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600 Miles of Remembrance: Drivers honor fallen military
By | Published: May 16, 2016 45
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This weekend marks a very special time in the NASCAR community. In honor of Memorial Day weekend, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 will carry the name of a fallen military member on their cars. Read more about these heroes that gave their lives defending the United States of America.
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No. 1 car: Lance Cpl. Scott Albert Lynch, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: April 20, 1988Hometown: Greenwood Lake, N.Y.
Date of death: Oct. 6, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: Lynch was former squad mates with No. 1 back-up tire changer and Marine Corps veteran Mark Singleton.
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No. 2 car: Spc. Joseph T. Prentler, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Feb. 11, 1990
Hometown: Fenwick, Mich.
Date of death: Oct. 4, 2010, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan
Note: Prentler was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment based in Vilseck, Germany.
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No. 3 car: Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer Mark 'Badger' Carter (SEAL), U.S. Navy
Date of birth: June 11, 1980
Hometown: Fallbrook, Calif.
Date of death: Dec. 11, 2007, Balad, Iraq
Note: Among numerous other awards, Carter was the recipient of two Bronze stars with 'V' for Valor, Joint Service Commendation Medal with 'V,' and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. He was chosen by a group of Navy SEALS befriended by Austin Dillon to be honored on the No. 3 car.
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No. 4 car: Lance Cpl. Nathan Ross Elrod, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: April 21, 1986
Hometown: Rockwell, N.C.
Date of death: Oct. 21, 2006, Iraq
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No. 5 car: Lance Cpl. Eric Levi Ward, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: Aug. 17, 1990
Hometown: Redmond, Wash.
Date of death: Feb. 21, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: Ward was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
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No. 6 car: Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jason William McCormack, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Sept. 3, 1972
Hometown: Enterprise, Ala.
Date of death: Nov. 23, 2015, Republic of South Korea
Note: McCormack completed three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan during his career. He served with the brother of Brett Reckert, a pit crew member for the No. 6 XFINITY Series team.
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No. 7 car: Lance Cpl. Cody Stevens Childers, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: March 2, 1991
Hometown: Chesapeake, Va.
Date of death: Aug. 20, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: A close friend of team owner Tommy Baldwin served with Childers.
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No. 10 car: Lance Cpl. Benito 'Cheeks' Ramirez, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: July 28, 1984
Hometown: Edinburg, Texas
Date of death: May 21, 2006, Iraq
Note: Ramirez served two tours in Iraq and volunteered for a third.
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No. 11 car: Sgt. John Davis Harvey, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: May 30, 1958
Hometown: Roanoke, Va.
Date of death: April 25, 1980, Operation Eagle Claw in Iran
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No. 13 car: Spc. Christopher Shane Wright, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Jan. 31, 1987
Hometown: Tollesboro, Ky.
Date of death: Aug. 19, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: Among other awards received during his service, Wright -- who was an Army Ranger -- was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal and Army Commendation Medal.
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No. 14 car: Master Sgt. Paul D. Karpowich, U.S. Army
Date of birth: July 31, 1974
Hometown: Freeland, Pa.
Date of death: Dec. 21, 2004, Iraq
Note: A graduate of the Army Sniper School, Karpowich is the recipient of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal among many others. He was also a family friend of No. 14 crew chief Mike Bugarewicz.
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No. 15 car: Master Sgt. Tara Brown, U.S. Air Force
Date of birth: July 21, 1977
Hometown: Long Island, N.Y.
Date of death: April 27, 2011, Afghanistan
Note: Brown was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Meritorious Service Medal among others.
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No. 16 car: Spc. Joel A. Taylor, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Dec. 24, 1987.
Hometown: Pinetown, N.C.
Date of death: June 25, 2008, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Note: Taylor was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
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No. 17 car: SP 4 James H. Woolard, U.S. Army
Date of birth: April 23, 1949
Hometown: Manchester, Ohio
Date of death: Nov. 3, 1969, Vietnam
Note: Woolard was childhood friends with team owner Jack Roush.
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No. 18 car: Pfc. Robert Stephan Underwood, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Sept. 25, 1949
Hometown: O'Fallon, Mo.
