Fredericksburg Texas Military Loss Fredericksburg soldier dies in grenade attack

Web Posted: 04/09/2007 10:46 PM CDT

Zeke MacCormack
Express-News

Fredericksburg on Monday mourned 1st Lt. Phillip I. Neel, a local soldier recalled for compassion and patriotism, who died a day earlier during a grenade attack in Balad, Iraq, according to the Department of Defense.
"As a community, we're all stunned by his death. It really brings the war more into reality for us," said Natalie Smith, who taught English to Neel at Fredericksburg High School.
 
Smith described the fallen son of Col. Leroy and Kathy Neel as "an amazing young man and a role model for others. He just had the biggest heart."

The Neel family said they had few details surrounding Phillip's death, which they learned of Sunday.

The dangers of combat were something not discussed by Phillip Neel, who was previously deployed as a paratrooper to Kosovo, and was an infantry officer in Iraq. "He would not speak of hazard," said Leroy Neel. "He felt honored to serve. In his mind, and in his family's mind, he was where he wanted to be, doing what he wanted to do."

He was home two weeks ago to see his family who moved to the Hill Country from Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in 1996.

LeRoy Smith called Phillip's arrival home "a wonderful surprise" that his six kids kept secret from their parents.

"He didn't get to decide when, but we were all here because it occurred over a spring break," said Leroy Neel. It's tough to get a family of eight together, but we feel blessed and everyone got to spend time with him."

Lieutenant Neel, a 2005 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, officials said.

A Department of Defense statement issued Monday said Neel, 27, died of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using grenades, and that his death is under investigation.

Another former teacher of Neel's, Brett Williams, recalled the 1998 graduate as congenial with classmates, conscientious about studies and a player on a local traveling soccer team.

"He was a great kid," said Williams, who had Neel in a technology class as a junior and in drafting class as a senior.

Neel's death was a sober reminder of war's cost.

"It's inevitable that sooner or later you hear of losses of past students, but this is the first one I've heard of that concerned a military loss in Iraq," said Williams. "You hear the news ... but you just don't think of it being someone you knew."


1LT Phillip Neel
 was buried in the US Military Academy Cemetery, West Point, Albany, New York.



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Fredericksburg Standard Radio Post
Posted: Wednesday, Apr 25, 2007 - 04:03:07 pm CDT


Funeral    neel   neel
AROUND 1,200 friends and family members attended a
memorial service Saturday morning in the Fredericksburg
High School Auditorium to remember 1LT Phillip Neel
who died April 8 from injuries suffered during a grenade
attack while fighting north of Baghdad, Iraq. Included in
the regular issue of the newspaper is an article and
photos of another service conducted for the 1998 FHS
graduate by his U.S. Army comrades in Iraq.
Standard-Radio Post Photo by Emily Stroud


Over 1,200 friends and family gathered at the Fredericksburg High School auditorium Saturday morning in honor of 1LT Phillip Isaac Neel, 27, who died April 8 due to injuries suffered during a grenade attack while serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq.

The service followed military tradition with three cadets from the Color Guard at Fort Hood presenting an American flag to the attendees. The traditional arrangement of a helmet, rifle and shoes were placed in the center of the stage representing the fallen soldier.

Family members of Neel, brothers Joseph, Jesse and Oliver Neel, along with his father, Lt. Colonel Leroy (Lee) Neel (ret.), participated in the service.

Joseph Neel led those attending in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance; Jesse Neel gave a detailed description of his brother’s life, and Oliver Neel read 1 Peter 5:6-11.

Col. Neel also spoke, thanking everyone for their “prayers, love and support”.

The retired U.S. Army officer also described his son’s life as seen through a father’s eyes.

“Phillip grew up an unpretentious, non-descript, unassuming American kid who displayed no obvious special gifts or talents,” he said. “He was sickly as a baby, put back in first grade and got cut from his first soccer team.”

He then described how his son grew from this slow start to a man who traveled the world and helped others at every opportunity.

Sporadically throughout the presentation, Col. Neel would describe memories of his son Phillip.

One was during his son’s freshman year at West Point upon completion of a field training exercise involving “good and bad forces”.

“He called me one night after that, pretty shook up,” Col. Neel recalled.

He said his son had believed he would soon be expelled from West Point due to upper classmen there being “terribly upset with him and threatening him.”

“He told me how he had asked prior to this event just how serious this exercise was to be taken and that the upper class had told him, ‘Oh very, very serious,’” his father said.

“During that exercise, he had trapped and overcome the red forces -- the mock enemy or the upper classmen if you will -- and hog-tied them, bound them and gagged them and drug them under a nearby tree (as muffled threats were coming through those gags).

“He paid for that dearly for the next six months, he told me. But eventually they all became close friends.”

His dedication to work hard and to perform to the highest ability was noted by Jesse Neel during his presentation as well as during his father’s.

The Rev. Jeremy Thomas, pastor at Fredericksburg Bible Church, was the last to speak during the service.

Rev. Thomas described Phillip Neel’s “Christ-like” characteristics -- “humbleness in birth, obedience in his life and love in his death” -- and how he knew that because of that, Phillip was “in a better place.”

“He made a sacrifice,” Rev. Thomas said, “that most of us will never know.”