Army Spc. Bertoldie was assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 4-64 Armor Battalion, Fort Stewart, Georgia. Bertoldie was thrown from the military vehicle he was driving when an explosive device was detonated underneath. His convoy was going through a traffic circle near a key bridge over the Euphrates River. Joel graduated from Truman High School and loved spending time with his friends and listening to music. He joined the Army as a 19K Tanker, arriving in Fort Knox, Kentucky in April 2001. In September 2002, he was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA. He served honorably as a soldier for his country and his awards included the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, National Defense Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge, and the Good Conduct Medal. Joel joined the Army to help pay for college; he wanted to become a marine biologist. He told his father in a recent phone call that he did not understand the media attention to, "only the bad things that are happening in Iraq. Most of the people here support us and want to help us.” In a recent e-mail, Joel asked his dad to ship him some ‘necessities’ - CDs of [rap artist] Ludacris, some beer and grits. Joel is survived by his 10-month old son.
Army Spc. Bertoldie was assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 4-64 Armor Battalion, Fort Stewart, Georgia. Bertoldie was thrown from the military vehicle he was driving when an explosive device was detonated underneath. His convoy was going through a traffic circle near a key bridge over the Euphrates River. Joel graduated from Truman High School and loved spending time with his friends and listening to music. He joined the Army as a 19K Tanker, arriving in Fort Knox, Kentucky in April 2001. In September 2002, he was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA. He served honorably as a soldier for his country and his awards included the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, National Defense Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge, and the Good Conduct Medal. Joel joined the Army to help pay for college; he wanted to become a marine biologist. He told his father in a recent phone call that he did not understand the media attention to, "only the bad things that are happening in Iraq. Most of the people here support us and want to help us.” In a recent e-mail, Joel asked his dad to ship him some ‘necessities’ - CDs of [rap artist] Ludacris, some beer and grits. Joel is survived by his 10-month old son.
