Out of the Columbus {NE} Telegram:
Fremont soldier wanted to reach for the stars
By JANET NITSICK, Lee Enterprises
FREMONT -- Sgt. Philip J. Svitak was proud to serve, not just his country but all those in need.
"He was an unselfish person," said Steve Kuddes, whom Svitak served under in Fremont's Civil Air Patrol unit. "At the same time, he would reach for the stars, and I believe he has gotten them now."
Svitak, a Fremont native serving in the U.S. Army, was one of six servicemen killed in a firefight sometime after 8 p.m. Sunday near Shah-e-Kot, Afghanistan, U.S. defense officials said Tuesday.
"He wore the uniform with pride all of the time," Kuddes said.
Even as a youth, Kuddes said, Svitak demonstrated leadership qualities, and those around him knew he was going to be involved in the military.
"He really enjoyed the search and rescue aspects of the civil patrol," said Ralph Gibbons, who also was a senior member of the patrol when Svitak served during the late 1980s.
Svitak, 31, and five of the others killed had just finished picking up a downed soldier when the firefight began.
Details of the incidents were sketchy. A Central Command spokesman, Marine Maj. Ralph Mills, said an MH-47 Chinook helicopter was flying low on a reconnaissance mission when it was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade that knocked a soldier out of the aircraft and caused a hydraulic problem.
A second MH-47 was flying in tandem with the first and rescued the downed crew, then returned to the area where the soldier fell out. The second helicopter dropped troops in that area, and six were killed in a firefight, Mills said.
Svitak, whose parents now live in Neosho, Mo., will be fondly remembered in the town where he grew up. He graduated from Fremont Senior High School in 1989.
"He was a fine young man, and we are very proud of what he did for us," said his aunt, Betty Svitak, who with her husband, Rainold "Ray" Svitak, lives in Fremont.
Eric Ulven said he and Philip Svitak had been longtime friends, getting acquainted as teen-agers as participants in the Civil Air Patrol and while attending Fremont High.
"We had a lot of common interests and we became really good friends," he said.
Svitak, Ulven and Shannon Stone were together so much they were called the "Three Musketeers," Ulven said.
But Svitak was a soldier's soldier, Ulven said, because he loved the patrol and the military. Both enlisted in the military shortly after they graduated from high school.
Svitak had planned to further his military career by undergoing training as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, Ulven said.
Troy Brewer said Svitak was his flight leader when he participated in the Civil Air Patrol. The two families became good friends.
Svitak was not only a good man, but he was also family-oriented and was just doing his part when he lost his life, Brewer said.
Svitak leaves behind a wife, Laura, and two sons, 4-year-old Ethan and 2-year-old Nolan. He recently was stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky.
"He took his family and his job very seriously," Ulven said. "Being in the Army, though, wasn't really a job to him. It was something he wanted to do, it was a having-a-mission-in-life kind of thing -- serving your country."
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Philip Svitak clearly understood his mission.
" \\We can't let them get away with it,' '' Richard Svitak, contacted at his home, remembered his son saying. "He was totally ready to go."
Philip Svitak learned in October that he might have to go to Afghanistan, but he told his mother not to worry.
"He told me before he went, \\Mom, the terrorists have to be stopped,' " Roseanne Svitak said. " \\If they send me over there and anything happens to me ... I'm proud to die for my country.' "
While Richard and Roseanne Svitak moved to Missouri about 10 years ago, they both were from the Fremont area. Richard Svitak grew up in Howells and Roseanne Parr Svitak grew up near Dodge.
"He was the best kid in the world," Richard Svitak, 57, said of his only child. "He loved his country. He loved his wife and his family especially."
The first Nebraska member of the military killed in the war with terrorists was Navy Capt. Lawrence D. Getzfred of Elgin, who died in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon.
Svitak was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, the Pentagon said. The remains of the seven arrived at a base in Ramstein, Germany, on Tuesday and are heading for the United States.
Reporters Cory Golden and Don Walton of the Lincoln Journal Star and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
~ I was this man's first squadron commander back when we were both kids and he joined the C.A.P. I'm so shocked... I just can't believe it... I'm so proud of him, but so sad... I just can't believe it. (I know, I keep saying I can't believe it... I don't know what else to say!) I had lost contact with all of those people, but just hearing the names again... brings back so many memories! I was SO hard on those guys sometimes... but we were all such good friends back then... It's all so surreal... I'm now wondering where all my friends are. I know a lot of them are in the armed forces now quite a few went on to the Air Force...
Ah, I'm just rambling on now... I guess I just needed to talk.
