Soldier killed in Afghanistan crash grew up in New Mexico

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Posted 7:55PM on Tuesday, March 5, 2002

GALLUP, NEW MEXICO - A Georgia-based American killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan grew up in New Mexico, spending his childhood in Carlsbad and Farmington and the last few years in Gallup. ``My son loved his country, loves his job very much,'' said Jackie Cunningham of her son, Jason D. Cunningham. ``He was very determined and was a good kid.'' Jason's parents, who live in Gallup, told radio station KYVA in Gallup that they got word of their son's death Tuesday morning. Cunningham, 26, was a senior airman. He would have turned 27 on March 27, his mother said. He had been involved in rescue efforts with the Air Force for 2 1/2 years. Initially, he had joined the Navy, she said. As nighttime approached, the blinds were shut at the Cunningham's blue ranch-style home with a white picket fence. A police car blocked the driveway and there many cars and trucks nearby. A brother-in-law and a family friend of Cunningham who answered the door tearfully told a reporter that they were inundated with visitors and all day and had no immediate comment. Another family friend said the family planned to give a news conference at their home later Tuesday. In New Mexico, Cunningham briefly attended Carlsbad High School, then moved to Farmington. Cunningham's wife, Theresa Cunningham, lives at Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta with the couple's two daughters, 2-year-old Hannah and 4-year-old Kyla. Her parents live in Camarillo, Calif. Their daughter contacted them early Tuesday. ``She was hysterical. She talked to her mom and said, `Jason is dead.' That's it,'' said her father, Lito D'Castro. ``He's a nice guy. He loves the service,'' D'Castro said from Camarillo. D'Castro said the last time he saw Cunningham was when he visited Camarillo at Christmastime. Cunningham was one of seven Americans who died in the bloodiest operation of the war in Afghanistan. They were killed as troops were being taken into the battle area on two different missions, the Pentagon said Tuesday. One incident happened early Monday morning south of the town of Gardez when a two-helicopter team was ferrying in reconnaissance troops and one was hit by enemy fire, said Brig Gen. John W. Rosa Jr., deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. One person fell out from his helicopter and later died, Rosa told a Pentagon news conference. The second happened three hours later and a distance away during a separate two-helicopter mission to bring special forces into the battle area. Once on the ground, those forces got into a firefight in which at least 11 were wounded and six died.