Lt. Adam P. Kass, U.S. Army, age 25, dear son of David and Cynthia, nee Rossi; fond brother of Diana, Jared and Braden; grandson of Paul and Ruth Rossi and Eleanore Kass; nephew, cousin and friend of many. Visitation Tuesday, 3 to 9 p.m. Funeral Wednesday, 9:15 a.m., from the Adams-Winterfield & Sullivan Funeral Home, 4343 Main St., Downers Grove (one block south of Ogden), to Divine Savior Church, 6700 Main St., Downers Grove. Mass 10 a.m. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Adam's name to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.
-----
There was nothing more important to Lt. Adam P. Kass than serving his country. He focused on his duties in the Army with an unwavering sense of determination.
In the wake of Sept. 11, he wrote a letter to his friends, colleagues and commanders expressing outrage against those responsible for the attacks. He wrote: "I was created and placed on this earth with one purpose alone: to protect, with my life, my people and my country from the evils of the world."
"I believe he saw what he was doing--being a leader to soldiers and serving his country--as the most important contribution he could ever make," said his former commanding officer, Capt. Matthew Turpin.
Lt. Kass, 25, died Tuesday, June 25, in a vehicular accident while on duty with the 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry of the 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany.
He was born in Oak Park and raised in Downers Grove.
His mother, Cynthia, said her son demonstrated a strong sense of patriotic duty as a teen,, joining the Col. Shorty Powers Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol at age 14. Through an Air Force Association scholarship, he was able to obtain his pilot's license at age 17. While a senior in high school, he won a national Civil Air Patrol competition with a speech advocating a constitutional amendment prohibiting the desecration of the U.S. flag.
After graduating from Benet Academy in Lisle, he attended the University of Illinois on an Army ROTC scholarship and went through air assault school. After graduating from the U. of I. with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in December 1999, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army.
He ranked first in the armor officer basic course at Ft. Knox, Ky. Later that year, he completed the scout leaders course and airborne school and went through the Army's nine-week Ranger school.
"In the second week he broke a bone in his foot. He just laced up his boot and finished it because he didn't want to be washed out," his mother said.
Of the 289 men who started the course, Lt. Kass was one of 27 to complete it in nine weeks.
"He was just relentless. He was determined in whatever he decided to do," said his father, David.
Lt. Kass joined the 1st Squadron in Germany in January 2001. He served as a tank platoon leader under Turpin. Two months later, Turpin promoted him to a scout platoon leader.
Turnpin said the unit had been experiencing several personnel and morale problems. "In two months' time he turned them around, creating an incredible amount of pride in the men, Turpin said, adding, "His soldiers gravitated to him. And they would do anything to follow him. He was the most upright lieutenant I have ever met. I trusted him completely."
Last January Lt. Kass moved to Alpha Troop, where he served as executive officer.
Lt. Kass had completed the Chicago Marathon while in college. A few weeks ago he completed the Prague International Marathon.
On visits home, Lt. Kass was devoted to his family, his mother said.
"Other than his duties as a soldier, his family and friends were the important things in his life," she said.
Other survivors include a sister, Diana; two brothers, Jared and Braden; and grandparents Paul and Ruth Rossi and Eleanore Kass.
A visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Adams-Winterfield and Sullivan Funeral Home, 4343 Main St., Downers Grove. Services will begin at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home, followed by a 10 a.m. mass in Divine Savior Church, 6700 Main St., Downers Grove.
Memorials in Lt. Kass' name may be made by contacting the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors at 800-959-TAPS.
- Patricia Trebe, Chicago Tribune
-----
Adam Kass, a lieutenant in the United States Army, died in a vehicular accident while on duty in Germany with the 4th Cavalry Squadron of the 1st Infantry.
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, and a long-time resident of Downers Grove, Ill., where his family still resides, Lieutenant Kass graduated from Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., and from the University of Illinois at Champaign. Since the age of 14 , he demonstrated a sense of duty to his country, first through the Colonel Shorty Powers Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, where he eventually became the Cadet Commander. He got his pilot's license at age 17. His patriotism was clear as he won a national CAP competition with a speech advocating a constitutional amendment prohibiting desecration of the flag.
