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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 19, 2005 Jacob Simpson, 24 AP Fallen soldier had ties to valley Wire and staff reports An Army sergeant who attended Ashland High School for a short time before enlisting was killed Tuesday in Iraq after being struck with shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade. Jacob Simpson, 24, was on patrol near Tikrit when he was killed, according to The Associated Press. He was a member of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Carson, Colo. He was a gunner on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Simpson was a student at Ashland High School from February to early June 1998, then attended night school, said school Principal Jeff Schlecht. Simpson was born and started high school in Hood River before attending school in Ashland, then earned his GED before he joined the Army, AP reported. Simpson’s mother, Roberta Simpson, lives in Lake Oswego, along with his brother, Carey. He has two sisters, Rebekah Simpson of Glenwood, Wash., and Kimberly Bemiss of Banks. Advertisement An uncle, Gary Simpson, lives in Hood River. "While it’s a sorrowful time for us, we recognize what he did and why he did it," said Gary Simpson. "We’re really proud of the sacrifice he made." Bemiss said her brother spent two years with the Army in Germany, then was stationed at Fort Carson. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq, she said. He was "very loving, very protective of us," his sister said. Although family members indicated he died Monday, a Department of Defense report said a soldier was killed Tuesday when an explosive detonated near his patrol south of Tikrit. Simpson is the 46th soldier with strong Oregon ties to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. As of Tuesday, at least 1,622 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003. More than 12,500 have been wounded, including more than half a dozen from Jackson and Josephine counties. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s