Army Spc. Brassfield was assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, as a tank driver. Brassfield died of wounds received when a mortar struck nearby while he was playing basketball at a military base at Samaria, Iraq. An explosion had sent soldiers running for cover, but a second shelling ended Artimus' life before he could reach the nearest building. Artimus grew up in Dayton, Ohio, until he moved to Flint to live with his father when he was 14. He was named after Artimus Gordon from the 1960s television show "Wild, Wild West". He joined the Army in March 2001 after graduating from Flint's Central High School. He was "happy-go-lucky" and popular and was part of the Kappa League social fraternity in Flint. Artimus struggled in school and failed the military entrance test twice before finally succeeding in enlisting but always kept his focus on two main ambitions: to play basketball and join the military. He made it through high school and got himself together. Five months after joining the Army, he married his wife, Andrea, in August 2001. He posthumously received a purple heart and bronze star for his service in the conflict in Iraq.
Army Spc. Brassfield was assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, as a tank driver. Brassfield died of wounds received when a mortar struck nearby while he was playing basketball at a military base at Samaria, Iraq. An explosion had sent soldiers running for cover, but a second shelling ended Artimus' life before he could reach the nearest building. Artimus grew up in Dayton, Ohio, until he moved to Flint to live with his father when he was 14. He was named after Artimus Gordon from the 1960s television show "Wild, Wild West". He joined the Army in March 2001 after graduating from Flint's Central High School. He was "happy-go-lucky" and popular and was part of the Kappa League social fraternity in Flint. Artimus struggled in school and failed the military entrance test twice before finally succeeding in enlisting but always kept his focus on two main ambitions: to play basketball and join the military. He made it through high school and got himself together. Five months after joining the Army, he married his wife, Andrea, in August 2001. He posthumously received a purple heart and bronze star for his service in the conflict in Iraq.
Bio by: Brenda N
