Soldier Honored: Harry A. Winkler III

United States Army Specialist Harry A. (“Buck”) Winkler III, 32, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg N.C. Army SPC Winkler was born in Jacksonville, FL on March 12, 1974. He died on November 12th, 2006 from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq.

In 2001, Winkler watched his younger brother David graduate from Air Force boot camp months before the 9/11 attacks and something just struck him - he wanted to do something to change his life. In 2002, he joined the Army. Specialist Winkler enjoyed the service and wanted to get into “special forces”. His platoon mates remembered him as one of the best soldiers in the unit and a crack shot. They recalled SPC Winkler as having a great sense of humor, a “guy to get things done” and a devoted family man. Charity Winkler said that when her husband finished his first Army assignment in February 2005, he tried but failed to live without the military. “He was not satisfied with being a civilian”, she said. Harry re-enlisted in the Army in November 2005 and deployed to Iraq on August 10, 2006.

Army Specialist Harry A. Winkler is survived by his wife and son. His son was a recipient of the Folds of Honor Scholarship.