Navajo Nation soldier being laid to rest

Editorial:
Friday, October 16, 2009
Filed Under: National | Opinion

" It is with sad hearts that we bury yet another local son lost to war.

Adding to the sorrow and tragedy is the fact that he is the second son to be lost in his family.

The funeral for Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook will be at 10 a.m. today at the Farmington Civic Center, with interment to follow in the veteran's section of the Shiprock Community Cemetery.

Westbrook was 41 when he died Oct. 7 in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., after suffering severe injuries while in combat Sept. 8 in Afghanistan.

His brother, Sgt. Marshall Alan Westbrook, was 43 when he was killed in October 2005 after his Humvee struck an improvised explosive device in Iraq.

Suffering the loss of two sons in the same family is something many Americans thought only occurred in movies, as most commonly linked to the classic film, "Saving Private Ryan."

The fact is, there are many with multiple family ties who serve our nation, including husbands and wives, mothers and daughters and fathers and sons.

Such dedication deserves a special salute from those of us whom they serve.

In the case of the Westbrook family, these two sons not only served in military duty, but they paid the ultimate sacrifice."

Indianz.Com. In Print.

Link to Report

Today our community buries another soldierStaff Writer

Posted: 10/16/2009 12:00:00 AM MDT

It is with sad hearts that we bury yet another local son lost to war.

Adding to the sorrow and tragedy is the fact that he is the second son to be lost in his family.

The funeral for Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook will be at 10 a.m. today at the Farmington Civic Center, with interment to follow in the veteran's section of the Shiprock Community Cemetery.

Westbrook was 41 when he died Oct. 7 in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., after suffering severe injuries while in combat Sept. 8 in Afghanistan.

His brother, Sgt. Marshall Alan Westbrook, was 43 when he was killed in October 2005 after his Humvee struck an improvised explosive device in Iraq.

Suffering the loss of two sons in the same family is something many Americans thought only occurred in movies, as most commonly linked to the classic film, "Saving Private Ryan."

The fact is, there are many with multiple family ties who serve our nation, including husbands and wives, mothers and daughters and fathers and sons.

Such dedication deserves a special salute from those of us whom they serve.

In the case of the Westbrook family, these two sons not only served in military duty, but they paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Kenneth Westbrook was raised in Shiprock and graduated from high school there in 1987. He, his wife and three sons have lived in Colorado during the past nine years, except for during his tours of duty.

He also is the 10th Navajo to die in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2004.

His parents are Ruth A. Westbrook and Marshall Westbrook, both of Farmington.

Our sympathies are with the family today, and once again we offer a final salute to another local soldier.