Oxford, Kansas, US
United States Army
CPL, Cavalry Scouts, 2nd Armor Division, 1/41st Cavalry Saudi-Iraq border, Iraq, 02/17/1991
Jeffery Thomas Middleton was born April 11, 1967 at Bad Constadt, Stuttgart, Germany. His parents were stationed there with the U S Army.
At the age of four, his family left the Army and started farming at Oxford, Kansas. Jeff grew up on the family farm, hunting, fishing, and playing with three younger brothers. He attended and graduated from Oxford Public schools and fell in love with football and the U S Army. He attended Pittsburg State University and continued playing football and joined its ROTC program. Two years into his university studies, Jeff decided to turn his full attention to the military. He left Pittsburg State and enlisted in the U S Army to be assigned to the Armored Cavalry Branch.
Jeff took Basic and Advanced Training with the 1st Armor Training Brigade, 5-15 Cavalry, E Company, Fort Knox, Kentucky and graduated 4 January 1988. He was assigned to the Cavalry Scouts, 2nd Armor Division, 1/41st Cavalry in Garlstadt, Germany. His Unit, the 1/41st, was called to be part of the force to expel Iraq’s military forces out of Kuwait. He was deployed to Saudi Arabia on 31 December 1990.
War with Iraq was declared on 17 January 1991 and Task Force 1/41st breached the berm and into Iraq on 15 February 1991. Jeff was a gunner with the Cavalry Scouts. His Bradley Fighting Vehicle, on which he was the gunner, included SSG Richard Miller, Tank Commander, PFC Gebhard as the driver, PVT Tally and SP4 Ta were the dismounts. Jeff’s Bradley was arranged in a screen line ahead of the main force of the 1/41st. Jeffery was killed in action on February 17, 1991 when a Hellfire missile hit his Bradley Fighting Vehicle. PVT Talley died with him, the youngest soldier to be killed in the Gulf War. The others survived the hit. Jeffery was the first Kansas killed in the Gulf War.
Jeffery followed his dreams. As a young adult Jeff had two loves, the Scouts and his wife. Jeff met and courted Gina Stevens while stationed in Germany. They were married at Fort Polk, Louisiana, on 18 February 1989. Jeff loved being a husband and a Scout. Serving his country was his childhood dream.
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