Bryan Tutten, 33, of Fayetteville, NC (formerly of St. Augustine, FL), was killed in Balad, Iraq on Christmas Day 2007 when an improvised explosive went off near his position during combat operations. Bryan had been in Iraq since November 2006 and had received final orders just recently that he was to return home in 45 days. This was his second tour in Iraq.
He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Bryan is survived by his mother and step father, Sylvia (Stembridge) and Hoyt Smallwood; his step mother, Linda (Pearch) Tutten; his wife, Constandina (Peterson), and his two children, Catherine, who will turn 4 on Dec 31, and Gareth, 7 mths; maternal grandmother and step grandfather, Jeanette (McDaniel) and Clarence McSwain; an aunt, Angela (Stembridge) Young, cousins, Michael Lagasse and Karl Deuschle; stepsister Amy (Smallwood) Caswell and her husband, Andy; stepsisters Audrey and April Smallwood; his wife's parents, Faye and Gary Peterson; and his wife's siblings, Stefan, Scott and David Peterson, and Marisa (Peterson) Clark and her husband, Chris.
His late father, Tom, was well known in St. Augustine as a folk singer and guitarist. He lost his life at age 50 in 2001 when he drowned in the ocean after coming to the aid of children who had lost an inflatable raft on Vilano Beach.
His paternal grandparents were the late Robert Eldred "Larry" and June (Murphy) Tutten. His maternal grandfather was the late Dennis Raymond Stembridge.
US Army
1st Squadron
73rd Cavalry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, N.C.
*************************************
JP has created a special memorial page for Bryan at rememberbryan.wordpress.com. Please send any memories you have of Bryan to rememberbryan @ gmail . com and JP will post them
*************************************
Final Inspection
The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining.
Just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, soldier.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep....
Though I worked a lot of overtime.
When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord.
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, soldier
you've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets;
you've done your time in Hell."
- Author Unknown -
A special and heartfelt thank you to a new friend, Edda, for sponsoring Bryan's memorial page. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Bryan is survived by his mother and step father, Sylvia (Stembridge) and Hoyt Smallwood; his step mother, Linda (Pearch) Tutten; his wife, Constandina (Peterson), and his two children, Catherine, who will turn 4 on Dec 31, and Gareth, 7 mths; maternal grandmother and step grandfather, Jeanette (McDaniel) and Clarence McSwain; an aunt, Angela (Stembridge) Young, cousins, Michael Lagasse and Karl Deuschle; stepsister Amy (Smallwood) Caswell and her husband, Andy; stepsisters Audrey and April Smallwood; his wife's parents, Faye and Gary Peterson; and his wife's siblings, Stefan, Scott and David Peterson, and Marisa (Peterson) Clark and her husband, Chris.
His late father, Tom, was well known in St. Augustine as a folk singer and guitarist. He lost his life at age 50 in 2001 when he drowned in the ocean after coming to the aid of children who had lost an inflatable raft on Vilano Beach.
His paternal grandparents were the late Robert Eldred "Larry" and June (Murphy) Tutten. His maternal grandfather was the late Dennis Raymond Stembridge.
US Army
1st Squadron
73rd Cavalry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, N.C.
*************************************
JP has created a special memorial page for Bryan at rememberbryan.wordpress.com. Please send any memories you have of Bryan to rememberbryan @ gmail . com and JP will post them
*************************************
Final Inspection
The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining.
Just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, soldier.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep....
Though I worked a lot of overtime.
When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord.
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, soldier
you've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets;
you've done your time in Hell."
- Author Unknown -
A special and heartfelt thank you to a new friend, Edda, for sponsoring Bryan's memorial page. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Bryan Tutten, 33, of Fayetteville, NC (formerly of St. Augustine, FL), was killed in Balad, Iraq on Christmas Day 2007 when an improvised explosive went off near his position during combat operations. Bryan had been in Iraq since November 2006 and had received final orders just recently that he was to return home in 45 days. This was his second tour in Iraq.
He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Bryan is survived by his mother and step father, Sylvia (Stembridge) and Hoyt Smallwood; his step mother, Linda (Pearch) Tutten; his wife, Constandina (Peterson), and his two children, Catherine, who will turn 4 on Dec 31, and Gareth, 7 mths; maternal grandmother and step grandfather, Jeanette (McDaniel) and Clarence McSwain; an aunt, Angela (Stembridge) Young, cousins, Michael Lagasse and Karl Deuschle; stepsister Amy (Smallwood) Caswell and her husband, Andy; stepsisters Audrey and April Smallwood; his wife's parents, Faye and Gary Peterson; and his wife's siblings, Stefan, Scott and David Peterson, and Marisa (Peterson) Clark and her husband, Chris.
His late father, Tom, was well known in St. Augustine as a folk singer and guitarist. He lost his life at age 50 in 2001 when he drowned in the ocean after coming to the aid of children who had lost an inflatable raft on Vilano Beach.
His paternal grandparents were the late Robert Eldred "Larry" and June (Murphy) Tutten. His maternal grandfather was the late Dennis Raymond Stembridge.
US Army
1st Squadron
73rd Cavalry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, N.C.
*************************************
JP has created a special memorial page for Bryan at rememberbryan.wordpress.com. Please send any memories you have of Bryan to rememberbryan @ gmail . com and JP will post them
*************************************
Final Inspection
The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining.
Just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, soldier.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep....
Though I worked a lot of overtime.
When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord.
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, soldier
you've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets;
you've done your time in Hell."
- Author Unknown -
A special and heartfelt thank you to a new friend, Edda, for sponsoring Bryan's memorial page. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Bryan is survived by his mother and step father, Sylvia (Stembridge) and Hoyt Smallwood; his step mother, Linda (Pearch) Tutten; his wife, Constandina (Peterson), and his two children, Catherine, who will turn 4 on Dec 31, and Gareth, 7 mths; maternal grandmother and step grandfather, Jeanette (McDaniel) and Clarence McSwain; an aunt, Angela (Stembridge) Young, cousins, Michael Lagasse and Karl Deuschle; stepsister Amy (Smallwood) Caswell and her husband, Andy; stepsisters Audrey and April Smallwood; his wife's parents, Faye and Gary Peterson; and his wife's siblings, Stefan, Scott and David Peterson, and Marisa (Peterson) Clark and her husband, Chris.
His late father, Tom, was well known in St. Augustine as a folk singer and guitarist. He lost his life at age 50 in 2001 when he drowned in the ocean after coming to the aid of children who had lost an inflatable raft on Vilano Beach.
His paternal grandparents were the late Robert Eldred "Larry" and June (Murphy) Tutten. His maternal grandfather was the late Dennis Raymond Stembridge.
US Army
1st Squadron
73rd Cavalry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, N.C.
*************************************
JP has created a special memorial page for Bryan at rememberbryan.wordpress.com. Please send any memories you have of Bryan to rememberbryan @ gmail . com and JP will post them
*************************************
Final Inspection
The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining.
Just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, soldier.
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep....
Though I worked a lot of overtime.
When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord.
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, soldier
you've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets;
you've done your time in Hell."
- Author Unknown -
A special and heartfelt thank you to a new friend, Edda, for sponsoring Bryan's memorial page. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