At the U of I, he was in the Army ROTC program and was commissioned an officer in the United States Army in December of 1999. He took his Officer Basic Course in armor at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and graduated first in his class. He completed Air Assault and Airborne training and Ranger school. He was among only 27 men of 289 that started and finished the 9-week Ranger training together. Especially remarkable since he broke a bone in his foot at the end of week 2, but kept quiet about it, laced up his boot and kept going to avoid getting washed out for medical reasons.
Eventually stationed at Schweinfurt, Germany, he was so deeply affected by the 9/11 terrorist attack that, upon hearing about it, he penned "A Message From a Soldier." His letter passionately describes how the persons responsible for ending the lives of thousands of innocents that he had sworn to defend would come to justice.
Lieutenant Kass also completed the Chicago Marathon and, just a few weeks before his death, the Prague International Marathon. Upon his death, his immediate superior began the A "Anvil" Troop Memorial Award to be awarded annually in Lt. Kass' name to the best man in the troop.
- Fall 2002 issue of TAPS magazine
-----
A Message from a Soldier
13 September 2001
To the person responsible:
It is obvious to my comrades in arms and me that you have no idea who you are dealing with, so allow me to enlighten you....
I am the one million American Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen sworn to defend my country. I have been called to give my life in the defense of liberty so that others may live; for America was founded on this principle, and I am so proud to carry it on. Patriotism is not a word to me, but my way of life. The uniform I don every day is the smallest symbol of my commitment to my mission. "I wear the uniform of my country because others do not," and so others do not have to. I carry out my mission to prevent others from doing what I must do and from feeling the pain I must feel. And these "others" are the ones you have taken from me.
You have ended the lives of thousands that I have sworn to defend. These innocents were my family, whether or not we shared the same blood. We all lived together as one, and they enjoyed the freedoms and rights that our democracy has provided and I have defended for them. Diverse, different, and ever-changing, the people of America ARE America. And you have challenged this....
You have attacked the very soil that I have sworn to defend. The land we love has been tainted with the wickedness of you and those who blindly follow you. Our land is not simply buildings of concrete and steel; those are but physical representations of the dedication of our people, and the technology we have achieved. And you have challenged this....
The razor sharp arrows of justice have been honed by America's resolve and whetted with the blood of those you murdered. The string of her bow is being stretched by my desire to unleash the wrath that is erupting inside my heart. I was created and placed on this earth with one purpose alone: to protect, with my life, my people and my country from the evils of the world; and to destroy the evils that challenge all that I have sworn to defend. And you have challenged this....
God help you should our Nation decide to let loose its awesome power. For you will not only be faced with me, but with the hearts, desires, and determination of AMERICA projected through the flesh of my men, the steel of my saber, and the lead of my ammunition. You have challenged, and America will answer. You will run the gauntlet of my wrath, and I am the most lethal killing machine ever devised. I combine the technology and raw power of the world's best weaponry with the unrelenting determination and passion of the world's best warriors.
You are not a person to me; you are not a human being. You are a target. You are the destiny of the hammer falling in my rifle. So help me God, I WILL destroy you.
Note about the author: Lt. Adam Kass wrote this letter immediately after the terrorist attack of 9/11 but did not want to have his name on it because he thought it should not be identified as having come from one person, but coming from all those who defend our Nation. Lt. Kass died 8 months later in an accident while on duty with the U.S. Army in Germany.
-----
There was nothing more important to Lt. Adam P. Kass than serving his country. He focused on his duties in the Army with an unwavering sense of determination.
In the wake of Sept. 11, he wrote a letter to his friends, colleagues and commanders expressing outrage against those responsible for the attacks. He wrote: "I was created and placed on this earth with one purpose alone: to protect, with my life, my people and my country from the evils of the world."
"I believe he saw what he was doing--being a leader to soldiers and serving his country--as the most important contribution he could ever make," said his former commanding officer, Capt. Matthew Turpin.
Lt. Kass, 25, died Tuesday, June 25, in a vehicular accident while on duty with the 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry of the 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany.
He was born in Oak Park and raised in Downers Grove.
His mother, Cynthia, said her son demonstrated a strong sense of patriotic duty as a teen,, joining the Col. Shorty Powers Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol at age 14. Through an Air Force Association scholarship, he was able to obtain his pilot's license at age 17. While a senior in high school, he won a national Civil Air Patrol competition with a speech advocating a constitutional amendment prohibiting the desecration of the U.S. flag.
