Staff Sgt. John L. Hartman was born in St. Petersburg FL., but mainly grew up in Bradenton, Forida. After graduating from Manatee High School in 1986, he decided to enlist in the Army at 19, and follow in his father's footsteps. His father, John L. Hartman, Sr., served in the Marines and did a tour in Vietnam before he retired from the military. Sgt. Hartman had last been home to see his family in April and May, where he spent time doing what he loved to do; fishing. While he was there, his mother fixed him his favorite meal of pierogies and chicken with Alfredo sauce. The loving son spent a lot of time with family while he was home. John had been writing letters to his best friend, Rich, and in a letter received one week before his death, John let his friend know that he did not let his mom know how bad it still was over there, but to keep the letters coming because they kept his spirits up. At the end of his second tour in Iraq, he was supposed to move on to Oklahoma, but a guy from his platoons wife had a baby. The soldier was supposed to go to Iraq, and John to stay in the states, but John told him to stay here with his wife and new baby, and he switched places with him. A selfless act that shows the good that is still in people's hearts. Staff Sgt. Hartman was killed on his 3rd tour to Iraq, when an IED detonated near his humvee on November 30th. He was 39. Sgt. Hartman leaves behind a lot of people who loved him very much. Among them are his two teenage children; his mother and father; a brother and a sister; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. What he sacrificed does not go unnoticed.

U.S. Army
1st Battalion
9th Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
3rd Infantry Division
Fort Stewart, Georgia