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Rachel Isenberg
Viola, Idaho
Sergeant Benjamin W. Isenberg, 27, left, saved the lives of three soldiers on September 13, 2004, the day he died. Through skillful driving and quick wits, his Lieutenant said his life and the lives of two other men in the vehicle were spared. Rachel Isenberg, Ben’s wife said, “My husband was so supportive of this war, the mission, and the President of the United States. His enlistment was up a month after he was activated to go to Iraq, but he didn’t try to get out of going. He really wanted to do something for his country.” Benjamin received several awards for his efforts, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
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News
- President Bush touched faces, shed tears and prayed with a family of Idaho women who lost a soldier in Iraq.
De Ann , Rachel and Tanna Isenberg of Moscow said they left a private meeting Wednesday feeling that George W. Bush genuinely felt their family's loss.
Sgt. Benjamin Isenberg died in Taji, Iraq, in September after an explosive device detonated near his Humvee. Isenberg was a member of the Oregon National Guard's 162nd Infantry.
"The president walked right in with Mrs. Bush behind him -- with smiles and tears," said De Ann, Benjamin's mother. "He sat on the couch and put his arm around us and said 'thank you.' "
Bush inquired after Benjamin and Rachel's two young boys and produced large, presidential coins for Rachel to give her sons, Jeremiah, 5, and Kraig , 3.
The three women received special lapel pins with Bush's signature engraved on the back.
"I thought, what average Canadian girl gets to meet the president of the United States?" said Rachel, who is working toward American citizenship. "He said 'You need to tell me the truth. How are you doing, really?' "
Tanna Isenberg said she initially worried about what to wear to meet the president. But her anxiety melted away when she got to talk with the president about her big brother. "He's so real and down-to-earth. I instantly felt comfortable," said Tanna, 17.
The president and Laura Bush also accepted photos of Benjamin and his sons, De Ann said.
"He wasn't the president. He was a man who cared about this loss," she said. The Idaho Statesman, 8/25/05
- Friends and family described Ben Isenberg as a private, quiet man who was intensely religious, patriotic and devoted to his family and community. He came from a long line of military men that his relatives say they have traced to the Civil War.
"Benjamin was a real good kid, but beyond that, he understood the true reason for this conflict, and he supported it wholeheartedly," said his father, Robert Isenberg, a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. "I'm very proud of him." The Oregonian, 9/17/04
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