Family, friends say goodbye to John Glen Doles
CHELSEA -- Friends and family on Tuesday saluted the bravery of a soldier known
for hitting the ground running as a paratrooper.
Hometowners who decorated the streets in
American flags and red, white and blue ribbons turned out for the funeral of U.S. Army
Staff Sgt. John Glen Doles at First Christian
Church.
Doles, 29, died Sept. 30 during a patrol
when enemy forces ambushed his unit with
rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire
in Shah Wali, Afghanistan.
Doles, who fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan, was assigned to Vicenza, Italy, as a
squad leader in B Company 1-508th Infantry
(Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade.
A thrill-seeker since his youth, he parachuted into Iraq in March 2003 with 173rd
Airborne, participating in the largest combat
jump since World War II.
The soldier also followed into the military
his father, Gene Doles, as well as three siblings and both of his grandfathers.
Family members interviewed last week lauded John Doles' courage.
"He liked the rough stuff," Gene Doles told
the Tulsa World in a phone interview. "He
was lean and mean. You really didn't want to
face him down. He would probably come out
on top."
Relatives requested no media coverage of
Doles' funeral. But an estimated 200 people
were on hand for the soldier's graveside service at Dawes Cemetery, just south of Chelsea.
Doles was awarded the Bronze Star and
Purple Heart and received a 21-gun salute
from
the U.S. Army Honor Guard of Fort Sill.
Family members placed flowers on his casket before departing.
"John loved his time in the Army and was
planning to re-enlist as soon as he was able,"
Doles' funeral program read.
A block from where the funeral was held, a
group from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., protested against what they say is
the country's acceptance of homosexuality.
They say U.S. military deaths are God's retribution for that stance.
At the request of the Doles family, about 80
people from motorcycle clubs in Kansas and
Oklahoma revved their engines to drown out
the taunts of the protesters, who left just before the service started.
Rhett Morgan 581-8395
rhett.morgan@tulsaworld.com
