Jason L Paton

Name: Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton

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Age: 25

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From: Poway, Calif.

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Assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

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Incident: Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton died Aug. 22 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard, Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.

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Died: August 22, 2007

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When Jason L. Paton''s mother, Kim Bilbrey, last spoke to her son, he was talking about what he would do when he got home, as usual. "He said he was very excited about getting married," Bilbrey said. Paton, 25, of Poway, Calif., was killed Aug. 22 when his helicopter crashed in Multaka. He was a 2000 high school graduate and was assigned to Schofield Barracks "You could see in Jason''s personality a sense of duty to country," said Wayne Branstetter, Paton''s high school wrestling coach. "He was a very hard worker. He loved training," Branstetter said. "He just fit in and had a great personality. He had a serving attitude. It was not all about him." He and his fiancee, Nikki Palmer, were to be married Nov. 18. His other loves were a 1968 Mustang and surfing. "Everyone wanted to be around him. He was just so much fun. His laughter was contagious," said Liz Reese, who had known Paton since they were both 11. "He was a happy person. He would do anything for people. He was a tough kid who had done a lot," Bilbrey said. "He hoped to one day be a Ranger instructor at Fort Benning."