California’s War Dead

    Keith Yoakum

    Keith Yoakum, 41

    Army, Chief Warrant Officer
    Taji (near), Iraq
    Gender: Male
    Hometown: Hemet
    He was teaching his daughters how to fly. That was his dream, to own his own grass strip. Flying was his passion. And he loved his brothers and wanted to do as many things as possible together.
    — Kelly Yoakum, widow

    Yoakum's military career spanned two decades. In 2005 he turned down a slot on the Golden Knights, the Army's famous parachute team, in order to serve in Iraq.
    Times obituary
    « Clarence T. Spencer, 02/04/2007
    William M. Sigua, 01/31/2007 »
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    Three memories of Keith Yoakum

    Keith was my dads best friend. Grew up with my mom and is my god father. He always talked and laughed and smiled so much around us and we miss him very much. He was the best guy in the world! And I love and miss him terribly!

    — Halley Duran
    August 19, 2008 at 12:18 p.m.
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    I was a crewmember of the planes Keith would fly in Korea. When teaching the new guys, I would always say how they especially had nothing to worry about if Keith was their pilot because he was one of the best i'd ever met. We were good friends then, and I still think about him and miss him today.

    — Mike Bologna
    March 4, 2010 at 10:35 a.m.
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    You're still in my thoughts Sir. Never Forgotten.

    — SGT Yadder Mejia
    February 13, 2012 at 11:51 p.m.
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    About this project
    Sources: Times research, Defense Department, iCasualties.org
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    California's War Dead is the Los Angeles Times' collection of stories about the 700 California servicemembers and 474 others based in California who died during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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