Dustin Donica laid to rest

Dustin Donica was the typical middle class teenager of his generation. He preferred soccer over football and spent what appeared to be every spare moment playing video games.

When he left the University of Texas at Austin to enlist in the Army in 2003, he told his parents he had lived a privileged life growing up in Spring, and that meant something different to him than it did to others.

At Donica's funeral Monday, the Rev. Jim Foster, pastor of John Wesley United Methodist Church, said Donica's parents told him their son had a strong sense of duty. Foster then shared a conversation between Donica and his family.

"When most people of my generation are asked to do something, their first thought is how will this benefit me," Foster said.

"I need to do this so that my first thought is how does this benefit others."

Donica, 22, was killed by sniper fire on Dec. 28 as he ran to the aid of another parachute platoon that had come under fire while restoring fortifications at a base abandoned by Iraqi forces at Karmah in Iraq's al-Anbar province.

Spc. Donica was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

In the tally of U.S. military deaths in the war in Iraq, he was number 3,000.

For friends and family who knew and loved Donica, that number will bear a dark distinction that may remain with them forever.

"A week ago the number 3,000 changed for us. It was just a number to us, but no more. Now it has a face, and now it's personal," Foster said.

Donica was buried Monday with full military honors at Klein Memorial Park after the funeral .

An honor guard detail gave Donica's mother, Judy, and sister, Courtney, folded flags. In the distance a lone soldier played taps on a trumpet for a fallen comrade. The family declined to talk to reporters at the service.

Donica was remembered in eulogies by parents of kids who played soccer and hung out with him.

Jim O'Reilly, one of the parents, said Dustin stood out from the rest of the boys.

"There are those who spend their entire lives and not know respect, and Dustin had so much at such a young age," he said.

O'Reilly's wife, Deb, said Dustin was not only a good friend, teammate, son and brother, but that he was considerate and always thought of others first.

She remembered how much he had changed when she saw him in Christmas 2005. Standing at the door was no longer the boy she remembered, but a soldier who fully understood his duty to his country.

"He loved, lived, dreamed and had plans like all of us do, but he deferred those dreams to be part of a higher service," she said.

Born and raised in Houston, Donica was a 2002 graduate of Klein High School. He left the University of Texas at Austin in 2003 to enlist in the Army. He completed basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., where he received the airborne wings of an Army paratrooper.

In April 2005, "Double D," as he was known to his friends, was sent to the brigade's home base at Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Though an honor guard from Fort Hood carried his casket to his gravesite, his official pallbearers were six friends who grew up with him.

Images of youth

Like their friend, all six were so young they looked like they were between semesters in the final year of high school. Some were attempting beards and sideburns that resembled peach fuzz.

Foster said such images will be forever etched in his mind: the young age of the men and women fighting this war.

Though 3,000 casualties is not high compared with losses in other wars, Foster thought of the number as he prepared his eulogy.

"I'm sure when we crossed the 1,000 mark, we didn't think it would get this high either," he said.

From the Houston Chronicle

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