Crawford County, Iowa, Military History

Iraqi Freedom Veterans

Spc. Casey Byers

From Jody Ewing
Spc. Casey Byers, 22, of Schleswig, died June 11, 2005, south of Ramadi. He was on foot patrol near a Humvee that was part of a convoy of 25 vehicles searching for roadside bombs and insurgents when a bomb exploded directly underneath the Humvee. He was a member of Company B 224th Engineering Battalion, based in Ottumwa.

Published by Daily Herald on Jun. 14, 2005.
Casey Byers never got to meet his infant daughter, Hailey. "I will make sure Hailey will know who the real Casey Byers was," his mother, Ann, wrote in a letter read at his funeral. "The Army may have taken my son, but they also are the ones who gave him life." Byers, 22, of Schleswig, Iowa, died June 11 when a roadside bomb exploded under his Humvee south of Ramadi. He was based in Ottumwa, Iowa. Byers grew up in Vail, Iowa, and graduated from high school in 2001. He later attended Iowa Lakes Community College and worked for Casey's General Stores. Former classmate Brandon Laubscher remembered Byers as an adventurous, funny guy who looked out for everybody _ to "make sure everything was squared away." Two days before his funeral, Byers' brother, Army Spc. Paul Justin Byers, stepped into the path of a pickup and was killed. It was ruled an accident. In a letter written for his brother's funeral, Paul Byers said he joined the Army, like Casey, to get money for college, but soon learned there was a greater cause at stake. "If I could say anything to him, it would be, 'Yes, Casey, I'm exactly like you and I stand here today proud to say it," the letter said.

SEE ALSO: Arlington Cemetery Story

Spc.Justin Paul Byers

FROM FindaGrave
Paul followed in his brother Casey's footsteps and enlisted in the Army Reserves. He joined the Army, like his brother, to get money for college, but soon learned there was a greater cause at stake and was proud to represent his country. His unit was to go to Iraq in the summer. Paul was a specialist with the United States Army Reserves 482nd Transportation Company. He had a love for adventure and wrestling, but the military was his main focus. The Byers family attended the Schleswig United Church of Christ. Casey who was a member of the Iowa National Guard, died in Iraq the previous week and to say goodbye, Paul wrote a letter he had planned to read at his brother's funeral. In it he wrote, "I would say, 'Yes, Casey, I'm exactly like you' and I stand here today proud to say that." Paul died after he was hit by a pickup just days before his brother's funeral at age 19.