David R. Fahey

170 MP Company

Attached to Company D 1-22 Infantry 4th Infantry Division

KIA 02/28/2011

PFC David R. Fahey was serving with the 170th Military Police Company "Strike Fear",
attached to Company D 1-22 Infantry, when he made the ultimate sacrifice for his unit and his country.

Army Times:

Army Pfc. David R. Fahey Jr.
Died February 28, 2011 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom

23, of Norwalk, Conn.; assigned to 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.;
died Feb. 28, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.

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Soldier from Conn. killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — A soldier from Connecticut died Monday in Afghanistan of wounds from an improvised bomb.

The Defense Department says 23-year-old Pfc. David R. Fahey Jr. of Norwalk was assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade.

Fahey was born in Norwalk, joined the Army in August 2007 in Springfield, Mass., and served a year in Korea
before reporting to the Joint Base Lewis-McChord base near Tacoma. His unit deployed in June 2010 to Afghanistan.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday ordered the state and U.S. flags to fly at half-staff until sunset on the day of Fahey’s funeral.

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Pfc. David R. Fahey Jr., 23, of Norwalk, Connecticut

Pfc. David R. Fahey, Jr. was in Kandahar Province when he was injured in a bomb explosion. He was assigned to the
170th Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade.

Fahey was raised in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and graduated from schools there before moving to Norwalk briefly.
He was living in Norwalk at the time he enlisted in the Army.

At the age of 8 David Fahey's father died leaving him and a younger brother and sister behind.
The Fahey children lived between relatives in Norwalk and Westchester County, N.Y.

Fahey's 57-year-old uncle, Christopher Fahey, of Wilmington, N.C., described his nephew as a gregarious and religious young man
who enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school in order to gain training and experience as a police officer. Christopher Fahey said
his nephew had a job lined up with the New York Police Department after his tour of duty ended.

"He always talked about becoming a policeman," Fahey said.
Jacyln Giordano remembers hanging out on a Fillow Street porch with David Fahey when they were about 8 or 10 years old
growing up in Norwalk. It's one of her fondest memories of her "close childhood friend". She wrote the following on a Facebook tribute to him:

I will always remember David being the funny guy. He was always pulling pranks and joking around.

This undated family photo shows Pfc. David R. Fahey Jr. of Norwalk, Conn. Fahey, 23,
died Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 in Afghanistan of wounds from an improvised bomb.
(AP Photo/Family Photo via The Hour Newspapers)
MANDATORY CREDIT Photo: AP / Family Photo via The Hour Newspapers

John Gullen of Syracuse wrote:

He brought joy and laughter to every situation and I miss him like crazy.

David's sister, Phyllis Lee wrote to The Daily Norwalk:

It's such a tragedy. I can't believe it. He's in such a better place, he will always be a hero. He was greatly loved by so many
and such great family support! It has been such an honor to have such an amazing brother!! He would do anything for anyone
give the shirt off his back for you even if he didn't know you! He will never be forgotten and we will meet again!

Fahey's friends, who are scattered across the region, agreed:

Dave was the best of all of us.

Pfc David R. Fahey, Jr.'s awards included the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal,
Korea Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon,
Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Drivers and Mechanics Badge.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has ordered the Connecticut and U.S. flags to fly at half staff in honor of Fahey.

Pfc David R. Fahey, Jr. is survived by his brother Nick Fahey and his sister Phyllis Fahey Lee. Funeral arrangements are pending.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/03/951695/-IGTNT:Four-SoldiersNo-Greater-Love

Daily Kos

IGTNT: Four Soldiers - No Greater Love

Thu Mar 03, 2011 at 08:17 PM EST.

David Fahey in Afghanistan

Photo from ctpost

PFC David Fahey's decorations

David is also eligible to receive
the Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medal
from the State of Connecticut

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Pfc. David R. Fahey, Jr., 23, of Norwalk, Conn., died Feb. 28, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan,
of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Photo: Contributed Photo / Stamford Advocate Contributed

Community mourning former Norwalk resident killed in Afghanistan
Updated 09:28 a.m., Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Community-mourning-former-Norwalk-resident-killed-1036238.php#ixzz1FasQMduz

A soldier with connections to Norwalk was killed in Afghanistan on Monday, the Department of Defense announced.