After graduating from Benet Academy in Lisle, he attended the University of Illinois on an Army ROTC scholarship and went through air assault school. After graduating from the U. of I. with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in December 1999, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army.
He ranked first in the armor officer basic course at Ft. Knox, Ky. Later that year, he completed the scout leaders course and airborne school and went through the Army's nine-week Ranger school.
"In the second week he broke a bone in his foot. He just laced up his boot and finished it because he didn't want to be washed out," his mother said.
Of the 289 men who started the course, Lt. Kass was one of 27 to complete it in nine weeks.
"He was just relentless. He was determined in whatever he decided to do," said his father, David.
Lt. Kass joined the 1st Squadron in Germany in January 2001. He served as a tank platoon leader under Turpin. Two months later, Turpin promoted him to a scout platoon leader.
Turnpin said the unit had been experiencing several personnel and morale problems. "In two months' time he turned them around, creating an incredible amount of pride in the men, Turpin said, adding, "His soldiers gravitated to him. And they would do anything to follow him. He was the most upright lieutenant I have ever met. I trusted him completely."
Last January Lt. Kass moved to Alpha Troop, where he served as executive officer.
Lt. Kass had completed the Chicago Marathon while in college. A few weeks ago he completed the Prague International Marathon.
On visits home, Lt. Kass was devoted to his family, his mother said.
"Other than his duties as a soldier, his family and friends were the important things in his life," she said.
Other survivors include a sister, Diana; two brothers, Jared and Braden; and grandparents Paul and Ruth Rossi and Eleanore Kass.
A visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Adams-Winterfield and Sullivan Funeral Home, 4343 Main St., Downers Grove. Services will begin at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home, followed by a 10 a.m. mass in Divine Savior Church, 6700 Main St., Downers Grove.
Memorials in Lt. Kass' name may be made by contacting the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors at 800-959-TAPS.
- Patricia Trebe, Chicago Tribune
-----
Adam Kass, a lieutenant in the United States Army, died in a vehicular accident while on duty in Germany with the 4th Cavalry Squadron of the 1st Infantry.
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, and a long-time resident of Downers Grove, Ill., where his family still resides, Lieutenant Kass graduated from Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., and from the University of Illinois at Champaign. Since the age of 14 , he demonstrated a sense of duty to his country, first through the Colonel Shorty Powers Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, where he eventually became the Cadet Commander. He got his pilot's license at age 17. His patriotism was clear as he won a national CAP competition with a speech advocating a constitutional amendment prohibiting desecration of the flag.
At the U of I, he was in the Army ROTC program and was commissioned an officer in the United States Army in December of 1999. He took his Officer Basic Course in armor at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and graduated first in his class. He completed Air Assault and Airborne training and Ranger school. He was among only 27 men of 289 that started and finished the 9-week Ranger training together. Especially remarkable since he broke a bone in his foot at the end of week 2, but kept quiet about it, laced up his boot and kept going to avoid getting washed out for medical reasons.
Eventually stationed at Schweinfurt, Germany, he was so deeply affected by the 9/11 terrorist attack that, upon hearing about it, he penned "A Message From a Soldier." His letter passionately describes how the persons responsible for ending the lives of thousands of innocents that he had sworn to defend would come to justice.
Lieutenant Kass also completed the Chicago Marathon and, just a few weeks before his death, the Prague International Marathon. Upon his death, his immediate superior began the A "Anvil" Troop Memorial Award to be awarded annually in Lt. Kass' name to the best man in the troop.
- Fall 2002 issue of TAPS magazine
-----
A Message from a Soldier
13 September 2001
To the person responsible:
It is obvious to my comrades in arms and me that you have no idea who you are dealing with, so allow me to enlighten you....
I am the one million American Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen sworn to defend my country. I have been called to give my life in the defense of liberty so that others may live; for America was founded on this principle, and I am so proud to carry it on. Patriotism is not a word to me, but my way of life. The uniform I don every day is the smallest symbol of my commitment to my mission. "I wear the uniform of my country because others do not," and so others do not have to. I carry out my mission to prevent others from doing what I must do and from feeling the pain I must feel. And these "others" are the ones you have taken from me.
You have ended the lives of thousands that I have sworn to defend. These innocents were my family, whether or not we shared the same blood. We all lived together as one, and they enjoyed the freedoms and rights that our democracy has provided and I have defended for them. Diverse, different, and ever-changing, the people of America ARE America. And you have challenged this....
