SSG Darren D. VanKomen

33, US Army 

December 21 marks the anniversary of the passing of SSG Darren D. VanKomen, 33, US Army of Bluefield WV. We honor and remember him, his family, and his mother Betty Clemens of Orofino, Washington. 

He was born May 2nd 1971. Darren grew up in Idaho, the youngest of 10 children, and joined the Army after graduating from high school. He had recently been promoted and re-enlisted for another six years.

SSG VanKomen was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash. He was killed Dec. 21 2004 in Mosul, Iraq while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom when a suicide bomber entered his dining facility and detonated an improvised explosive device 

Darren was born in Bluefield, West Virginia but grew up in Lewiston, Idaho. He enlisted in the military in 1991, a few years after graduating from Culdesac High School in Idaho. He was stationed in West Virginia and Colorado before coming to Fort Lewis for a second time. Twice, he left the army, to explore life as a civilian. Twice he returned, after missing the structure and purpose of the military. "He liked everything about it. He literally felt like he could make a difference," said sister-in-law Stephanie VanKomen of Orofino, Idaho. "He was right where he wanted to be," said his sister-in-law, Andrea VanKomen, of Puyallup. "He was really dedicated to serving his country."

When Darren was in his late teens, he invented the word "zerbert" to mean "hugs and kisses." It was a word he never outgrew. Years later, when he became a military man, he would blurt out "Zerbert to you!" to his mother and sister and they would smile. He doted on his large family of six brothers and two sisters and was the uncle who played basketball and blind man's bluff with the kids. He was tall and funny, liked to draw pictures of cartoon characters and Conan the Barbarian, and he loved the military.

"Sgt. V", as most of his comrades called him _ was known for his perfectionism and painstaking attention to detail. He had recently been promoted and re-enlisted for another six years. VanKomen could not resist telling his wife, who has multiple sclerosis, by e-mail what he had gotten her for Christmas: a heated massage pad and a computer game. The gifts arrived the same day she learned of his death.

Moments after Stephaine VanKomen met a handsome soldier named Darren, she told her sister-in-law she would marry him. "She thought I was crazy. I didn't even know his first name," Stephaine said. Nevertheless, he called her for a date the same day and they went out later that night. They were married six months later.

 He doted on his wife, Stephaine, and 12-year-old stepdaughter, Chelsea, with gifts of perfume and video games. He was a very loving father and husband. A half-hour before Stephaine learned of his death, she opened the door to a package of Christmas presents he had sent home.

A Stryker Brigade unit supply specialist, Darren had been planning to take Stephaine to Italy for their 10-year anniversary, but first, he had a tour of duty in Iraq. 

Darren is also survived by 6 brothers and 2 sisters.

Let us remember him, his family, and….

Say His Name

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