A community mourns fallen soldier

Relatives, friends and area leaders meet to remember Warden's Spc. Jeremiah Schmunk, killed in Baghdad last week

In a day of sunshine, the heartbreaking memory of a fallen hero overcame the blue skies of Moses Lake.

Friends and family of Spc. Jeremiah Schmunk, Warden resident and member of the Moses Lake National Guard unit, met at the Sept. 11 Memorial at Moses Lake's Civic Center Park to reminisce and honor the life of the young soldier, killed in action outside Baghdad last week.

The ceremony began with Moses Lake Police Department chaplain Larry Bryce leading the crowd on an opening prayer.

During his remarks, Bryce said that Schmunk's death, though premature and unwanted, would not be exempt from receiving due honors. He asked for divine help for those grieving, noting that grief is an indication of love, "and Jeremiah was and is loved."

Felix Ramon, from the American Legion post, followed Bryce's remarks saying that he would mourn the passing of Schmunk, but that he would remain mindful that the young soldier from Warden would want us all to celebrate his life.

Before Bryce's closing prayer, the American flag at Civic Center Park was lowered to half staff, and Ron Covey, mayor of Moses Lake, addressed the crowd and particularly Schmunk's mother, Shirley.

On behalf of the Moses Lake City Council, Covey said that the entity he leads firmly believed that Schmunk's sacrifice and Shirley's loss served the highest ideals of the nation.

"I hope you know how much his willingness to serve means to us," Covey told her.

Throughout the ceremony and afterwards, poignant scenes of sorrow and sympathy inundated the small area surrounding the Sept. 11 memorial. Most of the people sought the comfort and the warmth of Shirley Schmunk, who remained calmer than most throughout the entirety of the gathering.

"I draw the strength from my son," she said afterwards. "He called me a couple of hours before he was killed, and he told me 'Mom, I love you and I am going to be okay.'"

The majority of those in attendance, though, came together with tears in their eyes in an outpouring of support and remembrance for a man they described as "everybody's friend."

Longtime friend Ryan Leinweber could not contain himself while describing his lifelong friendship with Schmunk.

"We had a good memory every day," he said, his friends trying to console him. "He would say he would be there no matter what, and now he is gone."

Leinweber's brother Jake said it was hard to believe his brother's friend had died, but that Jeremiah would want us all to "go on and remember the good times."

Moses Lake Councilman Jon Lane, who was the principal at Warden Middle School while Schmunk was there, said such moving scenes of love and loss touch everybody. He praised Schmunk as a young man who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Fellow soldiers had high marks for the fallen hero and for a community in mourning.

Staff Sgt. Jeff Whitney from Schmunk's Moses Lake National Guard unit said that he hoped the citizens would continue to support the soldiers deployed and their families.

In the face of such tragic outcomes, Corporal Erick Flieger said that it is a volunteer army, with each and every one of its members aware of the risks and consequences. Nevertheless, Whitney said that they are prepared to do their duty in order to accomplish their mission.

Those who once wore the uniform in defense of their country expressed their admiration for the valiant soldier.

Moses Lake Councilman Richard Pearce, a veteran of the Vietnam War, said he was very proud of Jeremiah's willingness to serve his country, although he expressed his fears for the future of the conflict.

"I am afraid this is not the end of the battle, but something we will have to endure for many years," he said.

Nevertheless, he lauded not just Schmunk but those before him who have donned a uniform.

"We owe a lot to people willing to serve," he said. "Especially when it is not very popular to serve."

At the end of the ceremony, Schmunk that there will be a viewing of Jeremiah Schmunk from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday at Stevens Funeral Home in Othello. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. at the Warden High School Gym, on Saturday, though she advised that people come earlier.

At the end of the ceremony, Schmunk said the demonstrations of support and sympathy towards her son were more than she could ever imagine, although they would not have surprised her son.

"He is probably up there saying 'See, mom? I told you they were good people.'"

Those who knew him best were not surprised, either.

"That is the kind of person (Jeremiah) was," Ryan Leinweber said. "This is what he deserves."