe Army Depot in California; Dan Daniel Distribution Center in Newport News, Va.; and the Waco Distribution Center in Texas will each have a truck in service on their standard delivery routes, serving the whole country.

Air Force veteran Pat Thompson served in Vietnam before coming to the Exchange as a truck driver and mechanic. In his 18 years with the Exchange, he has deployed four times to support the troops. The new design means a lot to him.

“They remember,” said Thompson, who is based at the Exchange’s Waco Distribution Center. “We want to be remembered.”

The trucks also highlight the veteran online shopping benefit, which launched in November. The lifelong online military exchange benefit authorizes all who served honorably to enjoy tax-free shopping and exclusive military pricing at ShopMyExchange.com.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is a program administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The U.S. began commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families for service, valor and sacrifice in conjunction with the commemoration.

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