My walk this morning was in honor of
Army Spc. Benjamin W. Isenberg – Age 27 from Sheridan, OR.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry, Oregon Army National Guard, Corvallis, OR.
He died when his unit came under attack by small arms fire and an IED device in Taji, Iraq during Iraqi Freedom on September 13, 2004.
Isenberg joined the Oregon National Guard in 1995 and graduated from Western Oregon University in 2000. An employee of the Oregon Forestry Department, he was involved in fighting forest fires and doing conservation work. “He had an impact on more people than we will ever know,” said co-worker Patrick Cliner. “He was a gentle and caring person. He enjoyed doing presentations at schools, so he could ham it up with the kids.” Pastor Darwin Grimm said Isenberg was so popular in the community, he was deluged with calls asking if any help was needed with a memorial service. “People called me by the dozens,” he said. “In my 54 years with the church, I’ve never seen anything better than this.” Isenberg is survived by his wife, Rachel; sons Jeremiah, 4, and Kraig, 2.
My walk this morning was amazing. I want to thank everyone who helped me honor this hero. The honks, waves were just amazing. We shall keep his memory alive.
