Army 1st Lt. Tyler E. Parten
Death: Sep 10, 2009
of Jonesboro Ark.; assigned to the 3rd Squadron 61st Cavalry Regiment 4th Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division Fort Carson Colo.; Died Sept. 10 in Glehazi District Afghanistan of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. Ark. soldier killed by insurgents in Afghanistan The Associated Press MARIANNA Ark — The father of an Arkansas soldier who was killed in Afghanistan said Sept. 12 his son was a gifted leader who was dedicated to serving his country. “He was one of the most incredible individuals a man could ever be” Dave Parten told The Associated Press of his son 24-year-old 1st Lt. Tyler E. Parten. The Defense Department said Tyler Parten was killed in Afghanistan on Sept. 10 after insurgents attacked his unit. The department said he Died in Konar province after being wounded when insurgents attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. He had been stationed in Afghanistan since May and was a scout platoon leader on the mission in which he Died. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron 61st Cavalry Regiment 4th Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division Fort Carson Colo. Parten grew up in Marianna and graduated from Marianna Lee High School. Dave Parten53 said his son was a 2007 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. “The top 10 percent of his class or something like that” he said. A second son Daniel is in his fourth year at West Point he said. Tyler Parten stu Died Arabic and wanted to be involved in conflicts targeting terror groups overseas his father said. “That was his reason for wanting to serve to face the challenge and to serve others serve his country” Dave Parten said. “He wanted to lead other men.” Tyler Parten’s mother Lona Parten told television station KAIT of Jonesboro Ark. that her son loved the military and his country. “He’s not just a U.S. soldier he’s a man that took care of his troops” she said. Dave Parten said his son worked to excel in everything he attempted. “He wrote music” the father said. “He could pick up and play anything he wanted. He was just incredibly gifted.” Tyler Parten who was not married also had a strong religious foundation and was a “wonderful Christian man” his father said. “He had a wonderful relationship with God” Dave Parten said. “He affected everyone who ever shook hands with him.” Tyler Parten’s body is expected to be returned to the U.S. over the weekend. Mourners remember dedicated soldier The Associated Press MARIANNA Ark. — Mourners remembered an Arkansas soldier Sept. 17 who killed in Afghanistan as a brave dedicated man who knew what he was getting into when he enlisted in the Army. Family and friends gathered in Marianna to honor 1st Lt. Tyler Parten who was killed Sept. 10 in Kunbar province after insurgents attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire according to the Department of Defense. “My brother Died a hero” his brother Daniel told mourners attending Parten’s funeral in downtown Marianna. “Tyler earned his military honors and he knew what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing when he signed up for the job he signed up for.” Parten had been stationed in Afghanistan since May and was a scout platoon leader on the mission in which he Died. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron 61st Cavalry Regiment 4th Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division Fort Carson Colo. He grew up in Marianna and graduated from Marianna Lee High School. He was 2007 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point N.Y. and his brother Daniel is now in his fourth year there. Parten’s family remembered their son as a bright man who traveled the world and spoke Arabic fluently. Parten’s service awards included a National Defense Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Army Service Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge according to his mother Lona Parten of Jonesboro. “Ty right now is having the greatest adventure of his life. ... I don’t grieve for Tyler I grieve for us because a nation has lost a great man” she told mourners. ‘Tough days make the good days that much better’ he wrote The Associated Press Tyler E. Parten entertained the “kiddos” in Afghanistan with his harmonica built a chicken coop and wrote warmly of the look on a man’s face “when you show his child a little compassion.” Those are some of the war zone experiences he documented through photos and messages on Facebook. “Tough days make the good days that much better” Parten said in a mid-August posting. The 2007 graduate of West Point was assigned to Fort Carson Colo. and stu Died Arabic because he wanted to help target terrorist groups overseas. “That was his reason for wanting to serve to face the challenge and to serve others serve his country” said his father Dave Parten. “He wanted to lead other men.” The 24-year-old from Marianna Ark. was doing just that when he Died during an ambush Sept. 10 in Konar province. His father said Parten’s talents went beyond those of a good soldier. “He wrote music” Dave Parten said. “He could pick up and play anything he wanted. He was just incredibly gifted.” The Marianna Lee High School graduate is also survived by his mother Lona; and a brother Daniel.Operation Enduring Freedom