HAMMOND, OR, USA U.S. Army SGT, A CO , 3D BATTALION, 21ST INFANTRY, 25TH INFANTRY DIVISION, (TFO), FORT LEWIS, WA MOSUL, IRAQ 12/04/2004
Sergeant David A. Mitts grew up in Hammond Oregon. He attended Warrenton High School and also played football for the St. Louis Rams football team. His teammate, Dusty, remembers how they used to race home for lunch in Mitts’ baby blue Ford Ranger, eat macaroni and cheese, sneak in a quick duck hunt, catch a few moments of Jerry Springer’s talk show and then make the wild dash back to school. David also liked odd culinary combos. His favorite sandwich was peanut butter, cheese and pickles.
In 1999, he joined the army immediately upon graduating from high school. He also married his high school sweetheart. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington in the 3rd Battlaion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. He was eventually deployed to Iraq. On December 4, 2004 David was killed when his Stryker Brigade Combat Team vehicle was hit by hostile fire during convoy operations.
People said he was friendly, outgoing, a real people person and extremely polite. He was a home-town boy all the way through. David was also an avid hunter and fisherman and devoted family man. At the time of his death, his wife Tara was pregnant with their child.