TOWN OF NEWBURG – The Stewart Air National Guard Base is in mourning, remembering two of their comrades, Tech Sgt. Joseph Lemm and Staff Sgt. Louis “Bones” Bonacasa, who were among six American service members who were killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan on Monday.
“We deeply mourn the tragic loss of our two defender heroes,” base Vice Commander Col. Howard Wagner said on Wednesday. “We are a close knit base and in a sense, really an extended family at Stewart and especially so for our defenders based on the unique mission that they have; so, you can imagine it affects all of us. And so, we honor them and their sacrifice, really the ultimate sacrifice, that they’ve made and we do take great pride in their professionalism, their patriotism and their service that they have given.”
Master Sgt. Michael Bates, who returned from recent deployment and knew the two men personally, spoke of their character and memory.
Lemm was “always one to lead the way,” said Bates. “He was looked up upon by the younger airmen and he was a mentor to everyone, not only that worked under him but, to everyone; everybody looked up to him. His personality was contagious, in that, he was always upbeat, always friendly and just a well-rounded, nice guy.”
Bates said, like Lemm, Staff Sgt. Bonacasa was admired by his comrades and “was always one to want to be in the mix. He was never one to want to sit back and watch things happen. He wanted to be there, with us or, with his troops and again, he was another one that the younger airmen looked up to and he was a good role model for them.”
The bodies of both Lemm and Bonacasa were transported to Dover Air Force Base in New Jersey on Wednesday. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Photo board with snapshots of Bonacasa, left, and Lemm
