One of the friends that spoke at the funeral Wednesday of Staff Sergeant James Justice sent a message to the families of Justice’s fellow soldiers. Justice is the 33-year-old Iowa National Guard soldier who died in Afghanistan on April 23rd.
Jason Erb is a Major in the Air Force, and at the end of his tribute to Justice, he talked about the others serving in the guard’s First Squadron of the 113th Calvary. “All the friends, family, parents of the other members of the 113th Cav still stationed over there, tell them we are thinking about ’em,” Erb said, “tell them to come home safe. Tell them to do their jobs, and to do it with honor, and just finish their job over there.”
Erb finished his remarks with this request, “Don’t let James’ death go in vain, don’t let any of their deaths go in vain.” Justice is the third Iowa National Guard soldier to die in this deployment to Afghanistan.
There are some 2,800 Iowa Guard soldiers on the mission. Justice will be buried at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery in Viginia. A fund has been set up to help the family pay for the cost of sending Justice to Arlington for burial.
You may make a donation to the “James Justice Benefit Account” at Veridian Credit Union, 5910 University Avenues, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266.