U.S. Army Pfc. David R. Fahey Jr., 23, died in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan during a morning patrol from injuries sustained
from an improvised explosive device.

Fahey was raised partially in Norwalk and partially in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and graduated from schools there
before moving to Norwalk briefly. He was living in Norwalk at the time he enlisted in the Army.

Mayor Richard Moccia said Fahey attended school in Norwalk in seventh grade before moving away.

In 2003 when Spc. Wilfredo Perez, 24, died in Iraq, Moccia remembered then Mayor Alex Knopp saying that he hoped
that he was the last mayor that would have to announce the death of a Norwalk soldier.

Moccia said he now shares those same sentiments.

"While he did not spend his entire life in Norwalk, he was a Connecticut resident and he still has family here, so there are ties to the community
and we want to do whatever we can to help the family with any services they need," Moccia said.

Fahey's 57-year-old uncle, Christopher Fahey, of Wilmington, N.C., described his nephew as a gregarious and religious young man
who enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school in order to gain training and experience as a police officer. Christopher Fahey said
his nephew had a job lined up with the New York Police Department after his tour of duty ended.

"He always talked about becoming a policeman," Fahey said.

David Fahey was raised by his uncle Tom Fahey after his father died, Christopher Fahey said. His brother took custody of Fahey,
his younger sister and little brother and cared for them, along with his four children. He said Fahey lived in Norwalk with relatives briefly
after graduating high school and before enlisting in the military.

"He was friendly," Christopher Fahey said from his home Tuesday afternoon. "He has a load of friends. He was well liked."

Fahey said his nephew enlisted for a four-year tour and was due to finish the last few months of service at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash.
He said the family is devastated by Fahey's death.

"We're all still in shock," he said.

Christopher Fahey said his brother told him the Army is sending his nephew's body to the United States and will hold a private ceremony
Wednesday morning at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the aunt and uncle who raised Fahey. Funeral arrangements for friends
and relatives are still being arranged, he said.

Fahey was in a military police unit as part of the 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, deployed out of Lewis-McChord.

He enlisted in the Army on Aug. 31, 2007, in Springfield, Mass., and was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., in September 2009
for basic training, according to unit records. Following his training, Fahey served 12 months at Camp Walker in Korea.

Fahey reported to then-Fort Lewis (now known as Joint Base Lewis-McChord). In June 2010, his company deployed to Afghanistan.

"On behalf of the entire Joint Base Lewis-McChord community, we extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Pfc. Fahey,"
the public affairs office at the base said in a statement.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy ordered the state and U.S. flags to fly at half staff in Fahey's honor.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of Pfc. David Fahey," Malloy said in a statement. "Our country lost a brave
and dedicated serviceman, and we stand with the men and women who are grieving the loss of Pfc. Fahey, and the families
of the other brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Our hearts go out to the soldiers who are working so hard,
so far away from home. We wish for your safe and speedy return."

Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Community-mourning-former-Norwalk-resident-killed-1036238.php#ixzz1Fasia8cX

from:

Greenwichtime.com

Pfc. David Fahey, 23, was killed in Afghanistan February 28, 2011.
(Via WTNH) Photo: Contributed Photo / Stamford Advocate Contributed

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This undated family photo shows Pfc. David R. Fahey Jr. of Norwalk, Conn. Fahey, 23, died Monday, Feb. 28, 2011
in Afghanistan of wounds from an improvised bomb.
(AP Photo/Family Photo via The Hour Newspapers)
MANDATORY CREDIT Photo: AP / Family Photo via The Hour Newspapers

from:

Greenwichtime.com

http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Soldier-from-Norwalk-dies-in-Afghanistan-1036238.php

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David Fahey with Fran and Tom Fahey, the aunt and uncle who raised David since he was 11 years old.

Photo from ctpost

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(Media-Newswire.com) - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff
on Monday, March 7, in honor of Army Specialist David R. Fahey Jr., a Yorktown resident, who died in Afghanistan on February 28.

