Our Hero's Story
Post commander Roger Cloutier credited four Soldiers with helping him become the leader standing before a packed room Friday evening during his promotion to the rank of major general. Two, he said emotionally, gave their lives in service to others.
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Cpl. Jacob C. Palmatier of 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment taught Cloutier the value of true sacrifice. Cloutier, Palmatier's battalion commander in Iraq in 2005, talked passionately about Palmatier as he remembered the Soldier's virtues.
"Jacob spoke seven languages, he worked in my S1 (personnel) shop… and he would take notes in Chinese - he was just a great kid," Cloutier said.
Cloutier said Palmatier would watch his fellow Soldiers go on convoys daily and remarked to his leadership about the unfairness of his predicament -- Palmatier was stuck on the Forward Operating Base as his battle buddies risked their lives outside the wire.
Cloutier recounted how Palmatier volunteered to go on the next convoy and wound up manning the grenade launcher in the turret of a truck.
"Palmatier was killed on his first combat patrol outside the wire," Cloutier recalled, taking a moment to collect himself.