Army Spc Welch was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington. He died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit while on foot patrol with an improvised explosive device. Since the age of 6, Jon told his friends and family that he was going to be an Army man. He attended Esperanza High School in Anaheim, California before obtaining his GED and joining the Army in March 2007. Before his first deployment to Afghanistan in July, he signed an agreement with a friend to change his name to "Cobra Banana Commander" when he got out of the military – friends loved his wicked sense of humor. Jon was a jokester – a young man who had a tough time during his teen years, but turned his life around and lived it to the fullest. While stationed in Washington, he was a regular in the Seattle club scene that specialized in punk music. It was also the first time he had seen snow and was so excited that he had to call his family. Less than two months before his death, Jon talked to his father about the possibility of not returning home. He knew there was a chance of this happening and gave his father strict orders for his memorial service – don't do a lot of blubbering. Jon had no regrets for the life he had lived – he chose to be a soldier to make a difference and he did.
Army Spc Welch was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington. He died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit while on foot patrol with an improvised explosive device. Since the age of 6, Jon told his friends and family that he was going to be an Army man. He attended Esperanza High School in Anaheim, California before obtaining his GED and joining the Army in March 2007. Before his first deployment to Afghanistan in July, he signed an agreement with a friend to change his name to "Cobra Banana Commander" when he got out of the military – friends loved his wicked sense of humor. Jon was a jokester – a young man who had a tough time during his teen years, but turned his life around and lived it to the fullest. While stationed in Washington, he was a regular in the Seattle club scene that specialized in punk music. It was also the first time he had seen snow and was so excited that he had to call his family. Less than two months before his death, Jon talked to his father about the possibility of not returning home. He knew there was a chance of this happening and gave his father strict orders for his memorial service – don't do a lot of blubbering. Jon had no regrets for the life he had lived – he chose to be a soldier to make a difference and he did.
Inscription
SPC US ARMY
AFGHANISTAN
OCT 30 1989
AUG 31 2009
BSM PH
BELOVED BY ALL
FOREVER IN
OUR HEARTS
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
