Sgt. Maj. Michael Mettille
KIA 1, Feb. 2007
The family of a veteran Minnesota National Guardsmen today is expressing
gratitude for the "thoughts and prayers" that have poured in since his death
in Iraq was reported yesterday.
Sgt. Maj. Michael Mettille, a 44-year-old father of four from West St. Paul,
was found dead in his barrack Thursday. A heart attack or other natural
causes are suspected, but nothing will be certain until an autopsy is
completed in the coming days, Maj. Christine Ostendorf of the state National
Guard said today.
At a morning news conference, Lt. Col. Kevin Gutknecht read the following
statement from Mettille’s family:
"The family of Sgt. Maj. Michael Mettille would like to thank the many loved
ones and friends for their genuine gestures, thoughts and prayers. Sgt. Maj.
Mettille served his country with distinction for over 26 years. He believed
strongly in his military service and was a soldier’s soldier. His career was
distinguished by doing the right thing and about serving his soldiers. He
loved his family very much and was thankful for their support during his
deployments. He will truly be missed."
Mettille, who also served in Bosnia last decade, died on his second tour in
Iraq while stationed at Camp Adder, military officials said. He served with
the Brooklyn Park-based 134th Brigade Support Battalion of the Minnesota
Army National Guard’s 1st of the 34th Brigade Combat Team, known as the "Desert Bulls."
Military officials said his death remained under investigation, though it
was "not caused by hostile action," according to a written news release.
A note sent home with students of Somerset Elementary school in Mendota
Heights signed by principal Mary Bowman stated Mettille "did not die in
combat; at this time the cause of death is thought to be a heart attack or aneurysm."
Services haven’t been scheduled. Ostendorf said details will be posted on
the Guard’s home page, MinnesotaNationalGuard.org.
Mettille’s third-grade son attends Somerset Elementary and fifth-grade
daughter is at Heritage Middle School in West St. Paul. Two older children
from a previous marriage live in Iowa, officials said.
Bowman said Mettille had presented Somerset Elementary with a flag that had
flown over his base while he was serving in Bosnia.
Maj. Gen. Larry Shellito, the Adjutant General of Minnesota, said in a news
release Friday that Mettille "was a role model for all Soldiers and will be
sorely missed."
Mettille was an organizer of Operation Uplink, working with the Veterans of
Foreign Wars to provide overseas soldiers with phone cards so they are able
to call home.
Mettille also wrote for the battalion’s newsletter, the Wolverine Times
Gazette. His wife, Pam, is listed as a contact for the battalion’s local
"family readiness group," which provides stateside support for the soldiers while they are away.
In the July edition of the Gazette, Mettille explained to members of his
battalion his take on a military maxim known as the Soldiers Creed.
"The Soldier Creed is our statement to each other, our promise to never
compromise our commitment to our fellow soldier or the American way of
life," Mettille wrote before repeating part of the creed: "I will always
place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit."
At that time, Mettille’s Brooklyn Park-based A Company was conducting convoy
escort missions, routine patrols, rescue operations for stranded convoy
trucks and "quick reaction force" missions to respond to sudden threats.
Heritage principal Christopher Hiti said he met Mettille one time in the
year since his daughter attended the school and was impressed with the man.
"He was a great guy, very dedicated to his country. I’m just deeply
saddened; it’s very difficult," Hiti said.
Mettille is the 44th member of the U.S. Armed Forces from Minnesota to die in Iraq.
About 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard’s 1st of the 34th
Brigade Combat Team were deployed in March and stationed all over Iraq.
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