Tuesday, September 11, 2007
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”3
rd 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.
I had several friends in 2-2. It was never my honor to meet JC. But I knew, in passing, CSM Faulkenberg. His death is a loss to all that knew him. Duty First!
Staff Sergeant James “JC” Matteson
United States Army
2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry “Ramrods”3
rd 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.
I had several friends in 2-2. It was never my honor to meet JC. But I knew, in passing, CSM Faulkenberg. His death is a loss to all that knew him. Duty First!
