Soldier Honored: Michael D. Elledge

Army Staff Sergeant Michael D. Elledge, 41, of Brownsburg, Ind., was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.  He succumbed to injuries he received when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 17, 2008.

Upon graduating high school, SSG Elledge enlisted in the Marine Corps and served four years of active duty before being honorably discharged.  He then earned his airframe and powerplant license and began his civilian life as an aircraft mechanic. After working fourteen years, he was laid off due to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Being too old to re-enlist in the Marine Corps, he enlisted in the Army.

He served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and when his unit had moved from Camp Taji, 20 miles north of Baghdad, to a combat outpost closer to the city’s core, Elledge served as a father figure for many younger soldiers far away from home. SSG Elledge is the recipient of the a Purple Heart, as well as an Army Commendation Medal.

SSG Elledge is survived by his wife and three children, all og whom are Folds of Honor scholarship recipients.