Nicholas Maderas Honored, Laid to Rest

Nick Madaras was scheduled to come back home from Iraq next month; he would also be celebrating his 20th birthday in October.

WILTON -- When Iraqi kids came around Nicholas Madaras' Humvee, the Army private from Wilton would search for something to give them -- candy or something to show he cared, Army Pfc. John Cevasco said.

"He wanted to let them know he was there to keep them safe," Cevasco said in his eulogy for Madaras before 650 people, including Gov. M. Jodi Rell, at Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church in Wilton yesterday.

Cevasco, who called Madaras his best friend, served in Iraq with Madaras and was home on leave when Madaras, 19, was killed by a roadside bomb Sept. 3.

Madaras, a 2005 Wilton High School graduate, drove a Humvee as part of a security detachment assigned to his battalion commander and was based in Baqubah, about 40 miles northeast of Baghdad.

On Sept. 3, a roadside bomb exploded during Madaras' daytime patrol just outside Baqubah. While soldiers were working to recover a vehicle damaged in the strike, Madaras was out of his truck, keeping oncoming traffic from getting near the soldiers, said Army Capt. Brad Caton, adjutant for the 1-68 Combined Arms Battalion to which Madaras was assigned.

While he was securing the site, a second bomb hidden in the median exploded, killing Madaras, Caton said via e-mail from Iraq. No one else was injured in the blast.

Read the rest at the Advocate

A 'beloved son of Wilton' dies

Shalini Madaras remembers her son Nicholas as a young man, swimming deep out into the ocean on summer vacations, urging his mother to follow him ever further out.

“He was never afraid... he kept saying ‘C’mon, Mom, let’s keep going’,” she said during an interview at her Signal Hill Road home on Wednesday.

Surrounded by friends for the past several days, the Madaras family is groping with the loss of Mr. Madaras, age 19 and a member of the Wilton High School class of 2005, who died in Iraq on Sunday, Sept. 3, when his Army dismounted patrol was hit with an improvised explosive device in the town of Baqubah. Along with his mother, Mr. Madaras leaves behind his father William, a sister Marie, 17, a senior at Wilton High School, and a young brother Christopher, 10, a fourth grader.

When he was home on leave early last month, Mr. Madaras told friends and family he was looking forward to going to college and pursuing a medical career when he got out of the Army.

“After not being so successful in high school, I think he felt it was what he needed to get his life on track quickly and definitely,” said his father on Wednesday about why his son chose to enlist. “And he did. After a year in the Army he knew who he was and what he was and what he wanted to do with his life and he was very enthusiastic to get on with it.”

Mr. Madaras had been given a target date to leave Iraq for the last time on Oct. 24, days before his 20th birthday.

Read the rest at the Wilton Bulletin

Chris Madaras, younger brother of Army PFC Nicholas Madaras, carries the military issue flag in a special case after the ceremonty of internment

'The Greatest Honor' — Family and friends pay their respects to fallen soldier

WILTON — An outpouring of family, friends and military and safety personnel spilled into the aisles at Our Lady of Fatima Church on Tuesday morning to pay their respects to U.S. Army Private Nicholas Madaras, a Wilton resident who was killed in Baqubah, Iraq on Sept. 3 after a roadside bomb detonated near his dismounted patrol unit.

Pfc. Madaras, 19, of Signal Hill Road, was later buried with full military honors at Wilton's Hillside Cemetery on Ridgefield Road, where U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Nicholas Justice awarded the 2005 Wilton High School graduate with a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, an Army Commendation Medal and an Army Good Conduct medal for his dedicated service to his country.

Two of Madaras' close friends, Pfc. John Cevasco and Wilton resident Tom Thresher, delivered eulogies at the Catholic funeral mass, both pointing to Madaras' tremendous lust for life, his genuine friendship, and his ability to calm others in life's most hectic moments.

"He was what I consider my best friend," said Cevasco, who has been serving in Iraq alongside Madaras in the Army's 168th Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. "Being there with a comrade like Nick made things so much easier to deal with. He would say, 'Just chill — relax.' He was always so calm and confident ... We talked about [how] you only live once, so take advantage of the time you have. That's how Nick lived."

Read the rest at the Wilton Villager

Nicholas Madaras with his younger brother, Chris.

Right gesture delays game

Under normal circumstances, the Wilton and Ridgefield girls soccer teams would have started the 2006 season against one another two days ago.

But there was no game Tuesday.

Instead there was a funeral.

It was for Nick Madaras, a 2005 Wilton High graduate who was killed in Iraq on Sept. 3 when his Army unit was struck by an improvised road bomb in the town of Baqubah.

Like her brother before her, Marie Madaras plays soccer at Wilton High. She is a senior this fall, and would have been the starting sweeper for the Warriors in Tuesday’s opening contest against Ridgefield.

In a gesture that showed support for Marie Madaras and her teammates, Wilton and Ridgefield athletic department officials agreed to postpone Tuesday’s game. It will now be played this Saturday at 11 a.m. on Lilly Field in Wilton.

“It wouldn’t have felt right to play,” said Wilton’s first-year head coach Scott Neumann. “All of our team went to the wake on Monday night and the funeral on Tuesday. They wouldn’t have been up to playing, and I wouldn’t have been up to coaching.”

Wilton High Athletic Director Christy Hayes said his counterpart at Ridgefield, Carl Charles, was also in favor of postponing the game.

“When I called up there on Monday morning after finding out the funeral was going to be Tuesday, Carl and Kathy Kelley (the Ridgefield High athletic department secretary) had already talked about coming up with a new date,” said Hayes. “We really appreciated their help.”

Neumann said the Wilton team was at a jamboree in Shelton last Monday when he and the players heard about Nick Madaras’s death.

“We played that day with a heavy heart, and we’ve been practicing since then with a heavy heart,” he said. “The girls adore Marie, and we consider ourselves a second family.”

After missing last Monday and Tuesday, Marie Madaras returned to practice Wednesday.

Read the rest at the Ridgefield Press

Wilton soccer team dedication for Madaras is Friday

The Wilton men's soccer team will hold a dedication to Nicholas Madaras, a former teammate and team manager, who was killed in action in Iraq.

The dedication will take place at the team's first home game on Friday, Sept. 15 at 4 p.m. at Lilly Field.

In addition, the Wilton Soccer Association is creating a scholarship fund in Mr. Madaras' name.

The Wilton Soccer Association mourns the passing of our player, coach, and referee, Nick Madaras, son of Bill and Shalini Madaras and brother of Marie and Christopher who was killed in action in Iraq.

In his memory a scholarship is being created for a player who demonstrates his sense of committment, dedication and sportsmanship. Contributions in his memory can be sent to the WSA, PO BOX 311, Wilton, CT. 06897. Checks should be made out to: WSA: Nick Madaras Scholarship Fund.

From the Wilton Bulletin

Related Link:
Soldier from Wilton killed in Iraq (Nicholas Madaras)

Note: Due to problems with blogger we were unable to post news of memorials for the last 10 days. This post is part of the update from that period.