Joshua R. Townsend, 30

Army, Staff Sergeant

Based: Ft. Bragg, N.C.

1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

Supporting: Operation Enduring Freedom

Died: January 16, 2009

Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan

Married

Gender: Male

Hometown: Solvang

High School: Santa Ynez Valley Union High (Santa Ynez)

Townsend, a special forces soldier, was found unconscious and without a pulse in his room, according to KCOY-12 television news. His close friend, Ronnie Durbiano, told The Lompoc Record that Townsend "was amazingly loyal to all those he loved. There was nothing he wouldn't do for someone regardless of anything going on in his life."

Grant A. Cotting, 01/24/2009

Benjamin B. Tollefson, 12/31/2008

10 memories of Joshua R. Townsend

“

I was attached to Josh's team for the duration of that deployment. I don't know what made me think of him tonight but I remember the night on the base he sat down with the regular poker guys and wanted to play a few hands. He found out quickly we played very serious and stern poker. One of the first big hands I had a monster hand and keept betting big. He called every bet (including my all in) and lost. I didn't realize he wanted to play a friendly house game... (I was the most Jr augmentee attached to their team and felt very weird about it) He left quickly and i thought he was a little mad. Later that night i sheepishly went to his hooch to give him a picture (one of many I had taken and developed throughout some of our times on missions, in an attempt to make amends. He loved the picture, gave me a bro hug and promised he wasn't mad about anything. He hung the picture I took of his team/truck on his mirror. I was just curious where that pic might be now and to let anyone who's interested know;I have a few others.

” — James Scheerer, November 6, 2015 at 3:24 a.m.

Search by: Age, Base, Branch, Cemetery, Date of Death, Country of Birth, Gender, High School, Hometown, Marital Status, Name, Number of Children, Theater of Operation, Place of Death

Sources: Times research, Defense Department, iCasualties.org

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Joshua R. Townsend, 30

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10 memories of Joshua R. Townsend