Honor your hero with thoughts, memories, images and stories.
Not only was Michael an excellent brother to me and my siblings he was an excellent son to his mother, father to his child, husband to his wife, uncle to his many nephews and niece, cousin to his cousins, brother to his fellow soldiers, but most of all he was a excellent friend to everyone. I feel honored to have shared him with so many, i never realized how many people that was. I always knew there was a brotherhood among the soldiers, but never knew what it really meant to them until our tragedy. Seeing all the things that his fellow soldiers have said and posted on the internet, the one thing that really hit me was that EVERY soldier that had something to say to him after his passing, was the calling him "bro", while another fellow soldier said Michael would talk about his wife and son so much they had to tell him to "shut-up" and that the soldier actually felt that he was too close Michaels family. Hearing some of these thing is when i understood that we all shared him. He was someone that everyone wanted to be around, making everyone he knew laugh at the drop of a dime, either by the telling of a joke or how he would be so physical in the telling of a story. I can remember times in his later high school years where there were some people who didnt want him to join the military, and that sometimes bothered him, I would ensure him to do what he wanted to do, and that is exactly what he did, he became a soldier in the US Army and i think we can all agree that he was "damn fine soldier" .....
They were helping to make a difference when they were taken from us. Honor & Remember Our American Hero Sgt. Michael Patrick Scusa US Army
Hometown: Villas, New Jersey
As a teenager, Michael Scusa would load up a backpack with bricks and jog through his neighborhood. He was impassioned about joining the Army. That is all he ever said he wanted to do. A month after graduating from high school, he was in basic training. Michael always talked passionately about his drive to join the military and to serve his country. In 2005, he joined the armed forces and went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for his basic training. After being stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, Michael was deployed to Iraq, back in October 2006, for fifteen months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He enjoyed his role as Cavalry Scout and believed in his mission. He came home after a long deployment. After his first tour of duty, Michael returned to his High school, in uniform, to talk to students about what his life was like. Michael entertained questions about the social life and the heat, but also serious ones about the danger. Michael Scusa was told sixteen months later, he would deploying again in May 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, in Afghanistan.
Gold Star Mother Cynthia Woodard -Michael was at Cop Keating Afghanistan along with 7 of his brothers when their camp was attacked by 400+ insurgents and only 53 American Soldiers, 8 kia and 22 wounded.Jake Tapper from now CNN wrote a book about Keating and the final attack, its called The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor in which 2 that were wounded received the Medal of Honor, Clinton Romesha and Ty Carter. Army Sgt. Michael P.Scusa 22, Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 3. 2009 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Also killed were Sgt. Justin T. Gallegos, Spc. Christopher T. Griffin, Sgt. Joshua M. Hardt, Sgt. Joshua J. Kirk, Spc. Stephan L. Mace, Staff Sgt. Vernon W. Martin and Pfc. Kevin C. Thomson. Never Forget Sgt. Michael Patrick Scusa US Army Always Remember — with Cynthia Gsm Woodard.
I didn't know Michael Scusa, but I read Clint Romesha's book about the battle at Kamdesh, and I was deeply moved by the fact that he Loved his wife and son so much and was not afraid to pronounce that Love to anyone around him. That made me incredibly sad that he was killed so young, before he could shower them with that Love. If there is anything I can do for that boy, I would be happy to help him, and I want him to know that his father was a real man who did his duty sustained by Love of family in a God-awful corner of the world. I know the boy will be proud of his father.