41st Engineer Batallion
PV2 Michael Roger Meyer 1984-2003
MICHAEL ROGER MEYER WAS BORN NOVEMBER 5, 1984 – ON HIS GRAND PARENTS WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. HE GREW UP IN BROKEN ARROW, OK AND ENLISTED IN THE ARMY DURING HIS SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. HIS ENLISTMENT OCCURRED FOLLOWING THE INVASION INTO IRAQ BUT HE HAD STARTED THE PROCESS AHEAD OF THAT EVENT.
MIKE WENT THROUGH BASIC AND AIT TRAINING AT FORT LEONARD WOOD, MO., IN ORDER TO BECOME A COMBAT ENGINEER. FOLLOWING AIT HE WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF ONLY 6 SOLDIERS FROM THAT SESSION OF TRAINING TO LEARN TO DRIVE THE ARMY'S HEAVY EQUIPMENT – PORTABLE BRIDGE TRANSPORTS, TANKS, AND LAND MINE CLEARING RIGS. MICHAEL WAS SELECTED FOR THIS DUTY DESPITE THAT FACT THAT THE ENGINEER BATTALION THAT HE WAS PART OF WAS CONSIDERED LIGHT INFANTRY AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT MAKE USE OF THAT EQUIPMENT
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Mike's Dad,Roger Meyer sounds Taps at the 2005 EchoTaps,
part of a world record echo, of 680 buglers,
in New York State
PRIVATE MICHAEL MEYER WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 41ST ENGINEER BATTALION, 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION (LIGHT INFANTRY) – FORT DRUM NY. THERE HE WAS ASSIGNED A HUMVEE WHICH WAS TO GO TO AFGHANISTAN WITH HIM. MIKE HAD PLANS TO JOIN THE AIR BORNE OR AIR ASSAULT COMBAT GROUPS. HE WAS ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR SAPPER TRAINING BY ONE OF HIS TRAINING SERGEANTS – WHO WAS A SAPPER HIMSELF. HE NEVER MADE IT TO ANY OF THAT. TWO WEEKS SHORT OF DEPLOYING TO A COMBAT ZONE IN AFGHANISTAN MIKE WAS KILLED IN A STATESIDE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT – AT THE AGE OF 19 YEARS, 1 MONTH, AND 22 DAYS – ON DECEMBER 27, 2003.
MIKE WAS AWARDED THE ARMY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, THE ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE, AND THE NATIONAL DEFENSE MEDAL FOR THE WAR ON TERRORISM. HE WAS HONORED IN A MEMORIAL SERVICE AT FORT DRUM BEFORE HIS BODY WAS RETURNED TO BROKEN ARROW FOR BURIAL IN THE VETERANS AREA OF A LOCAL CEMETERY – WHERE HE RECEIVED MILITARY HONORS. THE CAPTAIN TO WHOM MIKE WOULD HAVE REPORTED IN AFGHANISTAN SHIPPED A FLAG TO HIS PARENTS – ONE THAT HAD FLOWN OVER THE BASE IN KANDAHAR.
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| Mike and His Nephew T.J. |
MIKE'S ENTIRE LIFE WAS SPENT TRYING TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. AS A YOUNG CHILD HE PRAYED FOR RAIN TO HELP THE FARMERS WHEN OKLAHOMA WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DROUGHT – AND IT RAINED THE NEXT DAY. MIKE WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH YOUTH GROUP AT JOY LUTHERAN CHURCH IN TULSA, OK AND SPENT A YEAR ON THE CHURCH COUNCIL AS WELL. HE JOINED THE ARMY OUT OF A DESIRE TO HELP PEOPLE IN OTHER LANDS WHO WERE FORCED TO LIVE UNDER THE IRON RULE OF A TYRANT, TO HAVE A CHANCE AT A LIFE CLOSER TO OUR OWN. A LIFE OF FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS – NOT OF FEAR AND LOATHING. MIKE ALSO WANTED TO HELP TO DEFEND OUR OWN FREEDOMS AGAINST TERRORISM, SO THAT HIS YOUNG NEPHEW T.J. HELM WOULD BE ABLE TO GROW UP IN A WORLD LESS GIVEN TO ACTS OF VIOLENCE.
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| From BAA articles |
bugler for BuglesAcrossAmerica;
shown here,rendering Taps, at
Mike's graveside, on Memorial
Day,2008...Moment of Remembrance
MIKE WAS A NATURAL ATHLETE AND LETTERED IN CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL. HE ALSO PLAYED BASEBALL, FOOTBALL, AND BASKETBALL, AND RAN TRACK. HE NEVER GAVE UP AT ANYTHING HE ATTEMPTED. JUST TO GET INTO THE ARMY HE HAD TO GAIN 10 POUNDS. EVERY TIME HE REACHED THE MINIMUM WEIGHT FOR HIS HEIGHT HE WOULD GROW ANOTHER INCH AND THE MINIMUM WEIGHT WOULD GO UP AGAIN. HIS FINAL ARMY PT TEST WHILE IN BASIC WAS COMPLETED WITH A STRESS FRACTURE IN HIS ANKLE – AND HE DID SO IN HIS BEST TIME OF THE ENTIRE BASIC TRAINING PERIOD.
Contributed by Roger Meyer, Mike's dad
Editor's note:
As I read this story about Mike, my heart breaks for Roger and his wife Shelley, but it also brings back some vivid memories of a time in I my life almost 24 years ago. On a Sunday night in early May of 1985, I was driving the “handicap” bus for our church, and I had everyone on board, ready to go home after the evening service. As I was about to pull away, I was overcome with a sudden compulsion, to stop what I was doing. I pulled up the brake on the bus, shut down the engine, and went inside the church, where I saw my 19 year old nephew, Randy Wiseman, standing there, holding his 6 week old son. I hugged them both, and said, “I, love you Randy”, and he answered, ”I love you, too, Uncle Larry.”
The next night, at around 7PM, Randy was killed instantly in a head-on collision, on his way home from work. He left behind a wife and a young son.
Randy’s life verse was “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”, which is engraved on his head stone. My brother Ralph, and his wife Rita, have prayed for God’s Grace every day since, and Randy’s passing was probably the most devastating event in my life.
This also reminds me of my step-son SPC David Dale, US Army, only one month older than Mike Meyer. David made that same commitment to serve his country, very soon after 9/11. He joined the Army Reserves while he was still in high school, and after graduation, joined the regular Army; after his basic at Fort Knox, he was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, where he was trained as an M1a Abrams tanker. He deployed to Iraq in October, 2006. His best friend, CPL John Barta, was KIA in December 2006. David was emotionally crushed; I played Taps at John’s funeral. On May 22nd 2007, David’s tank ran over a huge bomb, which slammed his head into the turret lid, rendering him unconscious, He received a traumatic brain injury, a broken eye orbit, and torn ACL, and a back injury. He is now out of the Army, and returned to private life.
I don’t know why God takes some, and leaves others. I do know that God has a reason for everything, much of which, He chooses not to reveal to us, this side of Heaven. I do live with the eternal peace that there really is a Heaven, and one day, we shall be with all of our loved ones again. Our prayers and love go out to all of those families left behind, who miss their loved ones SO badly, and we will be their friends, to listen to them, and to comfort them.
Larry Wiseman
