Fallen Soldier: Zachary B. Tomczak

Staff Sergeant Zachary B. Tomczak, 24, of Huron, S.D., was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., and served during Operation Iraqi Freedom. On September 25, 2007, Staff Sgt. Tomczak was killed when insurgents attacked his unit in Baghdad, Iraq.

A 2002 graduate of Huron High School, where he played football and was on the wrestling team, Staff Sgt. Tomczak enlisted in the Army the following June. He completed Infantry One Station Unit Training and the Basic Airborne Course, then completed Ranger School in 2007. His many interests included hunting, fishing, 4-wheeling, paintball, model cars, cooking and watching the San Francisco 49ers on TV. He had a knack for mechanical things and loved to tinker with fixing things.

His awards included the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal with two clasps, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Ranger tab, in addition to several other awards.

Staff Sgt. Tomczak’s wife is a Folds of Honor Scholarship recipient.