Date of death: Aug. 23,1968, Vietnam
Note: Underwood was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf cluster with 'V' for Valor, and the Air Service Medal among several others.
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No. 19 car: Capt. Edmond Jablonsky Jr., U.S. Army
Date of birth: 1942
Hometown: Pasadena, Texas
Date of death: May 3, 1968, Vietnam
Note: Jablonsky served with Carl Edwards' best friends' father.
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No. 20 car: Pfc. Christopher Neal White, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: N/A
Hometown: Elizabethtown, Ky.
Date of death: June 20, 2006, Iraq
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No. 21 car: Signalman Seaman Cherone L. Gunn, U.S. Navy
Date of birth: Feb. 14, 1978
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.
Date of death: Oct. 12, 2000, U.S.S. Cole
Note: Gunn was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
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No. 22 car: Spc. Cindy Beaudoin, U.S. Army
Date of birth: July 20, 1971
Hometown: Plainfield, Conn.
Date of death: Feb. 28, 1991, Operation Desert Storm
Note: Beaudoin served in the 142nd Medical Company of the Connecticut National Guard
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No. 23 car: Lt. Col. Paul Keith Mikeal, U.S. Air Force
Date of birth: July 15, 1969
Hometown: Mooresville, N.C.
Date of death: July 1, 2012, South Dakota
Note: Mikeal served on active duty for 10 years before joining the Air National Guard, making five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Achievement Medal with five oak leaf clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
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No. 24 car: Gunnery Sgt. Justin Martone, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: Aug. 21, 1974.
Hometown: Bedford, Va.
Date of death: March 7, 2006, Iraq
Note: Martone was a member of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force based in Okinawa, Japan.
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No. 27 car: Spc. Zachary Lee Shannon, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Oct. 28, 1991
Hometown: Dunedin, Fla.
Date of death: March 11, 2013, Afghanistan
Note: Shannon deployed twice, once to South Korea and once to Afghanistan, and was awarded the Bronze Star with 'V' for Valor and the Purple Heart. He is the half brother of RCR engineer Keith Lindgren’s nephew Taylor Mirrione, who is currently deployed aboard the USS Dallas.
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No. 30 car: Staff Sgt. Robert A. Massarelli, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Sept. 22, 1979
Hometown: Hamilton, Ohio
Date of death: June 24, 2012, Afghanistan
Note: Massarelli's awards include four Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals and three Army Good Conduct Medals. He is the cousin to the daughter-in-law of No. 30 crew chief Dave Fuge.
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No. 31 car: Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: Oct. 21,1977
Hometown: West Palm Beach, Fla.
Date of death: April 20, 2006, Iraq
Note: Ramseyer was deployed to Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was chosen to be featured on the No. 31 car by the Hope 4 The Warriors (H4W) group, an organization that Ryan Newman has been long affiliated with.
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No. 32 car: Capt. Christopher Cash, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Oct. 2, 1967
Hometown: Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Date of death: June 24, 2014, Iraq
Note: Cash served as an active duty soldier before joining the North Carolina National Guard and led three platoons as a Company Commander.
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No. 34 car: Staff Sgt. Eric A. McIntosh, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: March 9, 1977
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Date of death: April 2, 2006, Iraq
Note: McIntosh was killed during his second tour in Iraq and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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No. 38 car: Pvt. Earl Platt, U.S. Army
Date of birth: January 19, 1893
Hometown: Vestaburg, Mich.
Date of death: November 2, 1926
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No. 41 car: Sgt. Nicholas Ray Gibbs, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Aug. 9, 1981
Hometown: Stokesdale, N.C.
Date of death: Dec. 6, 2006
Note: Among his many awards, Gibbs was the recipient of the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Army Good Conduct Medal.
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No. 42 car: Denis Christian Miranda (SEAL), U.S. Navy
Date of birth: Dec. 6, 1985
Hometown: Toms River, N.J.
Date of death: Sept. 21, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: Miranda was a squad mate of No. 42 jackman Graham Molatch, a former Navy SEAL.
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No. 43 car: Staff Sgt. Forest Sibley, U.S. Air Force
Date of birth: 1983
Hometown: Pensacola, Fla.
Date of death: Aug. 26, 2015, Afghanistan
Note: Sibley -- a four-time Bronze Medal recipient, once with Valor -- was selected to be featured on the No. 43 car by team partner United States Air Force. He deployed four times in his nearly seven-year military career.
