Chief Warrant Officer Matthew G. Kelley was killed in action in Iraq on January 26, 2009. He was assigned to the Tenth Mountain Division as a helicopter pilot flying Kiowa helicopters. CW2 Kelley was born in Frankfurt, Germany, on Nov. 6, 1978, to Colonel Stephen H. Kelley and Catherine Grafton Kelley, formerly of Plattsburg, Mo. After his family moved back to the United States from Germany, Matthew lived in Salt Lake City, Utah; Fort Monroe, Va., Sparta, Wis., and finally Osborn, Missouri. While he lived in Missouri, he was employed by Kelley's Lawn Care, Quick Trip, Sears Roebuck, and Home Depot, and started his own lawn care business, Lawn Creations. He was a member of the New Life Bible Church, in St. Joseph. As a young man he always evinced a strong interest in aviation and his lifelong dream was to become a professional pilot. In Cameron, he met the former DaLana Wallace, daughter of Doug and Denise Wallace, and the couple were happily married on March 10, 2001. Matthew and DaLana have two children, Megan, six, and Tyler, four, all of whom now reside in Carthage, N.Y., just outside Fort Drum. When the need for service arose, he enlisted in the United States Army, completed basic and advanced individual training and airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga., and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. He subsequently served a tour in Iraq as an Airborne Combat Infantryman. Upon his return from Iraq, he applied for Aviation Warrant Officer School from which he was graduated and assigned as a Kiowa pilot in the Tenth Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y. Late last year he transferred to Iraq, where he flew Kiowas as a member of B Troop, Tenth Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. Matthew was devoted to his wife DaLana; his two children, Megan and Tyler; his brother Christopher, who is also a veteran of the Iraq war; and to his God. He died serving his country, protecting us and our way of life, the freedoms we all enjoy, and doing what he truly loved, flying.
Matthew also has a grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. There he is buried in a group burial along with the other three soldiers who died along side him.
Matthew also has a grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. There he is buried in a group burial along with the other three soldiers who died along side him.
Chief Warrant Officer Matthew G. Kelley was killed in action in Iraq on January 26, 2009. He was assigned to the Tenth Mountain Division as a helicopter pilot flying Kiowa helicopters. CW2 Kelley was born in Frankfurt, Germany, on Nov. 6, 1978, to Colonel Stephen H. Kelley and Catherine Grafton Kelley, formerly of Plattsburg, Mo. After his family moved back to the United States from Germany, Matthew lived in Salt Lake City, Utah; Fort Monroe, Va., Sparta, Wis., and finally Osborn, Missouri. While he lived in Missouri, he was employed by Kelley's Lawn Care, Quick Trip, Sears Roebuck, and Home Depot, and started his own lawn care business, Lawn Creations. He was a member of the New Life Bible Church, in St. Joseph. As a young man he always evinced a strong interest in aviation and his lifelong dream was to become a professional pilot. In Cameron, he met the former DaLana Wallace, daughter of Doug and Denise Wallace, and the couple were happily married on March 10, 2001. Matthew and DaLana have two children, Megan, six, and Tyler, four, all of whom now reside in Carthage, N.Y., just outside Fort Drum. When the need for service arose, he enlisted in the United States Army, completed basic and advanced individual training and airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga., and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. He subsequently served a tour in Iraq as an Airborne Combat Infantryman. Upon his return from Iraq, he applied for Aviation Warrant Officer School from which he was graduated and assigned as a Kiowa pilot in the Tenth Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y. Late last year he transferred to Iraq, where he flew Kiowas as a member of B Troop, Tenth Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. Matthew was devoted to his wife DaLana; his two children, Megan and Tyler; his brother Christopher, who is also a veteran of the Iraq war; and to his God. He died serving his country, protecting us and our way of life, the freedoms we all enjoy, and doing what he truly loved, flying.
Matthew also has a grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. There he is buried in a group burial along with the other three soldiers who died along side him.
Matthew also has a grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. There he is buried in a group burial along with the other three soldiers who died along side him.
