OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- One of
the two helicopter pilots killed Sunday
in Iraq was an Oklahoman, military
officials said Tuesday.
Chief Warrant Officer Lawrence
Colton, 32, of Oklahoma City and
Chief Warrant Officer Chuck Fortenberry, 38, of Woodville, Texas, were
killed Sunday when their helicopter
was shot down near Baghdad.
Both pilots were with C Company,
1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment
based at Fort Hood, Texas.
They were providing air support for
a fuel convoy when their Apache helicopter was shot down by ground fire.
Colton, a Guthrie native, joined the
Army in 1992. He had been stationed
at Fort Hood since December 2000.
Colton's father, Loren Nix, said his
son was "a hell of a good guy."
Nix said the family would not be
making any other comments.
Shannon Daughtry, Colton's ex-wife,
said he was a successful cross country runner who won medals at Carl
Albert High School in Midwest City.
"He's been in the military for 12
years," she said. "He definitely
planned on being a lifer."
Colton leaves behind a wife in Texas and an 11-year-old son from his
marriage with Daughtry.
Colton was based in Camp Cooke,
Iraq, a frequent target for mortar and
rocket attacks.
