Soldier Honored: Zachary R. Nordmeyer

2016-Zachary R. Nordmeyer
Dates: February 23, 2009
Hometown: Indianapolis
Branch of Service: Army
Rank: Corporal

Corporal Zachary Nordmeyer, 21, of Indianapolis; assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died February 23, 2009 of wound sustained when insurgents attached his unit using small arms fire.

A graduate of Ben Davis High School, Nordmeyer, was killed while patrolling on foot near the town of Balad, about 70 miles north of Baghdad. Nordmeyer joined the Army in July 2007, two months out of high school, and was sent to Iraq in September for a 12-month tour. While in high school, he was a member of the JROTC program.

Lt. Col. Dave Thompson, who runs a JROTC program, taught Zachary for three years and recalled his student’s transformation from follower to leader. “There’s quiet leadership, and he was pretty strong at that early,” Thompson said. “But by his senior year, he kind of came out of his shell. He wasn’t afraid to encourage younger students to develop as cadets and do their best.”


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