Today our walk was dedicated in honor of:
Army SGT Timothy Defoix Stalter, Age 28 of Palm Bay, FL.
Died Feb. 4, 2013
From a very young age he always dreamed of joining the Army. He was an exceptionally gifted student throughout his school career. There were many paths he could’ve chosen for a career, however he wanted to serve his country. Upon graduation from high school he entered the U.S. Army and did basic training at Fort Benning’s infantry school. Upon graduation from basic t he was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, 2-87 Infantry. Bravo Co. he was an exceptional soldier and moved up the ranks quite quickly to an Infantry Squad Leader-E-5 He deployed to Afghanistan twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He received the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon,NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, he received 2 Purple Hearts for injuries received in Afghanistan. He received the coveted Ranger tab for completing the Ranger course. SGT Stalter was an exceptional leader within his unit. He loved his brothers very much & they looked up to him for his leadership abilities. His unit was infamous in that he served with “Outlaw Platoon” of which a book was written by his commanding Lieutenant, Sean Parnell. He saved Sean’s life, as RPG’s were being fired at their platoon. He gave no thought to his own personal safety. To him, his brothers always came first. He was an exemplary infantry squad leader.. However, the war followed him home & he was not the same young man when he returned from his deployments. He suffered with PTSD, anxiety, & depression. He fought daily to keep his demons at bay. But soon it became too much for him to bear. He ended his pain on February 4th 2013. In death, he continued life in organ and tissue donation. There isn’t a day when I don’t think of him. He touched so many lives in so many ways. He had a heart of gold & he will always be missed & loved beyond measure.
We had a great 8.60 mile walk this morning. We walked out in the country. We headed west on Sparta Hwy and then went down POW Camp road and we made a stop in at the Oaklawn Cemetery Pomona and visited over 15 of our Fallen Brothers. We then headed back toward Sparta Hwy and then home. I want to thank my friend Robert for walking with us today. I also want to thank all who honked, waved, and saluted. We had 172 honks today. It was amazing. Thank you.
Army SGT Timothy Defoix Stalter will not be forgotten !
