Flags to be flown at half-staff for Wisconsin soldier killed in Afghanistan

July 6, 1:45 PMMadison Political Buzz ExaminerPeggy Williams

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Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy

Governor Jim Doyle today signed a proclamation ordering U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, July 7 in honor of Private First Class Steven Drees of Peshtigo. Private Drees, age 19, died June 28th as a result of combat-related wounds he had received four days earlier while serving in Afghanistan.

Private First Class Steven Drees

Private Drees was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division of the United State Army out of Fort Carson, CO. He had only been in Afghanistan for a month, when he was shot during an insurgent attack involving small-arms fire and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

The Green Bay Press Gazette honored Drees in an editorial saying, “Drees was a patriot, a young man who placed his very life on the line for the sake of his country.” According to that editorial, “Several accounts of his actions suggest that his sacrifice saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers.”

Drees had enlisted in the army right after graduating from Peshtigo High School in 2008. He had turned 19 on the day he was deployed to Afghanistan. He was a Humvee gunner.

A memorial service for Private Drees will be held in Peshtigo on Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Pvt. Steven Drees Memorial Fund

Drees’ family has created a memorial fund which will be used for a scholarship in his name and to buy supplies for troops who are overseas.

Donations can be mailed to:
Steven Drees Memorial Fund
Peshtigo National Bank
250 French St.
Peshtigo, WI 54157

For more info:  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story on Pvt. Steven Drees