Ivica jerak biography sample
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Jerak also had assignments with the 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, and the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group. Yet, he dedicated himself to fighting and ultimately sacrificed his life in service to the United States, a nation he wholeheartedly considered his own.
Introduction
Ivica Jerak, originally from Croatia, was affectionately known as the “Croatian sensation” or “Pizza” among his colleagues in the American army.
In former Yugoslavia, conscription was in practice, and all men at seventeen would register for service and be inducted into the military at nineteen. His last assignment was as an assistant team sergeant assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Jerak completed several military courses while serving in the United States Army to include the Pathfinder Course, the Ranger Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Static Line Jumpmaster Course, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, the Special Operations Medical Course, the Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Course, the Military Freefall Course, the Jumpmaster Course, and the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course.
He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
He is survived by his wife, Hye Jerak and his mother, Milka Jerak.
Location of IntermentArlington National Cemetery - Arlington, Virginia
Plot: Section 60 Site 8217
Ivica Jerak
Master Sgt.
Ivica Jerak died Aug. 25, 2005, while conducting combat operations in Iraq against known enemies of the United States of America.
He was born Oct. 12, 1962 in Debeljak, former Republic of Yugoslavia and graduated from the Center for Education of Personnel in Zadar, former Republic of Yugoslavia in July 1981.
He entered the U.S.
Army as a combat medic Jan. 19, 1988, and after completion of Initial Entry Training, was assigned to the 690th Medical Company, Fort Benning, Ga. Since that time, Jerak served in the 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Jerak participated in numerous military operations and missions worldwide, including international peace support operations in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo.
He was posthumously honored with the Bronze Star with Valor Device, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Purple Heart.
Eric Sof
Eric Sof holds a master's degree in Political Science, specializing in International Peacekeeping Studies.
Death
Tragically, Jerak died in northern Iraq on August 25, 2005, near Husaybah while serving as a Delta Force operator.
Additionally, he is a firearms instructor and currently serves as a member of the SWAT unit.
Master Sgt. Ivica Jerak died Aug. 25, 2005, while conducting combat operations in Iraq against known enemies of the United States of America.
He was born Oct. 12, 1962 in Debeljak, former Republic of Yugoslavia and graduated from the Center for Education of Personnel in Zadar, former Republic of Yugoslavia in July 1981.
He entered the U.S.
Army as a combat medic Jan. 19, 1988, and after completion of Initial Entry Training, was assigned to the 690th Medical Company, Fort Benning, Ga. Since that time, Jerak served in the 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Delta Force is a specialized unit renowned for its expertise in urban warfare.
He has over a decade of experience as a former member of an elite counterterrorism unit. The description, written in Croatian and English, reads: “This playground and works are dedicated to the memory of Master Sergeant Ivica Jerak, son of Debeljak, a citizen of the United States who was killed in the line of duty.”
The objects mentioned in the inscription were intended for the youngest residents of Debeljak, a village with 950 inhabitants.
Jerak received 47 decorations during his distinguished service, including four Bronze Star Medals, one with a Valor device, and two Purple Heart Medals. He attended elementary school in the small villages of Debeljak and Sukošan. He was buried at the military cemetery in Arlington.
Medals and commendations
Throughout his 17-year military career, Jerak completed a variety of courses, which included the Pathfinder Course, Ranger Course, Basic Airborne Course, Static Line Jumpmaster Course, Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, Special Operations Medical Course, Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Course, Military Freefall Course, Jumpmaster Course, and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course.
He joined the unit in the late 1990s.
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Ivica Jerak: The Croat who died as an American hero
Ivica Jerak, a Delta Force operator, was killed in the line of duty in northern Iraq in 2005.
His last assignment was as an assistant team sergeant assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Jerak completed several military courses while serving in the United States Army to include the Pathfinder Course, the Ranger Course, the Basic Airborne Course, the Static Line Jumpmaster Course, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course, the Special Operations Medical Course, the Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Course, the Military Freefall Course, the Jumpmaster Course, and the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course.
He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
He is survived by his wife, Hye Jerak and his mother, Milka Jerak.
He is survived by his wife, Hye, an American citizen from South Korea, and his mother, Milka Jerak, who resides in Houston. Ivica Jerak, two other Delta operators, and a fellow 3/75 Ranger lost their lives in action outside of Al Qaim, Iraq, when their Pandur vehicle struck an anti-tank mine. Delta operators Ivica Jerak, Trevor Diesing, and Obediah Kolath (who succumbed to his wounds two days later) and Ranger Corporal Timothy Shea gave their lives during combat operations against Al-Qaeda.
He served in the Yugoslav military.