Tulsa World: Friends and family honor 3 soldiers

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Friends and family honor 3 soldiers
The Oklahomans were killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq.

Rudolf

By JEFF BILLINGTON World Staff Writers
Published: 9/20/2008 2:07 AM
Last Modified: 9/20/2008 2:12 AM

The Oklahomans were killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq.

Family and friends of three Oklahoma soldiers killed in a helicopter crash early Wednesday in Iraq said the men were dedicated soldiers who faced life with faith, courage and a genuine attitude of service to the country.

Three Lexington-based Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers were killed while flying in a CH-47 Chinook in southern Iraq, officials said. Killed were Sgt. Daniel Eshbaugh, 43, of Norman; Cpl. Michael E. Thompson, 23, of Harrah; and Chief Warrant Officer Brady J. Rudolf, 37, of Oklahoma City.

They were assigned to Detachment 1, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation, out of Lexington.

A fourth soldier, identified as Warrant Officer Corry Edwards, 38, of the Fort Worth, Texas, area, who reportedly grew up in Tahlequah, also was killed in the crash, according to newspaper accounts on Thursday. His mother could not immediately be reached.

Edwards was among four members of the Texas National Guard who also died in the crash, according to reports.

The Department of Defense on Friday night still had not officially announced the identities or hometowns of those killed in Thursday's crash.

The helicopter was one of four choppers being moved from Kuwait to Balad Air Base north of Baghdad, Oklahoma Army National Guard officials said. Officials are still attempting to determine if the helicopter was an Oklahoma Guard aircraft.

Brady Rudolf

Dustin Rudolf,

the brother of Rudolf, said his brother was a dedicated father, husband and soldier who comes from a long line of servicemen in the Rudolf family.

"Brady was the greatest person I know," said Rudolf, who lives in Durant and who serves in the Army reserves. "He was a great father, a great husband and just an all-around great human being. The sacrifice he gave for our freedom and what we live for here in America is an awesome thing and he knew it and he lived it."

The Rudolf brothers grew up in Durant. Dustin Rudolf said his brother was voted class clown by his graduating class.

"He was a jokester but he could be serious too when it mattered,'' Dustin Rudolf said. "He was a conscientious pilot who liked to take care of people. He would give the shirt off his back for anyone.''

Brady Rudolf and his wife, Jennifer, had three sons.

While the military is still investigating the helicopter crash, Rudolf said his brother mentioned that the helicopters being flown out of Kuwait had mechanical work performed on them before the flight.

"Brady and I talked by e-mail on Monday and he mentioned that he was the mission commander to move the helicopters north,'' Dustin Rudolf said. "In the e-mail, he did say these last four choppers were having mechanical work done. I knew when I heard about the crash that it was one of those helicopters.

"We don't know if this caused the crash but it was ironic that he mentioned the mechanical work in the e-mail,'' Dustin Rudolf said.

Rudolf, a pharmacist, served as a CH-47 Chinook pilot and had been in the National Guard for more than 20 years and deployed to Iraq in 2003 where he spent four months serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Michael Thompson

Family members of Thompson said that he volunteered to go to Iraq because the Army needed a qualified open-door machine gunner.

"He was qualified for machine guns from his active duty in the military before this,'' said Richard Perry, Thompson's stepfather. "He volunteered to go to help out."

Thompson was a hunter and fisherman who graduated from Kingston High School in 2003. He was not married but he had a fiancee, Perry said.

"Everyone is taking it pretty hard,'' Perry said. "We would like to know what happened so that there can be closure."

Thompson's father is Kory Thompson of Harrah.

Thompson enlisted in the Army in 2004. After leaving active duty, he joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 2007. He was deployed to Iraq in 2005 where he spent 11 months.

Capt. Travis Ward, an Oklahoma Guard helicopter pilot, said Thompson transferred into the Oklahoma Army National Guard at the first of the year after serving in the infantry.

"He made two drill weekends with us and on the second one, he heard the rumor that the deploying units were looking for people to be door gunners. As soon as he heard that, he came straight to me and asked if he could volunteer. The very next weekend, he started with that unit. He was a very excited young man and extremely enthusiastic," Ward said.

Daniel Eshbaugh

Eshbaugh, who served as a flight engineer, enlisted in the Air Force in 1982, where he served for 10 years. After a six-year break, he joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 1998, staying until 2000. He re-enlisted in 2002 and remained with the Guard until he was deployed earlier this year. Eshbaugh also was deployed to Iraq in 2003.

Maj. Pete Barger, a Chinook pilot for the Oklahoma Guard, said he first met Eshbaugh during their original deployment to Iraq. Eshbaugh became a Chinook crew member in 2006, he said.

"He was a very detailed-oriented individual, but then again, he had an engine background," Barger said. "He always wanted a little bit more. He expanded from just the engines to learning the aircraft. He got that knowledge, he got that step down, and from beyond that he wanted to become crew member. That was one of his goals."

Mission loyalty

The three Guard helicopter pilots, Barger, Harrison and Ward, spoke about the three soldiers during an interview at the Oklahoma Army National Guard's headquarters in Oklahoma City.

Harrison said that although each soldier was different, they each had a common interest — serving the country.

"All three of these guys that were in this aircraft displayed that same type of characteristic — loyalty to the mission and to the unit," he said.

Losing a fellow soldier isn't ever easy, but when it does happen, it seems to bring them closer together, Barger said.

"It's another form of bonding I think that we have between all of us. We find ourselves deploying and we become closer together, even those that are left behind, we know what they're dealing with over there. We're dealing with it here as well, just in a different manner," Barger said.

"We are here and coping with this because it's our job and it's what they expect their leadership to do, and that's what we're here doing. Since they can't be here, we're here for them."World Staff Writer Kelly Hines contributed to this story.

Omer Gillham 581-8301, Jeff Billington 581-8369
omer.gillham@tulsaworld.com, jeff.billington@tulsaworld.com By JEFF BILLINGTON World Staff Writers

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	Report Comment Bluebird48, Sand Springs (9/20/2008 8:43:26 AM) May their Memories BE ETERNAL!
	Report Comment olddude, (9/20/2008 8:54:53 AM) my heart goes out to these young men,and their loving families,may god give the strength to deal with their loss.all oklahomas should honor these young ,regardless of you postion of the war.gog bless all of our soldiers.
	Report Comment Angry Citizen!, Bluejacket (9/20/2008 9:55:52 AM) You can't honer these guys enough...
	Report Comment plain guy, (9/20/2008 10:53:25 AM) Very admirable, honorable qualities of all these men. Job well done! God bless them all.

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