Army 1st Sgt. Blue C. Rowe, of Arkansas and California. He grew up near Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and attended high school there where he played football and ran track. Blue stood 6' 2" tall and had the manners and accent of a typical southern gentleman. He was funny, reliable and a not-so-good liar. A big practical joker and adventurous teenager, all his tales of getting home late because his friends ran out gas just didnft hold weight with his mother. She knew he was out having fun. Blue joined the Army and went to boot camp the day after his high school graduation in 1994. He served as a military policeman until 2002. From 2002 to 2009, he served in several positions with the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion including civil affairs team leader. While on active duty he served as a military policeman in Korea, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom from September 2004 through July 2005. He returned to the Ready Reserve where he was mobilized in July 2008 for duty in Afghanistan, assigned to the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion, Upland, California. He died four days after his 33rd birthday in Panjshir Province, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was suppose to come home for a visit next month. While stationed in Croatia in 1996, he met Cindy, who was also in the military. They dated for 3 years before marrying. They had one son togther, a boy who Blue encouraged to make a difference in life. Blue did this mostly by living an honorable way, leading his son by example. The family had just purchased and moved into a new home in California before Blue left for Afghanistan.
Army 1st Sgt. Blue C. Rowe, of Arkansas and California. He grew up near Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and attended high school there where he played football and ran track. Blue stood 6' 2" tall and had the manners and accent of a typical southern gentleman. He was funny, reliable and a not-so-good liar. A big practical joker and adventurous teenager, all his tales of getting home late because his friends ran out gas just didnft hold weight with his mother. She knew he was out having fun. Blue joined the Army and went to boot camp the day after his high school graduation in 1994. He served as a military policeman until 2002. From 2002 to 2009, he served in several positions with the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion including civil affairs team leader. While on active duty he served as a military policeman in Korea, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom from September 2004 through July 2005. He returned to the Ready Reserve where he was mobilized in July 2008 for duty in Afghanistan, assigned to the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion, Upland, California. He died four days after his 33rd birthday in Panjshir Province, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was suppose to come home for a visit next month. While stationed in Croatia in 1996, he met Cindy, who was also in the military. They dated for 3 years before marrying. They had one son togther, a boy who Blue encouraged to make a difference in life. Blue did this mostly by living an honorable way, leading his son by example. The family had just purchased and moved into a new home in California before Blue left for Afghanistan.
