SPC JONATHAN R. KEPHART
230th Military Police Company
Army Spc. Jonathan R. Kephart, Age 21, of
Oil City, Penn.
Assigned to 230th Military Police Company, from Kaiserslautern, Germany
Died April 9, 2004 in Baghdad from injuries sustained when his patrol
was ambushed near Baghdad on April 8, 2004.
(www.militarycity.com)
ASSOCIATED PRESS -
An Oil City soldier died Thursday from injuries he sustained in a roadside explosion after his patrol was ambushed in Iraq. Spc. Jonathan R. Kephart, Age 22, of 101 Willow St., was assigned to the Army’s 230th Military Police Company from Kaiserslautern, Germany. Kephart, the son of Burton and Donna Kephart, was a 2000 graduate of Faith Baptist Academy in Seneca and enlisted in the Army in January 2002. Kephart had been in Iraq only 10 days when his convoy patrol was ambushed in Baghdad, according to his father.
Burton Kephart, a Vietnam veteran, said his son was the point man of an escort convoy that was ambushed as they were coming into a checkpoint. A roadside bomb, believed to be a homemade explosive device, detonated during the attack and gravely injured Jonathan.
The Army notified the Kepharts of Jonathan’s injuries late Thursday evening.
“On Thursday night after church, there was a message on the machine ‘Please call the department of the Army concerning Jonathan.’ I knew it was serious,” Burton Kephart said.
After Burton Kephart was told that his son would likely be flown to a military hospital in Germany for treatment, he went back to the Faith Baptist Church to tell the rest of his family that they may be making travel plans.
Later that evening the family called the Army back to begin making arrangements so they could go and see their son.
“She put me on hold as she called Baghdad hospital...and when she came back on the line she was very broken,” Burton Kephart said.
He said the woman was not authorized to tell the family that Jonathan had died only that it was no longer necessary for them to travel to Germany.
“We knew then that Jonathan was gone,” Burton Kephart said calmly.
The family was then formally notified of Jonathan’s death Friday morning when Army representatives arrived at their Willow Street home.
The Kepharts had last heard from their son two days before his death when he left a message on their answering machine.
“He said ‘I am fine, I am busy, very busy. We’re settling in here and we’re doing missions,” Burton Kephart said. “I sensed in his voice the seriousness of what he was doing.”
Jonathan’s mother said her son was anxious to get to Iraq and serve his country.
“It’s a very serious situation in Iraq. He was anxious to go,” she said proudly, “He strongly believed that we should be there and he wanted to be part of it. He was actually very excited.”
“I am not in anyway bitter or angry at the United States or the United States Army. We have nothing but praise for the way in which the Army have been with us to support and guide us through a very difficult time,” Burton Kephart said.
He said his son was a military policeman and was very proud of the work he did.
“This wasn’t something that he did on a whim. It was a six-month decision,” his mother Donna Kephart said.
“I am very thankful, privileged and honored to have a son that gave his life for America,” Burton Kephart said.
He said his son’s death has not caused his family’s support for the war to waver in any way.
“It’s not an issue of whether we should be there; (the troops) are there and we should support them,” he said.
The Kepharts said the last few days have been hard on their family, but their faith and their friends are helping them through their loss.
“We’ve obviously experienced grief and we’ve shed a lot of tears in the last few days and there’s many more to come,” Burton Kephart said, “We couldn’t go through what we are going through without God.”
He said he also feels for the rest of Jonathan’s platoon still in Iraq, serving in his absence.
“My heart goes out to them because they lost Jonathan and they are still in Iraq. That’s got to be hard,” he said.
Funeral plans are still incomplete, but the family said Jonathan will be buried in Brandon Cemetery with full military honors. The Morrison Funeral Home in Oil City is in charge of arrangements.
Jonathan, an honors student and a Derrick carrier in his high school years, also leaves behind two sisters, Deborah and Anna, and a brother, David.
He was devoted to his family and the church, his parents said.
“Jonathan is in heaven and he will be greatly missed,” Burton Kephart said.
An Oil City soldier died Thursday from injuries he sustained in a roadside explosion after his patrol was ambushed in Iraq. Spc. Jonathan R. Kephart, Age 22, of 101 Willow St., was assigned to the Army’s 230th Military Police Company from Kaiserslautern, Germany. Kephart, the son of Burton and Donna Kephart, was a 2000 graduate of Faith Baptist Academy in Seneca and enlisted in the Army in January 2002. Kephart had been in Iraq only 10 days when his convoy patrol was ambushed in Baghdad, according to his father.
Burton Kephart, a Vietnam veteran, said his son was the point man of an escort convoy that was ambushed as they were coming into a checkpoint. A roadside bomb, believed to be a homemade explosive device, detonated during the attack and gravely injured Jonathan.
The Army notified the Kepharts of Jonathan’s injuries late Thursday evening.
“On Thursday night after church, there was a message on the machine ‘Please call the department of the Army concerning Jonathan.’ I knew it was serious,” Burton Kephart said.
After Burton Kephart was told that his son would likely be flown to a military hospital in Germany for treatment, he went back to the Faith Baptist Church to tell the rest of his family that they may be making travel plans.
Later that evening the family called the Army back to begin making arrangements so they could go and see their son.
“She put me on hold as she called Baghdad hospital...and when she came back on the line she was very broken,” Burton Kephart said.
He said the woman was not authorized to tell the family that Jonathan had died only that it was no longer necessary for them to travel to Germany.
“We knew then that Jonathan was gone,” Burton Kephart said calmly.
The family was then formally notified of Jonathan’s death Friday morning when Army representatives arrived at their Willow Street home.
The Kepharts had last heard from their son two days before his death when he left a message on their answering machine.
“He said ‘I am fine, I am busy, very busy. We’re settling in here and we’re doing missions,” Burton Kephart said. “I sensed in his voice the seriousness of what he was doing.”
Jonathan’s mother said her son was anxious to get to Iraq and serve his country.
“It’s a very serious situation in Iraq. He was anxious to go,” she said proudly, “He strongly believed that we should be there and he wanted to be part of it. He was actually very excited.”
“I am not in anyway bitter or angry at the United States or the United States Army. We have nothing but praise for the way in which the Army have been with us to support and guide us through a very difficult time,” Burton Kephart said.
He said his son was a military policeman and was very proud of the work he did.
“This wasn’t something that he did on a whim. It was a six-month decision,” his mother Donna Kephart said.
“I am very thankful, privileged and honored to have a son that gave his life for America,” Burton Kephart said.
He said his son’s death has not caused his family’s support for the war to waver in any way.
“It’s not an issue of whether we should be there; (the troops) are there and we should support them,” he said.
The Kepharts said the last few days have been hard on their family, but their faith and their friends are helping them through their loss.
“We’ve obviously experienced grief and we’ve shed a lot of tears in the last few days and there’s many more to come,” Burton Kephart said, “We couldn’t go through what we are going through without God.”
He said he also feels for the rest of Jonathan’s platoon still in Iraq, serving in his absence.
“My heart goes out to them because they lost Jonathan and they are still in Iraq. That’s got to be hard,” he said.
Funeral plans are still incomplete, but the family said Jonathan will be buried in Brandon Cemetery with full military honors. The Morrison Funeral Home in Oil City is in charge of arrangements.
Jonathan, an honors student and a Derrick carrier in his high school years, also leaves behind two sisters, Deborah and Anna, and a brother, David.
He was devoted to his family and the church, his parents said.
“Jonathan is in heaven and he will be greatly missed,” Burton Kephart said.
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