Germaine Debro laid to rest

OMAHA, Neb. -- Friends and family said goodbye to a fallen soldier on Monday morning.

Mayor Mike Fahey is asking citizens of Omaha to lower their flags on Monday.

The gesture is to honor the memory of Nebraska Army National Guard Sgt. Germaine Debro, who died two weeks ago in Iraq. His Humvee hit a roadside bomb.

The 33-year-old was memorialized on Monday at 10 a.m. at Morning Star Baptist Church.

A military honor guard carried Debro's flag-draped casket from the church.

Debro's family said they'll always remember his character.

"He was fun outgoing, made you laugh, took care of business, helped you," said brother Alvin Debro, Jr. "He was there when you needed it, you know? We've got good memories ... and we'll have to take it from here one day at a time."

Debro was a specialist with a National Guard unit out of Fremont. He was in Iraq on security duty. He attended Omaha Benson High School for one year before graduating from a high school in Arkansas in 1991. He joined the military in 1994.

Read the rest at KETV 7

Omaha Soldier Remembered

Friends and family members began to say their final goodbyes to 33-year-old Sgt. Germaine Debro at a visitation service Sunday night. One soldier in Debro's unit says he has lost a brother.

"Nicest guy you could ever meet," Spc. Shawn O'Neil said of his friend, Germaine Debro. "I can sit and describe him for three days. He was just -- the people he was around he definitely touched. He'd walk in a room and it was always lit up. That's how 'Dee-Bo' was."

He first met Sgt. Debro when O'Neil joined the Nebraska National Guard four years ago. The two deployed together to Bosnia in 2003, and then to Iraq about six months ago.

Two weeks ago, Debro was killed by a roadside bomb as was driving a Humvee north of Baghdad.

O'Neil says Debro was always willing to sacrifice not only for his country, but for his unit as well.

"He always stuck with that, 'I go so somebody else doesn't have to,' and 'so somebody with a family can stay back,'" O'Neil said.

Read the rest at WOWT 6

Woman Complains When Bank Leaves Flag Up

OMAHA, Neb. -- Mayor Mike Fahey requested that area businesses and homeowners fly their flags at half-staff on Monday in honor of Nebraska Army National Guard Sgt. Germaine Debro, but a west Omaha bank didn't follow the order.

Debro died two weeks ago in Iraq. His Humvee hit a roadside bomb. He was laid to rest on Monday.

Sue Behr is the mother of a Nebraska Guardsman serving in Iraq. She said she got upset when the US Bank branch in her neighborhood, at 90th and Center streets, didn't lower its flags.

"I drive past there all the time," Behr said.

As an Army mother herself, Behr said she stopped to talk to the bank manager.

"(I) spoke with him and pointed out to him that the mayor had asked us to lower our flags for this soldier," Behr said.

Behr said the manager was sympathetic but couldn't do much about it.

"He (said) he could put in a request," Behr said, and that upset her. "I thought, 'OK. Someone from our own town, and the flags aren't being lowered for him. I think it's disrespectful,'" she said.

US Bank released a written statement: "It was an oversight, and we apologize if it has offended anyone."

Read the rest at KETV 7

Related Link:
Nebraska soldier killed over weekend (Germaine Debro)
Note: Due to problems with blogger we were unable to post news of the fallen for the last 10 days. This post is part of the update from that period.