Specialist Fahey died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit on Kandahar Province using an improvised explosive device.
He was assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, of the 42nd Military Police Brigade, based at Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Washington state.

"On behalf of all New Yorkers I wish to express our profound sympathy to the family, friends, and fellow soldiers of Specialist Fahey,"
Governor Cuomo said. "This young soldier served our nation with honor and bravery and we will honor him and remember his service."

Governor Cuomo has directed that the flags on all state buildings be lowered to half-staff in honor of, and in tribute to,
our state's service members who are killed in action or die in a combat zone.

http://media-newswire.com/release_1144455.html

Media Newswire

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Memorial for David Fahey and Jason Michael Weaver
Lt. Col. Richard Bell delivers the commander's tribute.
SPC DeAna Flores 170th MP Company seated to the right of the U.S. flag.
SPC Flores was a featured speaker at the memorial.

Photo by TONY OVERMAN — The Olympian courtesy of DeAna Flores

Fallen remembered with pride

Memorial: Pair were opposites in some ways, died within days of each other

By CHRISTIAN HILL; Staff writer

March 24, 2011

They came from opposite American shores, with different personalities and interests. Spc. David Fahey Jr. was raised near New York City, loved the Yankees
and was always ready with a joke or funny story. Sgt. Jason Weaver grew up near Los Angeles, cheered on the Green Bay Packers and had a sarcastic wit.

The Joint Base Lewis-McChord community gathered Wednesday to recall the shared bond between the two soldiers, both assigned to the
170th Military Police Company. Fahey and Weaver died three days apart in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan in separate roadside bomb attacks.

“One of the things they had in common was living by the motto, ‘deeds, not words,’” wrote Lt. Col. Clay Padgett, commander of the infantry battalion to which
the company was assigned. “Without question, Spc. Fahey and Sgt. Weaver served with the bravery and distinction few can fathom outside of those who wear the uniform.”

His remarks were read before hundreds of mourners at the first memorial service held at Lewis-McChord since September, a sign of the decline
in the number of local soldiers serving overseas. The number of South Sound soldiers in Afghanistan or Iraq has dropped from an estimated 18,000
last year to about 1,500 now, according to the Army.

The danger continues, however, and speakers Wednesday recalled how Fahey, 23, and Weaver, 22, faced it confidently and willingly.
During down time, they tried to lighten the mood for their peers.

Weaver, who died March 3, was described as a cornerstone of his platoon.

“For the soldiers in his team, he cut an impressive figure as the point man at the front end of many of their patrols,
a position he volunteered for time and again,” Padgett said.

In his remarks read at the service, the company commander, Capt. Andrew Sergent, said Fahey had participated in every mission since arriving last summer.

Both soldiers had an affinity for children. Fahey would often challenge Afghan youth to a friendly arm-wrestling match,
while Weaver would look after the kids who surrounded him on his long foot patrols.

Sergeant recalled Fahey, who died Feb. 28, as being a favorite target of jokes. His squad mates would often tease him about his proficiency
in hitting every pothole when he was at the wheel.

Sgt. Jose Velasquez said Fahey was excited to serve his country and then return to his family and serve his community.

Fahey “was a great guy, a great soldier, but most of all, a great friend,” Velasquez said.

Spc. DeAna Flores recalled Weaver saying he looked forward to returning home to California. She promptly asked why he wanted to go back
to a state with the same air quality as Afghanistan – but with less dust. Weaver was somewhat irritated, she said, but laughed off her comment
by saying he hoped she enjoyed cold and rainy Washington.

Those brief moments of levity were overshadowed Wednesday by an atmosphere of deep grief. Weaver’s mother, Patricia, sobbed throughout the ceremony.

As she paid her final respects, she cried out, “Oh, Jason, I love you so much. I’m so proud of you.”

Christian Hill: 253-274-7390 christian.hill@thenewstribune.com

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David R. Fahey Jr., Born in Norwalk, Laid to Rest with Honors in Yorktown, NY, at Age 23

Fahey was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge.

By Plamena Pesheva (Patch Staff)

The funeral Mass honoring the life of Army Spc. Thursday was as much patriotic as it was mournful, with standing ovations for the sacrifices of all those in the military
offered amid tears for a 23-year-old life cut short in the grip of war still unfolding thousands of miles away.