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No. 44 car: Pfc. John G. Borbonus, U.S. Army
Date of birth: May 12, 1987
Hometown: Boise, Idaho
Date of death: April 12, 2007, Iraq
Note: Borbonus was a hometown friend of Brian Scott.
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No. 46 car: Pfc. Jacob Henry Wykstra, U.S. Army
Date of birth: July 14, 1992
Hometown: Thornton, Colo.
Date of death: May 28, 2014, Afghanistan
Note: Wykstra was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the NATO Medal.
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No. 47 car: Yeoman 3rd Class Wendell Williams, U.S. Navy
Date of birth: Nov. 23, 1965
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Date of death: June 26, 1991, Naval Air Station in Brunswick, Maine
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No. 48 car: Sgt. 1st Class Kyle B. Wehrly, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Oct. 4, 1977
Hometown: Galesburg, Ill.
Date of death: Nov. 3, 2005, Iraq
Note: Wehrly's awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Army Achievement Medal. He also worked at a Lowe's store in his hometown of Galesburg, Illinois.
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No. 55 car: Pfc. Jason Hill Estopinal, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: Sept. 6, 1988
Hometown: Dallas, Ga.
Date of death: Feb. 15, 2010, Afghanistan
Note: Estopinal was a rifleman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines. He joined the Marines in February 2009.
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No. 78 car: Gunnery Sgt. Jeffery E. Bohr Jr., U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: March 27, 1964
Hometown: Ossian, Iowa
Date of death: April 10, 2003, Operation IRAQI Freedom
Note: Bohr was part of the Marine Corps with Furniture Row Racing shop employee John Parks.
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No. 83 car: Lance Cpl. Jared C. Verbeek, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: May 23, 1989
Hometown: Visalia, Calif.
Date of death: June 21, 2011
Note: Verbeek's family was told that Verbeek was a member of the Marine Corps’ military police, which involved training Afghan law enforcement.
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No. 88 car: Lance Cpl. Aaron Howard Reed, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: Aug. 23, 1983
Hometown: Chillicothe, Ohio
Date of death: August 3, 2005, Iraq
Note: A passionate writer, Reed was in boot camp when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occured. He was deployed to Iraq in 2005.
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No. 95 car: Pfc. Andrew Mark Krippner, U.S. Army
Date of birth: April 22, 1991
Hometown: Garland, Texas
Date of death: May 23, 2011, Afghanistan
Note: Known by family and friends as a man of strong faith, Krippner was a member of Thrivent Financial, one of the sponsors of the No. 95 car.
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No. 98 car: Cpl. Michael D. Anderson Jr., U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: May 3, 1983
Hometown: Modesto, Calif.
Date of death: Dec. 14, 2004, Iraq
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Pace car: Capt. Matthew Roland, U.S. Air Force
Date of birth: 1987
Hometown: Lexington, Ky.
Date of death: Aug. 26, 2015
Note: A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, Roland made three deployments and was awarded the Silver Star medal for valorous actions after his death.
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Split pace car: 1st Sgt. Kevin A. Dupont, U.S. Marine Corps
Date of birth: Oct. 9, 1956
Hometown: Chicopee, Mass.
Date of death: June 17, 2009
Note: Having served for over 33 years, Dupont made two tours in the Marine Corps before joining the Massachusetts National Guard.
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Grand Marshal car No. 2: Spc. Tony J. Gonzales, U.S. Army
Date of birth: April 6, 1988
Hometown: Newman, Calif.
Date of death: Dec. 28, 2008, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Note: During his time in the military, Gonzales served as a company armor and Raven Pilot, among other roles.
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Grand Marshal car: Sgt. Bryan Paul Abercrombie, U.S. Army
Date of birth: Dec. 8, 1980
Hometown: Clinton, Utah
Date of death: Dec. 11, 2002, Honduras
Note: The Sergeant Bryan P. Abercrombie Foundation was established in honor of Abercrombie after his passing in 2002. The organization awards a college scholarship to graduating JRTOC cadets from Clearfield High School and Utah Military Academy and has awarded over $32,000 in scholarships since its inception.