Hero’s memory

By: Maria Lockwood, Superior Telegram

As Sean Duffy campaigned for the 7th District congressional seat, Jeremy Vrooman was with him. A gray wristband with the fallen cavalry scout’s name on it circled the Ashland man’s arm throughout the campaign.

“It was heartbreaking to see the sacrifices made by families of our American warriors,” he said.

The story of Staff Sgt. Jeremy Dale Vrooman, whose parents Bruce and Sue live in Superior, was especially touching.

“His courage, the sacrifice he made, how he saved the lives of so many other men in the military who were with him,” Duffy said.

On July 15, 2008, Vrooman, 28, saved the lives of 59 members of Palehorse Troop by being the first soldier to enter a wired building in Iraq. His troop had been tasked with clearing a dozen buildings in the town of Kn’an during Operation Cougar Storm. But the buildings had been rigged to explode. As an officer, Vrooman could have taken rear guard. He could have ordered others in. But he took the lead.

“He lost his life by taking the leap,” Duffy said. “He saved others.”

After that first blast, the troop withdrew and the entire site was bombed. It was later found that 19 of the buildings in the town had been double-wired with explosives.

Vrooman’s family shared their story with Duffy about the time he declared his candidacy. They gave him a DVD with video clips of Jeremy and the wristband, which became a permanent accessory.

Duffy took the wristband off the day he was sworn in. But now, a photo of the fallen solder is on display in his Washington D.C. office.

“Sean told us since he had Jeremy with him all through his campaign he was taking him to Washington with him,” Sue Vrooman said.

The Superior couple handed Duffy a picture of their son last month at the Northern Great Lakes Visitors Center in Ashland.

“I still can’t believe Jeremy’s picture will be hanging on Capitol Hill,” Sue Vrooman said. “I could see Jeremy looking down, saying ‘Oh, yeah, I look good on that wall.’”

A life worth living

For the Vroomans, their son is never far from their minds.

“We feel pain every day for the loss,” Bruce Vrooman said. “We also feel blessed every day because he really lived a life worth living. He made a difference.”

They remember his smile, his fondness for German beer, his antics driving Jeeps, the love he had for his wife and children, and his pranks. Their Allouez home holds pictures, medals, proclamations and quilts honoring Jeremy, who died from injuries sustained in the blast. The men who entered the building behind him survived. So did the rest of his troop. That is the way Jeremy would have wanted it, his parents say. He cared deeply about the men he had trained and pressed to go to Iraq with them, although he was stationed in Germany at the time.

“We understand his commitment to his uniform, his men,” said Bruce Vrooman. He was, the couple said, where he needed to be.

The Vroomans have been collecting information from their son’s fellow soldiers, both to write the inscription for the picture and to apply for a “V” attachment on Jeremy’s bronze star.

“It’s been almost three years and we’re finding out all these things,” Sue Vrooman said. “We knew Jeremy was well-liked. We had no idea he was as respected as he is.”

U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl’s office has been working with the couple to apply for the “V” distinction, which stands for valor.

“Jeremy gave the ultimate sacrifice and the Vrooman family has suffered a terrible loss,” said Kohl’s press secretary Dawn Schueller. “Our office will help in any way we can and move forward as soon as we have the necessary information.”

Jeremy’s picture is also honored daily in Madison. Rep. Nick Milroy, D-South Range, has had a picture of the fallen soldier up in his office since he heard the Vroomans’ story about a year ago.

“The reason why I say Jeremy is one of my heroes is because of the actions he took that ended up taking his life,” Milroy said. “Jeremy put himself out there, put his self-interest behind that of others.”

He pointed out that not only do members of the military make sacrifices; their families do, too. And they should be supported.

At a Flags of the Fallen ceremony last winter, Bruce Vrooman was struck by how amazing the men and women who serve this country are.

“Our son’s just ordinary in this extraordinary military,” he said. “They are all just incredible.”

The Vroomans don’t just honor their son at home. The display includes pictures of other local soldiers who lost their lives serving their country in Iraq — Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Pionk, Cpl. Kenneth Cross and Lance Cpl. Adam Van Alstine.

“We would like folks to know there are four fallen soldiers from Superior and they are all heroes,” Sue Vrooman said. “This is the story of one of them.”

And they urged anyone with loved ones deploying overseas to spend time with them now, while they can.

“Make sure your loved one knows how much you love and respect them,” Bruce Vrooman said.

They spent time with their son, his wife, and their two young children in Germany before he was deployed to Iraq. Bruce Vrooman said he had the opportunity to open up and tell Jeremy how much he loved and respected him. Sue Vrooman, too, shared a quiet moment with Jeremy and told him how proud she was of him.

“We have no regrets,” she said. “Our last words were ‘I love you.’”

This article was published in the Superior Telegram and can be accessed HERE.