STANDISH, MI, USA U.S. Army SGT, COMPANY A, 2D BATTALION, 15TH FIELD ARTILLERY, 2 BCT, FORT DRUM, NY BAGHDAD, IRAQ 05/19/2007
Justin Daniel Wisniewski, a 22-year-old Army sergeant from Northern Michigan was killed by the blast of an improvised explosive device in Iraq on May 19, 2007.
He was a 2003 graduate of Standish-Sterling Central High School, which held a moment of silence for him the following Monday afternoon. A picture of him in uniform was posted at the school. At 6-feet 2-inches, Wisniewski was a lineman for the football team, weighing in at 235 pounds. His personality was just as big. “He had a knack for making everyone else around him happy,” Mayor Kevin King said. “He was always happy — he had a million-dollar smile.”
After graduation, Wisniewski enlisted in the military, along with good friend Andrew Dunn, who is in New York awaiting deployment after he marries high school sweetheart Lauren Szostak in June. The two friends enlisted along with classmates Michael Stawowy and Matt Bonnau. “He made a decision to serve his country in a time of war,” King said. “That says a lot about his character.”
Wisniewski was from the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, N.Y.
Justin was loved by everyone who knew him. Born on December 11, 1984, he is remembered as always putting other people first. Justin was a soldier at heart and was proud to fight for the United States and for his family and friends. He left behind a lot of people who grieve for their loss but are so proud of their soldier and their hero.
Justin was always able to put a smile on everyone’s face. He lived every day of his 22 years as full as possible. If he wanted to do something, he never put it off until tomorrow. Justin wanted very little, just to raise his family in a log house on the east side of Standish. He did not like anyone to make a big deal over him or to fuss, but he is just going to have to deal with it this time. If he did not want anyone to grieve for him, then he should not have been such a great son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, boyfriend or friend. But the truth is, he was the best and he was our hero in more ways than one.
Justin, we will all miss you forever and longer. Among these people are his parents, Daniel and Cheryl Wisniewski, and his siblings: Jason Wisniewski, Jessica Wisniewski and Jodi (along with Eric and Hunter) Trombley.