Flags will fly at half-staff on Friday for a Kansas soldier with Emporia ties who died in Afghanistan earlier this month.
Capt. Jason T. McMahon, 35, a 2004 Emporia State University graduate from Mulvane, was an ordnance officer commanding the 744th Explosive Ordnance Company, 184th Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group from Fort Campbell, Ky.
The department of defense said he died on Sept. 5 of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
McMahon graduated from ESU in December 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
He joined the army in November 1996, gained his commission in 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2008.
McMahon is survived by his wife, Jennifer L. McMahon, and his daughters Trinity B., McKenzie J., and Azlyn J. McMahon, all of Dover, Tenn.; his father, Ronald McMahon and mother, Sherry McMahon, both of Mulvane, according to information from The Associated Press.
Gov. Mark Parkinson this morning ordered the flags to be lowered from sunup to sundown Friday.
USNretired (anonymous) says...
God Bless and keep the family. Thank God that men like him still serve.
September 16, 2010 at 5:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Thank you, to the soldiers and their families and at this time, especially the McMahon family. My sympathies are with you and I pray God's peace and comfort for you.
September 16, 2010 at 10:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
What a tragedy. I have nothing but sympathy for the family.
Why are you people blessing, thanking, and praying to this alleged "god"?
Why did god allow this to happen? He is either powerless or doesn't care about us. Is this all really part of his "plan"?
Why did god design humans to be so fragile? If we couldn't be killed, there'd be no war. If we didn't need to eat, there'd be no hunger or fighting over resources.
Why did god design us to suffer when someone dear to us dies? Why not just prove to us they are in a better place so we can feel better about their passing?
I realize this may be an inappropriate place for this discussion, but I get tired of hearing people thank god or pray to him for things that are clearly the result of our own (mankind) actions and he has nothing to do with. Please go to my discussion (here: http://www.emporiagazette.com/discuss... ) for further debate.
'enry
September 17, 2010 at 1:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )