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Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, who was recently
identified as one of the soldiers killed in Iraq
Monday while serving on patrol in Mosul, was
known as a quiet and good kid at Roscoe High
School.
According to Roscoe principal Frank Young, who
was a football coach during that time, the 1990
graduate was a “really quiet kid.” Young also
said he was a very good kid who worked hard and
was part of a good class.
Max Tomlin agreed. Tomlin, who is now an adult
probation officer for Nolan County, served as
Jeffries’ Ag teacher. He remembered that
Jeffries showed pigs.
“He was an awful good kid,” he said.
A former classmate, Chas McGlothlin, who is
owner of McGlothlin Medical Supply in
Sweetwater, said he remembered him “always being
in the weight room,” and someone who was
interested in the military early on.
“He was regularly seen wearing camouflage,” he
said.
In fact, a camouflage jacket was something that
Jeffiries “willed” to an underclassman in the
1990 Roscoe High School senior yearbook.
Jeffries also jokingly mentioned willing his
ability to fix a carburetor and change oil as
well as his cowboy boots.
The last time anyone from Roscoe High School
heard from Jeffries or about him was when his
elementary-aged children also attended Roscoe
schools during 2000 or 2001, according to Young.
He has no known relatives living in the area at
this time. According to reports, his children
were contacted upon his death in Kerrville. At
the time of his death, Jeffries was on his
fourth deployment. He had joined the army in
1997. He died at the age of 37.
A memorial service for Jeffries is set for Feb.
13 at 1 p.m. at Fort Carson, Colo., where
Jeffries’ unit of five soldiers were assigned
when they died Monday. Services will be
determined by the families, a base spokesperson
said.
ROSCOE SLAIN SOLDIER REMEMBERED
By Kimberly Gray
Special to the Reporter-News
Thursday, January 31, 2008
ROSCOE -- Gary Wayne Jeffries was a
quiet teenager who showed an interest in the
military at a young age, according to people
who remember the slain soldier from his
years at Roscoe High School.
The 37-year-old Army staff sergeant
was identified Wednesday as one of five
soldiers killed Monday in Mosul, Iraq. The
soldiers died from wounds suffered when an
improvised bomb hit their convoy, according
to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The soldiers were assigned to Fort
Carson, Colo.
A memorial service is set for 1 p.m.
Feb. 13 at Fort Carson. Services will be
determined by the families, a base
spokeswoman said.
Jeffries is the 20th person with Big
Country ties to be killed in the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
He graduated in 1990 from the high
school in Roscoe, a town of 1,380 people 50
miles west of Abilene.
In the school yearbook, Jeffries
jokingly "willed" to underclassmen his
camouflage jacket, his intelligence, ability
to fix a carburetor and change oil, and his
cowboy boots.
Former classmate Chas McGlothlin of
Sweetwater said Jeffries was a quiet kid who
was "always in the weight room." He
remembers Jeffries showing an interest in
the military in high school and frequently
wearing camouflage.
Roscoe High School Principal Frank
Young was a football coach for the Plowboys
when Jeffries was a student-athlete. Young
remembers him as a "really quiet kid who did
what he was supposed to." He said Jeffries
was a good person and hard worker who was
part of a good class.
Jeffries joined the Army in 1997 and
was on his fourth deployment overseas when
he died, according to records from Fort
Carson.
He served in Korea from March 2000
to March 2001 and joined the 3rd Brigade
Combat team in April 2001. Jeffries deployed
to Iraq from March 2003 to March 2004 and
from December 2005 to November 2006. He
returned to Iraq in December for his third
deployment.
He was awarded several medals,
including the Army Commendation Medal with
the valor device, the Army Commendation
Medal (2), the Army Achievement Medal (5),
the Army Good Conduct Medal (3) and the
National Defense Service Medal.
Letter to the Editor - SWEETWATER
REPORTER. 02-06-2008
Dear Editor,
I just finished looking at your write-up
about a soldier who was killed in Iraq.
I watched them say his name on
television during the local news. Quiet
kid in school, showed pigs and wore
camouflage somebody wrote.
There’s a little more to the man than
just that though.
He got his thumb cut off while he was
working in the oilfield and pretty much
laughed about it. That was Gary.
He came really close to not being able
to join the Army because he had a hernia
and one thumb and not to mention the
fact that he was pushing 27 years old
when he finally was allowed to join up.
That’s all he ever wanted to do.
The guys in his unit called him Pops
because he was the oldest guy amongst
them.
He was an avid gun collector and
listened to heavy metal music. He lifted
weights almost religiously and drank
more beer on weekends than anyone I’ve
ever met. He was a cut-up and a joker
and made you laugh the whole time you
were around him.
That was Gary.
The father of two great little kiddos
named Sierra and Zach whom he loved more
than anything else in the world. He
would do anything for anybody no matter
what and literally give you the shirt
off his back if anyone needed it.
Yeah that too was Staff Sergeant Gary
Wayne Jeffries.
He was hard-headed and one of the
toughest people I ever met, too. It
would take some hidden bomb left on the
side of the road in some far off stupid
country to take him out.
He died a true warrior and a hero as far
as I’m concerned and you all can be
proud that we had someone like him
serving our country.
That was Gary.
He was also one of my best friends. Rest
in Peace, bro. I love you man and I’ll
never forget you.
Les Clepper
Sweetwater
Soldier from Roscoe
killed in Iraq bombing
From Staff and Wire Reports
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Abilene
Reporter-News
The Department of Defense
announced the five soldiers died
from wounds suffered when their unit
encountered an improvised bomb
during convoy operations Monday in
Mosul, Iraq. They were assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry
Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson,
Colo.
Jeffries joined the Army in
1997 and was on his fourth
deployment, according to a Colorado
Springs, Colo., television station
Web site.
No other details about were
immediately available.
The other four soldiers were
identified as Sgt. James E. Craig,
26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Spc. Evan
A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.;
Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of
Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A.
R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
Jeffries is the 20th person
with Big Country ties to be killed
in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The five deaths bring to 232
the total number of Fort Carson
soldiers killed in Iraq, Karen Linne,
a post spokeswoman, told The
Associated Press.
Only once before have that
many Fort Carson soldiers been
killed in a single incident during
the Iraq war, Linne said. Five
soldiers from the post were killed
on June 28, also by an improvised
bomb.
Marshall was on his second
tour of duty, his father, Drew
Marshall, told the Athens, Ga.,
Banner-Herald.
"We're devastated by this
loss, but we honor his service,"
Drew Marshall said. "We're very
proud of him, and I consider him and
all the other people who are
volunteering ... over there as
heroes."
Tensions in Mosul, Iraq's
third-largest city, have grown since
an explosion last week in an
abandoned apartment killed as many
as 60 people and injured 200.
Authorities say the apartment was
used to stash insurgents' weapons
and bombs.
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