Don't worry about us. We know what we're doing.
    — Kenneth Ballard, in an e-mail to his mother

    It took more than a year for the military to inform Ballard's family that he was not killed in action, as the Army originally said, but from an accidental discharge of a weapon in his tank.
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    Four memories of Kenneth Michael Ballard

    Thinking of Ken today, and sharing his story on facebook and with friends...

    — Lori Rothenberger
    November 11, 2008 at 9:50 a.m.

    I still think about Ken all the time. I wish I could have told him how much he would always be a part of my life. I hope he knew.

    — Noelle Dunn
    October 7, 2009 at 5:51 p.m.

    THANK YOU!!!!!!! For your sacrifice, words do little to describe our sincere gratitude. However, There is a hope for a future where such wonderful people will not have to die in the wars of the world. ISAIAH 2:4 And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore....REV 21:3,4-"death will be no more"

    — krystal
    April 11, 2012 at 9:42 p.m.

    I served with LT Ballard in An Najaf and was there when he was killed. I was not in his unit but he noticed my National Guard patch from Tennessee in the chow hall and told me he went to MTSU. He was a great soldier and although I did not have the pleasure of knowing him for too long I still think about the day when word came out of his death. RIP LT.

    — John
    April 23, 2012 at 12:22 p.m.

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    California's War Dead is the Los Angeles Times' collection of stories about the 736 California servicemembers and 490 others based in California who died during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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