1st Lt. Joshua C. Hurley

Pentagon officials on Monday released the name of one of two 101st Airborne Division soldiers killed Saturday in Mosul when their humvee hit a roadside bomb about 7:30 a.m. local time.

First Lt. Joshua C. Hurley, 24, of Clifton Forge, Va., assigned to the 326th Engineer Battalion at Fort Campbell, died from his injuries. Two others in the vehicle also were wounded in the blast, but the Department of Defense does not release names of injured service members.

The name of the second soldier who died will be released when family notification is complete.

In the small Virginia town where Hurley grew up, about 60 miles from Roanoke, he is remembered as a dedicated man who loved his family and his country. His wife, Teresa, also is a soldier assigned to the 101st in Iraq and is en route to the United States.

"He really believed in what he was doing," said his younger sister and only sibling, Amanda Hurley, during a telephone interview from the family home Monday. "The last letter I got from him, he was ready to come home and go hunting and fishing. He loved being an engineer officer."

Clifton Forge neighbor Frances Nicely remembered Hurley as a nice, polite boy who liked to go fishing and play basketball in his yard.

"He was a wonderful child and a good-looking boy," Nicely said. "It's such a shame. It hurts to think about it. The whole family is very nice."

Lt. Hurley had no children, but he left behind a 6-week-old niece that he never saw, and he will miss his sister's wedding. Hurley's parents currently live in Texas.

"We were pretty close. We're a real close family," Amanda Hurley said. "We're just pulling together and trying to get through it."

Amanda Hurley's fiance, Josh Elmore, said Lt. Hurley made him feel like family and appreciated how he treated everyone as an equal.

"He was a great guy," Elmore said.

"It's a shame that he's gone. It's hard on everybody right now. "

Lt. Hurley attended Alleghany High School in Clifton Forge and entered the U.S. Army in 2001 as a second lieutenant after graduating from the Virginia Military Institute, near Lexington, Va.

"That's really the only school he wanted to go to was VMI," Amanda Hurley said.

Lt. Hurley's unit will hold a memorial service for him in Mosul as is done for all Fort Campbell and 101st troops who have sacrificed their lives in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The deaths are under investigation.

'He never took the easy way out'

Father of serviceman who died in ambush says his son believed in what he was doing in Iraq

BY CALVIN R. TRICE

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Nov 4, 2003

The father of a Clifton Forge native who was killed last week in an ambush in Iraq described his son as a young man who loved challenges.

Lt. Joshua C. Hurley, 24, died Saturday in Mosul as a result of an attack on the high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle in which he was riding. The vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense said.

He was serving with the 101st Division's 326th Engineer Battalion, the department said.

His wife, Teresa, who is also assigned to the 101st Division, was expected to join Hurley's family in Alvin, Texas, yesterday, a family member said.

Hurley's father, Chuck Hurley, said his son always chose the difficult route to achievement.

"He never took the easy way out, from the school he picked, VMI, to the things that he did in the service," Hurley said by phone from Alvin.

Joshua Hurley believed strongly in what he was doing in Iraq, Chuck Hurley said.

"He was a fellow that believed very much in right and wrong and in truth. There were no gray areas for him," he said. The Hurleys moved to southeast Texas two years ago, he said.

Joshua Hurley was an avid deer hunter who learned to fire a rifle at age 9, his father said.

He was a graduate of Alleghany County High School, where he wrestled for the Mountaineers for several years. John Hutchison, an assistant principal who was a guidance counselor while Hurley was there, described Hurley as conscientious and polite.

Hurley focused his college aspirations on the challenges at VMI well before graduation in 1997, Hutchison said.

"That's where he had his heart set," he said. "That's where he applied and that's where he went. He did what he wanted to do as far as education goes."

At VMI, Hurley took part in intramural sports and played as a freshman on the varsity golf team. He made the dean's academic honors list for six consecutive semesters and graduated with distinction in May 2001 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.

He accepted a commission with the Army Corps of Engineers after graduation, the school said.

In addition to his father and wife, he is survived by his mother, Christine, and a sister, Amanda.

QAYARAH, Iraq -- Soldiers of the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, held memorial services Saturday, to honor 1st Lt. Joshua C. Hurley, who was killed by an improvised explosive device Nov. 1 in Mosul during a convoy.

"He talked about the beautiful park he was helping build in Mosul, how he could look out the window of his office and watch the project grow," said Sgt. 1st Class Chadwick Price, Company A, 326th.

"There were a few soldiers that stood out for their competence and professionalism, Hurley was one of those," said Capt. Thomas Wood, Company A commander. "He served with distinction and honor. He was a quiet professional and a friend."

Hurley was a Company A platoon leader, where he served during combat operations with 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment.

He was reassigned after the combat phase of the operation to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 326th, where he served as the deputy mayor's liaison officer to the mayor of Mosul, Iraq.

Among the soldiers that served with Hurley, many had fond memories of the friendship and leadership he offered.

"We always harassed each other," said 1st Lt. David Wilson, Co. A, 326th. "Josh always had an ability to not let things bother him. He always had a kind word. Whenever he was given a task he completed it. There was never any doubt that Josh would be there in a pinch. He should always know that my last push-up of the day will be dedicated to the Airborne Ranger in the sky."

"If you needed him, he would always be there to talk," said Cpl. Dusty Beam, Co. A, 326th. "Lt. Hurley's death has made my fear of death lessen, knowing that I have at least one good friend to reunite with."

1st Lt. Joshua C. Hurley, born April 22, 1979, was from Clifton Forge, Va. He was the son of Charles and Christine Hurley.

He is survived by his wife 1st Lt. Teresa Vaught, mother and father, and sister, Amanda Hurley.

Compiled by Leaf-Chronicle military reporter Chantal Escoto. Sources: 101st Airborne Division Public Affairs Office and www.centcom.mil.


				*Screaming Eagles Through Time* *1st Lt. Joshua C. Hurley*



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