JC Matteson
(James Matteson, father of fallen hero JC Matteson, is a proud
member of Vets for Freedom)
Staff Sergeant James "JC" Matteson
United States Army
2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry "Ramrods"
3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division "Big Red One"
Before becoming a scout in the Army's famed First Infantry
Division, known widely as "The Big Red One", JC Matteson grew
accustomed to standing apart from his peers. A gifted athlete
attending South Western high school outside of his hometown of
Celorn, New York, Matteson was a star football player, but more
notably known for his gregarious personality, steadfast loyalty and
infectious sense of humor. While joining Task Force 2-2
Infantry out of Vilseck, Germany, Matteson became part of a second
family of scouts, tankers and infantrymen that all grew close
together through two consecutive foreign deployments in less than
24 months. His 2-2 Infantry spent nine months in Kosovo as
they readied for their year long deployment to Iraq's Diyala
province in the winter of 2004.
Preparing themselves for the massive takedown of the Zarqawi held
fortress that the city of Al Fallujah had become in November of
2004, SSG JC Matteson, the son of former Army tanker and Vets for
Freedom member, James Matteson, would be the tip of the spear of
the Army's ever growing responsibilities in the
assault.
Minutes into the fighting, SSG Matteson was only meters away when
his TF 2-2 IN lost its Command Sergeant Major Steven Faulkenberg to
an enemy sniper. As a gunner for his platoon sergeants
humvee, SSG Matteson had volunteered to maintain this duty as to
allow others to take advantage of their two week Rest and
Relaxation leave.
On the night of November 11, 2004 three of his scouts entered, in
an attempt to clear, an insurgent occupied structure at OBJ
Lion. All three scouts were shot immediately upon entering
the barricaded structure. Without hesitation, SSG Matteson
tossed a smoke grenade allowing concealment as he personally helped
ensure the scouts were evacuated for treatment. In the melee
and only feet away, he exchanged gunfire and his continuous area
suppression allowed needed time for his peers to establish a
deliberate counter attack on the structure, ultimately ending with
the building's collapse and all insurgents inside pacified.
SSG Matteson had ample time to get down from his turret and allow
the Bradley Fighting Vehicles and M1A2 Abram tanks to take the lead
in the fight to repel the ambush. Soldiering as he did the
day previous, SSG Matteson stood firm and returned fire under
withering enemy machine gun suppression. His weapon system
was heard firing accurately and consistently, until a lone rocket
launched from close quarters took this young American patriots
life. Many on the ground confirmed that SSG Matteson engaged
the insurgent before and after the RPG was launched, further
demonstrating this NCO's dedication and passion for his scouts and
comrades. The courage demonstrated that early morning on
November 12, 2004 earned SSG Matteson a nomination for the Silver
Star, a Bronze Star and a purple heart for outstanding valor in the
face of imminent danger.
Recently in his hometown of Celorn, New York, his father James
Matteson took his own money to construct a memorial in the small
villages's Memorial park. A fight ensued that would later
prove to show how partisan politics can attempt to tarnish the
legacy of a true hero. Against the wishes of the citizens of
Celoron and all who knew him, the town's leadership decided that
they would rather pay tribute to Celoron's famous daughter Lucille
Ball, rather than allow Mr. Matteson to honor his hero son.
Over a period of six agonizing months, backpedaling under petty
excuses while causing unnecessary pain to JC's family and friends,
the town refused to allow a war memorial to be constructed in the
memory of JC Matteson. Instead, they worked feverishly to use
the grounds of the Memorial park to begin construction of a
bandstand in the memory of Desi Arnez the late husband of the
comedian Lucille Ball.
Finally finding a home in neighboring Jamestown, New York, Mr.
Matteson has not only shared his son's memorial with his community,
but has also paid tribute to other Task Force 2-2 soldiers killed
in action in Iraq as well as using his son's memorial to honor
other fallen veterans from Celoron who died in previous
wars.
Mr. James Matteson is member and supporter of Vets For
Freedom. We honor his commitment to our troops and the memory
of his son, SSG JC Matteson. |
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