1st Sgt. Ernest Utt grew up in Hammond, a small village about 20 miles east of Decatur, and he left there to join the military when he was about 18. He was a 21-year Army veteran, could have retired and gotten out of the service instead of going to Iraq, but he had a strong sense of duty to some 80 soldiers under his command. He didn't want his soldiers to go to Iraq alone. He was like a father figure to them. He was an honorable man. He rarely spoke about what he saw in Iraq, only to say that poverty in the nation was rampant. And he never spoke about whether he thought the United States was right to have invaded the country. Once you are there, you just do what you have to do. But he was so looking forward to coming home. He graduated in 1983 from Atwood Hammond High School in Illinois, where he played football and was on the track team. He had previously served at bases in Germany, California, North Carolina and Texas. He is survived by his wife and their five children from previous marriages.
Army
Battery B,
1st Battalion,
82nd Field Artillery,
1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, TX.
Army
Battery B,
1st Battalion,
82nd Field Artillery,
1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, TX.
1st Sgt. Ernest Utt grew up in Hammond, a small village about 20 miles east of Decatur, and he left there to join the military when he was about 18. He was a 21-year Army veteran, could have retired and gotten out of the service instead of going to Iraq, but he had a strong sense of duty to some 80 soldiers under his command. He didn't want his soldiers to go to Iraq alone. He was like a father figure to them. He was an honorable man. He rarely spoke about what he saw in Iraq, only to say that poverty in the nation was rampant. And he never spoke about whether he thought the United States was right to have invaded the country. Once you are there, you just do what you have to do. But he was so looking forward to coming home. He graduated in 1983 from Atwood Hammond High School in Illinois, where he played football and was on the track team. He had previously served at bases in Germany, California, North Carolina and Texas. He is survived by his wife and their five children from previous marriages.
Army
Battery B,
1st Battalion,
82nd Field Artillery,
1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, TX.
Army
Battery B,
1st Battalion,
82nd Field Artillery,
1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, TX.
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