Army 1st Lt. Cerrone was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Cerrone died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his humvee during combat operations in Samarra. Cerrone got out of the humvee to check out a suspicious car. As he approached, one of the car's occupants got out, approached the humvee and detonated a bomb strapped to his body. The military was in Michael's blood. His father is Brig. Gen. James Cerrone, special assistant to the commanding general of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg. He graduated from E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina and then attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 2004. Michael's unit deployed to Iraq in August. The first day he got to the unit, he was shy and quiet, but after a few months he became more outspoken. He was a fearless, aggressive and decisive platoon leader who always led his unit from the front. He always put himself in harm's way before his men, putting their safety and welfare first. His family heard from him about a month ago when he wrote them a one-line email message: "I love you and I'm OK". He had a black belt in Kempo, a form of martial arts and was an accomplished pool player, surfer and diver. Here is what Michael had to say about himself -
About me:
If it involves classic cars, ialian motorcycles, or a surfboard... then you can count me in.
About me:
If it involves classic cars, ialian motorcycles, or a surfboard... then you can count me in.
Army 1st Lt. Cerrone was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Cerrone died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his humvee during combat operations in Samarra. Cerrone got out of the humvee to check out a suspicious car. As he approached, one of the car's occupants got out, approached the humvee and detonated a bomb strapped to his body. The military was in Michael's blood. His father is Brig. Gen. James Cerrone, special assistant to the commanding general of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg. He graduated from E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina and then attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 2004. Michael's unit deployed to Iraq in August. The first day he got to the unit, he was shy and quiet, but after a few months he became more outspoken. He was a fearless, aggressive and decisive platoon leader who always led his unit from the front. He always put himself in harm's way before his men, putting their safety and welfare first. His family heard from him about a month ago when he wrote them a one-line email message: "I love you and I'm OK". He had a black belt in Kempo, a form of martial arts and was an accomplished pool player, surfer and diver. Here is what Michael had to say about himself -
About me:
If it involves classic cars, ialian motorcycles, or a surfboard... then you can count me in.
About me:
If it involves classic cars, ialian motorcycles, or a surfboard... then you can count me in.
