John F. Kurth
Profile
Age: 31
From: Wisconsin
Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, based in Schweinfurt, Germany
Incident: Army Capt. John F. Kurth was killed March 13 when his patrol was hit by an improvised explosive device in Tikrit, Iraq.
Died: March 13, 2004
Mourners say farewell to Wisconsin man killed in Iraq
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Wis. — Flags flying throughout Columbus, even on children’s bicycles, provided the proper send-off for Army Capt. John F. “Hans” Kurth, a classmate told mourners.
Capt. Jeff Spear, who attended West Point with Kurth, said he found the display of patriotism “absolutely moving.”
“He was a good man, well-liked at school,” Spear said. “He will be missed.”
Kurth, 31, a Columbus native, was killed by a bomb March 13 while on patrol in Tikrit, north of Baghdad. Kurth, who was serving in the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, had been in Iraq less than a month when his convoy was ambushed.
Spear said about two dozen of Kurth’s West Point classmates attended the funeral, making the trip from as far away as Germany and Italy.
At Hillside Cemetery, they joined in singing “The Alma Mater,” a West Point tradition.
The...