Master Sergeant Linda Ann Tarango-Griess was born April 14, 1971, in Colorado, though she spent most of her childhood in North Platte, Nebraska. She enjoyed playing softball and volleyball and was also active in her local Big Brother/Big Sister program. She graduated high school in 1990, and after a year at the University of Nebraska, she decided to join the Nebraska Army National Guard.
She was assigned to the 267th Ordnance Company, Nebraska Army National Guard, Lincoln, Nebraska, and deployed to Iraq, February 4, 2004.
On July 11th, 2004, Master Sergeant Tarango-Griess’ patrol was passing through Samarra, considered a hotbed of violence 60 miles north of Baghdad. During the patrol, an improvised explosive device detonated near her vehicle, killing her and two other Soldiers. Three others were also wounded. Master Sergeant Tarango-Griess was 33.
Master Sergeant Tarango-Griess’s cousin, Linda Hernandez, said of her passing, “Sometimes I’m OK, and sometimes my stomach turns and I get nervous and want to cry out loud.” Master Sergeant Tarango-Griess is remembered as “someone who always had a smile and positive attitude” and an officer from an adjacent unit reflected after her passing that she was “always a true professional – not only a mentor, but also a friend. She served her country honorably.”
Master Sergeant Linda Ann Tarango-Griess is buried at Sutton Cemetery, Sutton, Nebraska.
Sources:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9119351/linda_ann-tarango-griess
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