War Hits Home Two Vermont Men Die on Active Duty in Iraq

Author: Megan O'Keefe

Erik Halvorsen, 40, an Army pilot from Bennington, Vt., was killed on Wednesday when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting crashed near the Iraqi city of Karbala. The Chief Warrant Officer 4th Class was a career soldier who had fought in the first Gulf War and had been stationed in Bosnia and Korea. Halversen's mother, Dorothy Halversen, and his sister, Karen Loebe, have both expressed opposition to the war. Loebe told The Burlington Free Press that she was preparing to paint a large sign outside of her house. The sign will read: "Revenge never repairs an injury; it only creates more. Shame on you, Bush, for starting a war. My brother is dead, and what was it for?" Despite her own opposition, Dorothy Halversen says she believes it is crucial that soldiers feel supported.
Mark Evnin, 21, a Marine corporal from South Burlington, was killed Thursday in combat in Iraq. A scout and sniper with the First Marine Division, Evnin was shipped to Kuwait in February. Evnin's mother, Mindy Evnin, told The Burlington Free Press that her son died at 1 p.m. Iraq time during a firefight. "I want him buried in Burlington and with full military honors," she said. "He was proud to be a Marine, and I'm sure he died feeling that he was doing what he should do."