Dan
08-28-2004, 20:44
I got busy with TDY, schools, and work...sorry about not posting this sooner.
Tarlavsky is a Green Beret soldier from Clifton, New Jersey, who was killed in Iraq.
The 30-year-old died when his unit, the First Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group based at Fort Campbell, came under small-arms fire and grenade attack in An Najaf on August 12th.
Tarlavsky was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
He was married in 2002 and is survived by his wife and infant son.
Tarlavsky's family emigrated from Latvia when Michael was five and settled in New Orleans, then moved to Clifton in 1986. At Clifton High School, he was an Eagle Scout and captain of the school swim team.
He went on to attend Rutgers University on an R-O-T-C scholarship.
The gloomy weather matched the somber reason soldiers and their families gathered at Ft. Campbell on Friday. They were saying goodbye to a fallen hero - 30-year-old Capt. Michael Tarlavsky.
Tarlavsky's commander Ltc. Perry Blackburn said, "The things he did for his country...the ultimate sacrifice cannot be equaled. He was a great American, a great soldier and a great person."
Capt. Tarlavsky was leading Iraqi National Guard soldiers on a door-to-door fight. He was killed trying to seize a building.
"Mike would knock you out of the way to get to the front," said Blackburn.
Capt. Tarlavsky was in danger many times before, in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. He was among the first to enter Iraq when the war first started, always leading the charge. Tarlavsky was first in the door on his last mission, and he sacrificed his own personal safety to help others.
Special Forces CW3 Jeff Kula said, "Sometimes you need someone to motivate the troops and step forward and say, 'Hey, if he's doing it, then I'm going to follow him.'"
Now America has lost another soldier, and a family has lost a husband and father. Capt. Tarlavsky leaves behind his wife and an 11-month-old son. Capt. Micheal Tarlavsky was born in Latvia. His family moved to the United States and made New Jersey their home.
Fellow soldiers remembered a Latvia-born Green Beret killed in Iraq who immigrated to the United States as a young boy as someone who valued life.
Captain Michael Tarlavsky of Clifton, New Jersey, was killed August 12 in Najaf when he and his men came under small arms fire and grenade attack while attempting to seize a building.
During the ceremony, photographs of the 30-year-old Tarlavsky in Korea, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iraq were flashed on the screen. Photos of him with his wife, Tricia, and their 11-month-old son, Joseph, were also shown.
Lieutenant Colonel Perry Blackburn described Tarlavsky as a man of substance
Tarlavsky was a member of the 5th Special Forces Group. He met his wife during a hiking trip in Hawaii. He had immigrated to the United States when he was five, and dreamed growing up of being a soldier.
U.S. Army Capt. Michael Tarlavsky, 30, in this undated photo, was killed Aug. 12, 2004, when his unit came under small arms fire and grenade attack in Najaf, Iraq. Tarlavsky was born in Latvia, and came to the United States in 1980. He was assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group based at Fort Campbell. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)
Tarlavsky is a Green Beret soldier from Clifton, New Jersey, who was killed in Iraq.
The 30-year-old died when his unit, the First Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group based at Fort Campbell, came under small-arms fire and grenade attack in An Najaf on August 12th.
Tarlavsky was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
He was married in 2002 and is survived by his wife and infant son.
Tarlavsky's family emigrated from Latvia when Michael was five and settled in New Orleans, then moved to Clifton in 1986. At Clifton High School, he was an Eagle Scout and captain of the school swim team.
He went on to attend Rutgers University on an R-O-T-C scholarship.
The gloomy weather matched the somber reason soldiers and their families gathered at Ft. Campbell on Friday. They were saying goodbye to a fallen hero - 30-year-old Capt. Michael Tarlavsky.
Tarlavsky's commander Ltc. Perry Blackburn said, "The things he did for his country...the ultimate sacrifice cannot be equaled. He was a great American, a great soldier and a great person."
Capt. Tarlavsky was leading Iraqi National Guard soldiers on a door-to-door fight. He was killed trying to seize a building.
"Mike would knock you out of the way to get to the front," said Blackburn.
Capt. Tarlavsky was in danger many times before, in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. He was among the first to enter Iraq when the war first started, always leading the charge. Tarlavsky was first in the door on his last mission, and he sacrificed his own personal safety to help others.
Special Forces CW3 Jeff Kula said, "Sometimes you need someone to motivate the troops and step forward and say, 'Hey, if he's doing it, then I'm going to follow him.'"
Now America has lost another soldier, and a family has lost a husband and father. Capt. Tarlavsky leaves behind his wife and an 11-month-old son. Capt. Micheal Tarlavsky was born in Latvia. His family moved to the United States and made New Jersey their home.
Fellow soldiers remembered a Latvia-born Green Beret killed in Iraq who immigrated to the United States as a young boy as someone who valued life.
Captain Michael Tarlavsky of Clifton, New Jersey, was killed August 12 in Najaf when he and his men came under small arms fire and grenade attack while attempting to seize a building.
During the ceremony, photographs of the 30-year-old Tarlavsky in Korea, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iraq were flashed on the screen. Photos of him with his wife, Tricia, and their 11-month-old son, Joseph, were also shown.
Lieutenant Colonel Perry Blackburn described Tarlavsky as a man of substance
Tarlavsky was a member of the 5th Special Forces Group. He met his wife during a hiking trip in Hawaii. He had immigrated to the United States when he was five, and dreamed growing up of being a soldier.
U.S. Army Capt. Michael Tarlavsky, 30, in this undated photo, was killed Aug. 12, 2004, when his unit came under small arms fire and grenade attack in Najaf, Iraq. Tarlavsky was born in Latvia, and came to the United States in 1980. He was assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group based at Fort Campbell. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)