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Sgt. Jay M. Hoskins
Sgt. Jay M. Hoskins, 24, of Paris, Texas. died Aug. 6 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan Hoskins was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.
Hometown Marine dies By Mary Madewell Published August9,20/9
http://www.theparisnews.com/
U.S. Marine Sgt. Jay M. Hoskins, 24, on Thursday became the first Paris native son to make the supreme sacrifice for his country since the war in the Middle East began following the 9-11 attacks in 2001. It was the 2003 North Lamar High School graduate’s third combat deployment since joining the Marine Corps following high school graduation. Hoskins, along with two other Marines, were killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb while supporting combat operations in Farah province, the Department of Defense said late Friday. The two other Marines were Lance Cpl. James D. Argentine, 22, of Farmingdale, N.Y. and Lance Cpl. Travis T. Babine, 20, of San Antonio. The three were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. Hoskins served tours in Iraq in 2004 and in Afghanistan in 2005. While in Iraq, he participated in the Battle of Fallejuh and received a Navy Unit Commendation Medal, given by then President George W. Bush for what his unit accomplished during the assignment. In 2005, he served seven months in the Toro Boro area in the Afghanistan mountains, receiving his first of two Afghanistan Campaign medals. |
Marine Saluting Courtesy Sgt Michal S. Williams
He also was the recipient of three combat action ribbons, three sea service deployment ribbons, an Iraqi Campaign medal, a Navy Marine Corps Achievement medal, a National Defense Service medal, a Global War On Terror Service medal, a Good Conduct medal and now a Purple Heart along with other pending medals.He received rifle and pistol expert badges and served as a military black belt instructor. From 2005-2008, he served as a member of a training cadre in infantry tactics for Marine officers at Quanitico Base in Virginia. He returned to Hawaii in January and deployed to Afghanistan in May along with about 1,000 other Marines to Helmand and Farah provinces as part of a surge of 21,000 U.S. troops sent by President Barack Obama. The Marine leaves behind his wife, Chandler McRae Hoskins, a son, Tristen, 1, and a second child expected to be born in January. He is the son of Michelle Sparks Widner, a dispatcher with the Paris Police Department, and Danny Hoskins, also of Paris. He is the stepson of Chris Widner of Paris and the grandson of the Rev. James Sparks, retired pastor of Gospel Lighthouse Church in Powderly and his grandmother, Carol Sparks. He is survived by two sisters, Amber Young and Chelsie Hoskins, and a brother, Cameron Hoskins, all of Paris.
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