By Jennifer R. Carnes
Copper Area News
Ten years ago this month, a young soldier from Eastern Pinal County lost his life in Iraq. This was the first casualty of the Iraqi War for the small communities of Winkelman, Dudleyville and Mammoth. His family and the community mourned his loss.
On Sunday, that young soldier was honored as part of Honor and Remember’s AZ Run for the Fallen, a three-day 146-mile journey from Tucson’s Freedom Park to Phoenix’s Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza. The route taken by the relay team brought the runners north on Highway 77 to Highway 79 through Florence to the Hunt Highway and through San Tan Valley and Queen Creek to Baseline Rd. and then on to the State Capitol.
At each mile of the route, the run team stopped and honored one of the men and women who recently died in military service to America. The relay team was comprised of more than 20 active duty members of the military from bases throughout Arizona and other locations across the United States. Their goal was to create a memorial trail through Arizona, each Hero Marker tribute including a biographical description of the hero along with American and Honor and Remember flags.
Carson Ramsay was 22 when a car bomb was detonated outside a market in Baghdad on Oct. 10, 2004. Carson was a gunner and was riding on top of a Humvee in a convoy that was passing the marketplace. He was the only American casualty, but 10 others, all Iraqi nationals, were also killed.
Carson was born Jan. 4, 1982 and was raised just three miles north of Mammoth. He attended school in Kearny and was a member of the Ray High School MCJROTC. He enlisted in the Army in May 2001 before he graduated. He was a member of the 1st Cavalry Division stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas.
He was a decorated soldier, having been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart (3rd Award), Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Weapons Qualification Badge M4 (Expert).
He was an avid outdoorsman. He hunted and fished and was planning on purchasing a Harley-Davidson motorcycle when his tour of duty ended in March 2005. In an interview withCopper Area Newsin 2004, his parents said that Carson’s last message, left on their answering machine the Friday before he was killed, reminded his father, Cecil, to check on the motorcycle a man was holding for him in Kearny.
“He had said, ‘Hi, I’m fine. Tell dad to check on the Harley again for me,’” his mother Elaine said.
“I still hadn’t done it on Sunday,” Cecil said.
Carson was injured earlier the same year in another IED bombing and had shrapnel embedded in his cheek. He was only out of the action for three days before he was back on the front lines.
Carson visited his family in June 2004 after his grandmother passed away.
“He was very upbeat,” Cecil toldCopper Area News. “One thing I’ve told everybody, when he got ready to go back I asked him, are you scared?”
Carson told his dad, “It’s my job. I’ve got to go back.”
“Whether he was real patriotic, he never told me,” Cecil said. “He just told me, ‘That’s my job; I’ve got to go back and do it.’ That impressed me.”
“He’s a hero to me,” Cecil added.
Carson’s a hero to all of us.
His Hero Marker can be found on Baseline Rd. between Hardy and Priest.
Carson’s story and many others can be found online at www.azrunforthefallen.org. Visit the site and read the stories of many other (too many really) Arizona Heroes.
Editor’s note: I was driving on Oracle Road in Tucson Friday when I encountered the AZ Run for the Fallen processional. It included a vehicle from the Florence Police Department.
Not having my computer with me, I immediately got on the phone with Ledger reporter Andrew Luberda who helped research the group and find out their cause. Andy was able to track down where the group would be and on Saturday photographed them at one of the Hero Markers in San Tan Valley.
Later I was able to check the names of the Heroes and came across Carson Ramsey’s name.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since that very hard interview Carson’s parents so graciously gave. They invited me into their home to talk about their son even though the loss was so very new to them. They are amazing people who lost an amazing son.