But as several hundred people stood inside St. Patrick's Church, and even outside on the rain-soaked streets of Yorktown Heights, few emotions could match
the will of the soldier's father as he rose to honor the young man.

"As my son gave his life, I can stand here today proud of that," Tom Fahey said.

An escort of police and emergency responders brought Fahey's remains and flag-bearing veterans and members of the Patriot Guard Rides stood at the church's entrance.
Police directed traffic as a few onlookers stood on the side of the roads holding flags and paying their final respects. Fahey died Feb. 28 from an improvised explosive device
in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.

Pastor Dan O'Brien, of Calvary, asked all military men and women, war veterans and those currently serving, to stand up for everyone to applause in appreciation.
Soon the entire audience was standing up, clapping.

Tom Fahey, who adopted David, his nephew, said he questioned if he would even have the courage to speak.

But, he said, "I realized that I need to stand up here and testify for my son."

Although his life has not been easy, he said, the young man had deep faith in God, a keen sense of humor.
Fahey was born in Norwalk, a connection honored by the appearance of Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy at his funeral, among many other local dignitaries,
local and countywide. On Thursday Malloy ordered flags in Connecticut, which had been at half-staff in Fahey's honor since the news of his death,
to be fully raised as of sunset.

Tom and Fran Fahey adopted him and his siblings, Phyllis and Nicholas, when he was a child after his father died. The couple also has four biological children—
Brianna, Tyler, Samantha and Blake. His cousins became his siblings.

"When I really look back, I call him my brother because he was my brother, my best friend, my hero," Tyler Fahey said fighting back tears.

Tyler, a senior at Yorktown High School, described the kind of everyday moment we all take for granted — David buying a Nerf gun during his last visit home —
that in times of loss become as precious as diamonds, sharp-edged memories on which to hold fast.

Fahey joined the military in 2007 but always talked about it following the events of 9/11.

"At first I didn't know why, and I would say, 'Dave I don't know what you're doing. I want to be with you,'" Tyler said.

Fahey's squad leader, U.S. Army Sgt. Skye Ortiz, told those gathered at the church that he will remember him for always smiling, and being good at his job,
and inspiring others. He added that Fahey was proud of his family and will forever be missed.

"I lost one of the most influential, kind-hearted, hardest-working soldiers, friends and brothers I ever had the pleasure of knowing," he said.

It's caused the biggest heartache, he said, he's ever experienced in his 26 years of life. During the 4-mile foot patrol that Fahey and he were on that night
before the vehicle was hit, Fahey had been making sure everyone was safe.

"He was the glue that always kept the squad together," Ortiz said. "We will always carry him with us in our minds, and in our hearts. We all know
that he is watching us, keeping us safe out there."

He called Fahey a "teddy bear" with the "heart of a lion," who enjoyed working out, flexing his muscles and watching episodes of the "Jersey Shore."

Tom Fahey said his son was a man of integrity, who liked fast cars and was a good driver, that's why he was driving the vehicle
in Kandahar province when it hit the IED.

He was assigned to the 170th Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, at Joint Base Lewis McChord.
His unit deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in June 2010. He ultimately wanted to become a police officer.

Fahey's training sergeant described him as "dedicated," "loyal" and "caring." He said he was like a son to him, who will always be in his heart,
and for that he will make sure that no matter where he goes, Fahey is honored.

And again, the father spoke on behalf of his son:

"Live for today and enjoy the moment," Tom Fahey said. "I will tell you as I realized that my son David was facing life and death situations every day,
he took the moments he had and he appreciated each thing."

Army Specialist David R. Fahey, Jr. was laid to rest at Rose Hills Memorial Park Cemetery in Putnam Valley with full military honors.

The Norwalk Patch

The casket containing David Fahey is carried by the Honor Guard

Photo from The Norwalk Patch

Taps is played by an Army bugler at the funeral for David Fahey

Photo from The Norwalk Patch

Burial:
Rose Hills Memorial Park
Putnam Valley
Putnam County
New York, USA

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