Their Stars Have Turned From Blue to Gold

Sgt. Omar Aceves





Spc. Jarrid L. King





Pfc. Benjamin G. Moore

FORT DRUM -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has directed that flags on State government buildings be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, January 18 in honor of three Fort Drum soldiers killed in Afghanistan on January 12.

The Department of Defense says the soldiers based at Fort Drum were killed January 12th in the Ghazni Province of Afghanistan. The soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device.

From the Fort Drum news release, the dead are identified as:

Sgt. Omar Aceves, 30, of El Paso, Texas.: Aceves joined the U.S. Army in February 2005 and was subsequently stationed at Fort Hood, Texas until 2008 when he arrived at Fort Drum, NY. Aceves previously deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2006 to January 2008. Aceves' awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, two Army Commendation Medals, 6 Army Achievement Medals, 3 Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the NATO Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Air Assault Badge and the Marksman Qualification Badge. Aceves is survived by his wife, 6 children, mother and father.

Spc. Jarrid L. King, age 20, of Erie, Pennsylvania. King joined the U.S. Army in March 2009 and after completing training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, came to Fort Drum, NY in August 2009. King's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, the Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the NATO Medal. King is survived by his mother and father.

Pfc. Benjamin G. Moore, 23, of Robbinsville, N.J. Specialist Benjamin G. Moore, age 23, of Robbinsville, New Jersey. Moore joined the U.S. Army in April 2009 and after completing training at
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, came to Fort Drum in September 2009. Moore's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, the Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the NATO Medal. Moore is survived by his mother and father.

"On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend our deepest sympathy to the family, the friends, and the fellow soldiers of Sergeant Aceves, Specialist King, and Private 1st Class Moore," Governor Cuomo said. "We mourn their loss but we remember their service to our nation and honor them for it."

All three men were assigned to the 10th Mountain Division's 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade.


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May Almighty God Bless these brave Soldiers. May God comfort the families who love them so. We must always remember our Soldiers are real men and women, with real families who have hurting hearts.