Damian's mother, Pat McLatcher writes:

"There are so many things I can say about Damian. He was such a
wonderful caring and giving son. He was a very proud father.
A wonderful brother to his younger brother and he took in my
roommate's daughter, Melissa as his little sister he never had.
We will be forever proud of PFC Damian Bushart."

PFC Damian S. Bushart

Army Pfc. Damian S. Bushart always put love for his family and service to his country above anything else, said former Mattoon resident Vicki Arthur.

Arthur, a family friend who now lives in Waterford, Mich., and others said Bushart's priorities were evident during his recent deployment to Iraq.

Bushart, a Waterford resident, stayed busy serving in Abrams tanks and patrolling in Humvees with A Troop, 1st Squadron of the First Cavalry Regiment, First Armored Division.

However, he always found time to keep in contact with his loved ones through letters, e-mail messages and telephone calls. Bushart was even able to talk to his 2-year-old son, Joshua Arthur of Mattoon, by telephone in mid-November.

"That was the first time he ever heard Joshua say a word," Vicki Arthur said of Bushart, who was deployed to Germany in January 2003 and then Iraq three months later.

Bushart, 22, was killed on Nov. 22 in Baghdad after a tank collided with the Humvee in which he was riding with three other soldiers on a narrow road.

Toni Arthur of Mattoon, Joshua's mother, said Bushart had been patrolling at the Baghdad airport that day and was returning to his base when the accident occurred. She had just received an e-mail from him the previous day.

His mother, Pat McLatcher of Waterford, said preliminary indications show the Humvee's driver tried to steer off the road, but something propelled it back into the tank's path.

The collision killed a second soldier and seriously injured a third soldier in the Humvee, she said.

Bushart's loved ones are striving to preserve and honor his memory, and look out for Joshua. While visiting Mattoon last weekend, McLatcher worked with First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust to set up a trust fund for Joshua.

While she was living in Michigan three years ago, Toni Arthur was introduced to Bushart by his mother.

Toni Arthur, who is Vicki Arthur's niece, said she has fond memories of crossing the nearby border into Canada and watching Bushart sing karaoke at night clubs there.

Some of Bushart's other interests included driving his prized Iroc-Z Camaro and playing video games.

McLatcher said her son carried on in the tradition of his father, both grandfathers and several uncles when he enlisted in August 2002.

"A lot of the men in our family were military people," she said.

His interest in the military was sparked by his service with the Waterford Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. McLatcher said her son enjoyed rappelling during summer pararescue courses at Fort Knox, Ky.

"That is all he talked about for a long time," she said.

McLatcher said he wanted to do pararescue in the Army, but his vision was not good enough. He opted to serve as a tank ammunition loader instead.

In December 2002, Bushart came to Mattoon to visit Joshua one last time before his deployment.

Bushart's loved ones have saved the messages he subsequently sent home, including a letter he wrote to Vicki Arthur's daughter, Melissa. He wrote he hoped to surprise his family by coming home during a rest and recreation break in December.

"She has hung that letter on her bedroom wall ever since," Vicki Arthur said of Melissa, who Bushart looked upon as a little sister.

In another letter, Bushart wrote about murky drinking water and other poor living conditions that Iraqi children must face everyday.

"It really made him think about what he had at home when he saw what those children went through," Vicki Arthur said.

Source: Rob Stroud

Damian Bushart's mother, Pat McLatcher,
holds a letter written by Bushart while
in Iraq, as his 2-year-old son,
Joshua Arthur,
sits on her lap.

Source: Kevin Kilhoffer/staff photographer

Army PFC Damian S. Bushart , 22, of Waterford, Mich.; assigned to A Troop, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, based in Armstrong Barracks, Germany; killed November 22, 2003, when a tank collided with his vehicle in Baghdad. Visit his memorial at Fallen Heroes Memorial