Michael R. Weidemann killed by I.E.D.

Lt. Col. Raoul Achambault drove from Newport to Providence this morning thinking of one person: Sgt. Michael R. Weidemann, who was killed Tuesday in Iraq. He was 23.

Archambault, who works in the Junior ROTC program at Providence's Hope High School, ran the program at Rogers High School in 2001, when Weidemann graduated.

"The thing I remember most clearly about Michael is that he was a nice kid and he was nice to other kids," Archambault said. "That is not always the case. He went through the same challenges that all kids face. It can be a tough time of life for kids. And they can very mean to each other. He was always nice to other kids, and I think they looked up to him in a lot of ways. He was a very active participant in our events and in any community service project we did."

Weidemann was killed while on patrol when his armored military vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in the city of Hit in the area of the Anbar province west of Baghdad, according to the Rhode Island National Guard.

Weidemann is the 11th Rhode Islander killed in Iraq since 2003. Funeral arrangements this morning were incomplete.

Weidemann was an honors student who attended the Newport Area Career and Technical Center, housed at Rogers, where he specialized in automotive technology. But his uncle, Ambrose Miller of South Kingstown, said it was the JROTC program that had the biggest impact on his nephew.

"That school and that program completely turned his life around," Miller said this morning. "It really gave him some direction. He loved the Army and wanted to make a career of it. It's a sad situation, of course. But he ended up doing exactly what he wanted to do. And how many young people can say that?"

Miller said Weidemann's father lives out of state. His mother, Susanna Weidemann, died in 1999 at the age of 39, he said. She was a Navy veteran, Miller said, but her experience had little influence on her son's military decision.

"It was the school and the ROTC that had the biggest impact," Miller said. "That's what did it."

Weidemann is the second oldest of five children and also is survived by a grandmother.

Victoria Johnson, retired Rogers High School principal, had yet to hear the news of Weidemann's death until this morning. She remembered him vividly.

"He was such a nice young man, so friendly," she said. "I used to talk to him in the cafeteria and he was always so likeable. He's one you remember."

Johnson recalled Weidemann telling her he planned to enlist in the Army after graduation. "He wasn't going on to college and was very excited about joining the Army," Johnson said. "I think he saw it as a good opportunity. This is such sad news."

Sheri Martins graduated from Rogers in 2003, two years after Weidemann, but said she knew him early on in high school. "He was a total sweetheart," she said. "He always had a smile on his face. If you needed someone to talk to, he was always there for you, just a sweetheart."

Weidemann was a member of the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Brigade, based in Germany.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., an Army veteran, issued a statement about Weidemann's death. "This is a moment to reflect on the courage and dedication of one brave American who has given all for his country," he said.

From the Newport Daily News