Indiana Adjutant General Honors Fallen Indiana National Guardsmen

Personalized shadow box displays of seven fallen soldiers are unveiled to family members and friends during a remembrance ceremony at Valparaiso University.
Personalized shadow box displays of seven fallen soldiers are unveiled to family members and friends during a remembrance ceremony at Valparaiso University.

Shadow boxes in memory of seven Indiana National Guardsmen killed in combat are part of a permanent memorial to their sacrifices at the Indiana National Guard Valparaiso Armory. Each one contains items belonging to the soldiers from the 113 Engineer Battalion who were killed in January of 2012 when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Spc. Robert Tauteris of Hamlet was among those killed, along with Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Chavez, Sgt. Brian Leonhart of Merrillville, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Metzger, Spc. Christopher Patterson, Spc. Nicholas Taylor and Spc. Sergio Perez. Indiana Adjutant General Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger unveiled the shadow boxes during a ceremony for the soldiers’ families yesterday at Valparaiso University.

 

Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr. Laid to Rest

Two children hold up signs to thank Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr. for his service

Spc. Robert Joseph Tauteris, Jr. was laid to rest yesterday near his mother in a LaCrosse cemetery. Tauteris was killed in action in Afghanistan on January 5th, along with three other members of his platoon.

Hundreds of people attended the services at the Braman and Bailey Funeral Home in North Judson. Included was Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Congressman Joe Donnelly and State Representative Nancy Dembowski.

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Patriot Guard Members Aid Accident Victims

Police and Patriot Guard members who were accompanying the remains of Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr. from Valparaiso to North Judson on Saturday were credited with saving the lives of several people in a Jeep that was involved in an accident along the route. The Jeep was driven by Ana Pina, 35, of South Bend. The vehicle was rear-ended by a pick-up driven by 76-year-old John Buibish, of Grovertown.

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Flags to be Flown at Half Staff for Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan

Although many flags are already being flown at half staff in honor of the servicemen from Indiana who lost their lives last Thursday in Afghanistan, the official mourning period begins at 8:00 a.m. this morning.

Starke County Service Officer Gordon Richie made the announcement yesterday. Richie was asked how long the period will last.

“Until the funeral day,” he said. “After the funeral, at the closing of the businesses and Courthouse, they will then take the flags down from half staff.”

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