Jerod Osborne was born February 23, 1990 in Dallas TX to Allan and Sharon Osborne. His mother later married Gary Grillett of Rockwall, who helped raise him. A 2008 graduate of Rockwall High School, he joined the Army July 1, 2008, and attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood. He then attended Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston. where he was trained to become a medic. In 2009 he was assigned to his unit at Fort Bragg NC and later attended Airborne School at Fort Benning GA. He deployed with his unit to Afghanistan in August, 2009. In May 2010, he was the only medic at the scene when a roadside bomb killed five civilians and critically wounded seven others. He received a Bronze Star for saving the lives of the injured civilians. "He knew from early on that he wanted to go into the military," his mother said. He also has a brother, Staff Sgt. Wautash Grillett, a 12-year Army veteran, who is serving in Afghanistan. After boot camp, Spc. Osborne trained to be a medic at Fort Sam Houston. He was tops in his class in medical training and they sent him on to an advance lifesaving course in Virginia, which only a handful of soldiers get to do.
On July 5, 2010 his unit was attacked by an IED and Jerod died from his wounds.
Spec. Tracy Lee Laramore graduated from Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas, Laramore-West moved from job to job, never finding the proper fit. So in 1999 he enlisted. "All of the guys in his unit called him `Pops' because he was the oldest one going in," his stepbrother said. The military was a good fit for Laramore-West, who was serving in the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment from Schweinfurt, Germany. "The last six years, he lived and breathed the Army," West said. "That was his life." Before going to Iraq, he was stationed in Colorado, Korea, Germany and Kosovo, his family said. But after two and a half weeks in Iraq, Laramore-West, 30, died March 17, 2004 in Baji when the road gave way beneath his Bradley Fighting Vehicle while he was on a reconnaissance mission. The vehicle went over an embankment and flipped into the Tigris River, trapping Laramore-West, his stepbrother Steve West said. Fay West and a lot of his family reside in Royse City which is why I believe we should honor him by naming our post after him and Spc. Osborne
Jerod Osborne
Jerod's Grave
Tracy's Grave
