Yakima combat dies in combat
 

Yakima combat dies in combat
By BIANCA V?ZQUEZ TONESS
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC


Yakima resident Kyle Andrew Eggers died this weekend in Iraq, the fourth local serviceman to die in combat there since the war started in 2003.

The 27-year-old father of three was killed in the vicinity of Al Habbaniyah, just west of Fallujah, according to a statement released Monday through the Yakima Fire Department. A family friend in Euless, Texas, said he was killed by a land mine.

Although Eggers was born in Nebraska and grew up in a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas, he had strong ties to the Valley. His wife, Jennifer Eggers, graduated from Eisenhower High School in 2000. His mother-in-law, Susan Whitman, serves on the Yakima City Council. And Eggers worked for four years at the Yakima Training Center before departing for Iraq in August.

In addition to his wife, Eggers leaves behind three sons: 21/2 -year-old twins Kaden and Tegan, and 11-month-old Zane.

"He was an exceptionally fine human being, a nice guy and great soldier," James Reddick, spokesman for the Yakima Training Center, said Monday night.

Whitman declined to speak Monday about her son-in-law's death, but issued a news release through the fire department, where she and her daughter volunteer as reserve firefighters. The release stated that Eggers died "in action."

His parents and sister live in Euless, where he graduated from Trinity High School in 1995. He ran for the school's cross country team, according to local newspaper reports.

Eggers joined the Army immediately after graduation, according to Suzanne Hendrickson, a family friend. Eggers couldn't come home very often, since he was stationed in Fort Lewis, Wash., and in South Korea, among other places.

"His family really loved him," Hendrickson said. "They were very supportive of his desire to serve his country. They were proud of him."

Sad to hear this. May he rest in peace, and may God blessings shine upon his family.

Depressing and I'm saddened that his young family must undergo the riggers of getting their lives re-organized. To loose someone or anyone for that matter is really tough. I wish them well and salute Mr. Eggers for his service rendered.

Service at local church today for soldier killed in Iraq

The funeral for Kyle Eggers, the Army staff sergeant killed a week ago in Iraq, will be held today at the West Valley Church of the Nazarene.

The service, open to the public, starts at 2 p.m. The church is at 7109 West Nob Hill Blvd.

Eggers, 27, died Nov. 5 when a roadside bomb exploded outside Fallujah.

Eggers met his wife, Jennifer, an Eisenhower High School graduate, while posted at the Yakima Training Center.

Members of the Yakima Police Department's honor guard were escorting the casket back from Seattle on Saturday. The unit will perform the color guard and rifle volleys at today's service, Officer Jay Seely said.

Equipment from the Yakima Fire Department will be used to fly a large American flag at the church, Seely said. Eggers' wife and mother-in-law, city councilwoman Susan Whitman, volunteer with the fire department.

Honor guard members will escort the casket back to Seattle, where a plane will carry Eggers to Texas for burial. His parents live in Euless, Texas, where he was raised.

Staff Sgt. Kyle Eggers' funeral draws hundreds of mourners
By CHARLENE KOSKI
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

JEFF HALLER/Yakima Herald-Republic

About 300 gathered at the West Valley Church of the Nazarene on Sunday afternoon for the funeral of Staff Sgt. Kyle Eggers, killed Dec. 5 in Iraq.

The crowd shared tears and laughter as friends and the family's pastor told stories that portrayed Eggers, 27, of Yakima as a caring father, good friend and devoted soldier.

"He was one of the number one huggers in the Army," said pastor Holland Lewis, who officiated the service.

Eggers was someone who always wore a smile, dealt with hardships through laughter and lived to help people, friends said. When his twin sons Tegan and Kaden, now 21/2, struggled after birth, Eggers camped out at the hospital. When he received a box of food items as a Christmas gift about two weeks ago, he shared it with his fellow soldiers.

His strong work ethic once kept him from accepting a promotion in the Army, because he wasn't convinced he was ready for the task, Lewis said. He eventually accepted the rank upgrade.

Eggers and his wife, Jennifer, 22, also have an infant son, Zane, who will turn 1 at the end of this month. A photo of Kyle Eggers and his sons dated June 13 of this year was included in a slide show shown at the service. The photo was taken during Eggers' last visit to Yakima.

Those attending Sunday's service were encouraged to write notes of remembrance about Eggers for his sons, so they can read about their father when they're older.

Eggers served in the Army for nine years and was sent to Al Habanijah, Iraq, in August. He died when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle outside Fallujah.

His wife and sons have been staying with her mother, Susan Whitman, a Yakima city councilwoman.

Eggers' parents and sister live in Euless, Texas, outside Fort Worth. Sunday, Eggers' casket was taken to a mortuary to be prepared for flight to Texas and burial in the Dallas National Memorial Cemetery. Instead of a hearse, Eggers' casket was carried in the back of a historical Yakima Fire Department truck. Jennifer Eggers and Whitman are reservists for the Yakima Fire Department, and Jennifer's father, Jim Giles, is a dispatcher for the department.

At the conclusion of Sunday's service, Eggers was awarded a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal. He is the fourth local serviceman, and the fifth with ties to the Yakima Valley, to have died during the conflict in Iraq.

Jennifer Eggers, second from left, is comforted by mother-in-law Diane Eggers at the funeral of her husband, Staff Sgt. Kyle Eggers,on Sunday.