i am sorry for your loss

the loss of stephen bixler, aged 20. my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends

(and of course with everyone deployed in the middle east). if you read the second article below, the father of cpl bixler has a simple request; remember our deployed men and women and SEND A CARE PACKAGE. do it! it will make you feel SO good (not even thinking about how it will make THEM feel). i send four soldiers and airmen care packages (and this reminds me, i'm due to send the next ones). i know they share what is in those packages with their fellow mates. you don't have to spend tons of money. ANYTHING is appreciated. candy, or books or magazines. socks and tee shirts. dvds, music, puzzles, little games, batteries, hot chocolate or powdered drink mixes. you can no longer just send a package to general delivery you MUST have a soldiers (or sailors or airmens or marines) name and address. i got mine from a wonderful organization called soldier's angels




Marine from Connecticut killed in Iraq, father says
By Shelley K. Wong, Associated Press Writer May 4, 2006

SUFFIELD, Conn. --A U.S. Marine killed in Iraq this week was remembered in his hometown Thursday as an admired young man who excelled at academics and athletics in high school and enjoyed helping others.
Stephen Bixler, 20, was killed Wednesday while on his second tour of duty in Iraq, said his father, Richard. He served both tours in the insurgency hotbed of Fallujah, his father said.
"He was on a foot patrol, that's all we know right now," Bixler said. "We were very proud of what he was doing. He would say a lot of positive things. He was totally committed to his mission."
An Eagle Scout, Bixler joined the Marines shortly after graduating from Suffield High School in 2003, his father said.
Bixler is the 30th person from Connecticut who has died since March 2002 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two of those killed were civilian workers........

Marine made family proud


By:Jennifer Hoyt , Journal Inquirer
SUFFIELD - An electric candle still glows at the home of Cpl. Stephen Bixler, 20, a Marine who was killed in Iraq on Wednesday.Bixler's mother, Linda Bixler, turned on the candle when her son was deployed, and it was meant to stay lit until he returned.
But early Thursday morning, two Marines walked past trees wrapped in yellow ribbons, and knocked on the door below the red Marine Corps flag to deliver the news all military families dread:Bixler, they said, was killed while on foot patrol in Al Anbar province. No further information was available; the family would be getting a call with more details, the Marines said. Hours later, Linda's candle glowed, because, she said, her son still hasn't come home.The yellow ribbons, the Marine Corps flag, and the candle were still there Thursday, reflecting the family's strong pride in their son."He was doing what he wanted to do," said Bixler's father, Richard Bixler, dressed in a Marine Corps T-shirt. "He was very proud of what he was doing, we are very proud of what he was doing."And then the grieving father, who was sitting below a picture of his son and Stephen's twin sister, Sandra Bixler, when they were toddlers, offered a request to those who are concerned about the family."At the same time you think of Steve, remember all the other men and women who are serving our country," Richard said. "Send them a package, tell them thank you."The Bixlers are experts at sending care packages - they sent one to Stephen every week...........