Highly decorated retired Army 1st Sergeant Craig Staker was the guest speaker for the annual Veterans Day Service at Newton American Legion Post 111 on Tuesday morning. The Bronze Star recipient talked about his 28-year career in the Army, and became emotional when talking about how he lost two commorades to suicide bombings while serving in Mosul, Iraq in late December 2004.

“So if you walk out of here with anything today, I want you to know Oscar Sanchez’s name and Captain William Jacobsen’s name. I don’t care about me, remember them. Thank you all for your service. Thank you for bearing with me. Have a great Veterans Day.”

Staker said Private First Class Sanchez was only 19 when he was killed on December 29th, 2004, two days before his first wedding anniversary. Captain Jacobsen died on December 21st, 2004, and left behind a wife and four children. Staker is now working as partial owner of Titan Roofing Company in Des Moines.