Fremont soldier wanted to reach for the stars
By JANET NITSICK, Lee Enterprises
FREMONT -- Sgt. Philip J. Svitak was proud to serve, not just his country but all those in need.
"He was an unselfish person," said Steve Kuddes, whom Svitak served under in Fremont's Civil Air Patrol unit. "At the same time, he would reach for the stars, and I believe he has gotten them now."
Svitak, a Fremont native serving in the U.S. Army, was one of six servicemen killed in a firefight sometime after 8 p.m. Sunday near Shah-e-Kot, Afghanistan, U.S. defense officials said Tuesday.
"He wore the uniform with pride all of the time," Kuddes said.
Even as a youth, Kuddes said, Svitak demonstrated leadership qualities, and those around him knew he was going to be involved in the military.
"He really enjoyed the search and rescue aspects of the civil patrol," said Ralph Gibbons, who also was a senior member of the patrol when Svitak served during the late 1980s.
Svitak, 31, and five of the others killed had just finished picking up a downed soldier when the firefight began.
Details of the incidents were sketchy. A Central Command spokesman, Marine Maj. Ralph Mills, said an MH-47 Chinook helicopter was flying low on a reconnaissance mission when it was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade that knocked a soldier out of the aircraft and caused a hydraulic problem.
A second MH-47 was flying in tandem with the first and rescued the downed crew, then returned to the area where the soldier fell out. The second helicopter dropped troops in that area, and six were killed in a firefight, Mills said.
Svitak, whose parents now live in Neosho, Mo., will be fondly remembered in the town where he grew up. He graduated from Fremont Senior High School in 1989.
"He was a fine young man, and we are very proud of what he did for us," said his aunt, Betty Svitak, who with her husband, Rainold "Ray" Svitak, lives in Fremont.
Eric Ulven said he and Philip Svitak had been longtime friends, getting acquainted as teen-agers as participants in the Civil Air Patrol and while attending Fremont High.
"We had a lot of common interests and we became really good friends," he said.
Svitak, Ulven and Shannon Stone were together so much they were called the "Three Musketeers," Ulven said.
But Svitak was a soldier's soldier, Ulven said, because he loved the patrol and the military. Both enlisted in the military shortly after they graduated from high school.
Svitak had planned to further his military career by undergoing training as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, Ulven said.
Troy Brewer said Svitak was his flight leader when he participated in the Civil Air Patrol. The two families became good friends.
Svitak was not only a good man, but he was also family-oriented and was just doing his part when he lost his life, Brewer said.
Svitak leaves behind a wife, Laura, and two sons, 4-year-old Ethan and 2-year-old Nolan. He recently was stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky.
"He took his family and his job very seriously," Ulven said. "Being in the Army, though, wasn't really a job to him. It was something he wanted to do, it was a having-a-mission-in-life kind of thing -- serving your country."
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Philip Svitak clearly understood his mission.
" \\We can't let them get away with it,' '' Richard Svitak, contacted at his home, remembered his son saying. "He was totally ready to go."
Philip Svitak learned in October that he might have to go to Afghanistan, but he told his mother not to worry.
"He told me before he went, \\Mom, the terrorists have to be stopped,' " Roseanne Svitak said. " \\If they send me over there and anything happens to me ... I'm proud to die for my country.' "
While Richard and Roseanne Svitak moved to Missouri about 10 years ago, they both were from the Fremont area. Richard Svitak grew up in Howells and Roseanne Parr Svitak grew up near Dodge.
"He was the best kid in the world," Richard Svitak, 57, said of his only child. "He loved his country. He loved his wife and his family especially."
The first Nebraska member of the military killed in the war with terrorists was Navy Capt. Lawrence D. Getzfred of Elgin, who died in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon.
Svitak was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, the Pentagon said. The remains of the seven arrived at a base in Ramstein, Germany, on Tuesday and are heading for the United States.
Reporters Cory Golden and Don Walton of the Lincoln Journal Star and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
~ I was this man's first squadron commander back when we were both kids and he joined the C.A.P. I'm so shocked... I just can't believe it... I'm so proud of him, but so sad... I just can't believe it. (I know, I keep saying I can't believe it... I don't know what else to say!) I had lost contact with all of those people, but just hearing the names again... brings back so many memories! I was SO hard on those guys sometimes... but we were all such good friends back then... It's all so surreal... I'm now wondering where all my friends are. I know a lot of them are in the armed forces now quite a few went on to the Air Force...
Ah, I'm just rambling on now... I guess I just needed to talk.