You have attacked the very soil that I have sworn to defend. The land we love has been tainted with the wickedness of you and those who blindly follow you. Our land is not simply buildings of concrete and steel; those are but physical representations of the dedication of our people, and the technology we have achieved. And you have challenged this....
The razor sharp arrows of justice have been honed by America's resolve and whetted with the blood of those you murdered. The string of her bow is being stretched by my desire to unleash the wrath that is erupting inside my heart. I was created and placed on this earth with one purpose alone: to protect, with my life, my people and my country from the evils of the world; and to destroy the evils that challenge all that I have sworn to defend. And you have challenged this....
God help you should our Nation decide to let loose its awesome power. For you will not only be faced with me, but with the hearts, desires, and determination of AMERICA projected through the flesh of my men, the steel of my saber, and the lead of my ammunition. You have challenged, and America will answer. You will run the gauntlet of my wrath, and I am the most lethal killing machine ever devised. I combine the technology and raw power of the world's best weaponry with the unrelenting determination and passion of the world's best warriors.
You are not a person to me; you are not a human being. You are a target. You are the destiny of the hammer falling in my rifle. So help me God, I WILL destroy you.
Note about the author: Lt. Adam Kass wrote this letter immediately after the terrorist attack of 9/11 but did not want to have his name on it because he thought it should not be identified as having come from one person, but coming from all those who defend our Nation. Lt. Kass died 8 months later in an accident while on duty with the U.S. Army in Germany.
Lt. Adam P. Kass, U.S. Army, age 25, dear son of David and Cynthia, nee Rossi; fond brother of Diana, Jared and Braden; grandson of Paul and Ruth Rossi and Eleanore Kass; nephew, cousin and friend of many. Visitation Tuesday, 3 to 9 p.m. Funeral Wednesday, 9:15 a.m., from the Adams-Winterfield & Sullivan Funeral Home, 4343 Main St., Downers Grove (one block south of Ogden), to Divine Savior Church, 6700 Main St., Downers Grove. Mass 10 a.m. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Adam's name to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.
-----
There was nothing more important to Lt. Adam P. Kass than serving his country. He focused on his duties in the Army with an unwavering sense of determination.
In the wake of Sept. 11, he wrote a letter to his friends, colleagues and commanders expressing outrage against those responsible for the attacks. He wrote: "I was created and placed on this earth with one purpose alone: to protect, with my life, my people and my country from the evils of the world."
"I believe he saw what he was doing--being a leader to soldiers and serving his country--as the most important contribution he could ever make," said his former commanding officer, Capt. Matthew Turpin.
Lt. Kass, 25, died Tuesday, June 25, in a vehicular accident while on duty with the 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry of the 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany.
He was born in Oak Park and raised in Downers Grove.
His mother, Cynthia, said her son demonstrated a strong sense of patriotic duty as a teen,, joining the Col. Shorty Powers Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol at age 14. Through an Air Force Association scholarship, he was able to obtain his pilot's license at age 17. While a senior in high school, he won a national Civil Air Patrol competition with a speech advocating a constitutional amendment prohibiting the desecration of the U.S. flag.
After graduating from Benet Academy in Lisle, he attended the University of Illinois on an Army ROTC scholarship and went through air assault school. After graduating from the U. of I. with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in December 1999, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army.
He ranked first in the armor officer basic course at Ft. Knox, Ky. Later that year, he completed the scout leaders course and airborne school and went through the Army's nine-week Ranger school.
"In the second week he broke a bone in his foot. He just laced up his boot and finished it because he didn't want to be washed out," his mother said.
Of the 289 men who started the course, Lt. Kass was one of 27 to complete it in nine weeks.
"He was just relentless. He was determined in whatever he decided to do," said his father, David.
Lt. Kass joined the 1st Squadron in Germany in January 2001. He served as a tank platoon leader under Turpin. Two months later, Turpin promoted him to a scout platoon leader.
Turnpin said the unit had been experiencing several personnel and morale problems. "In two months' time he turned them around, creating an incredible amount of pride in the men, Turpin said, adding, "His soldiers gravitated to him. And they would do anything to follow him. He was the most upright lieutenant I have ever met. I trusted him completely."
Last January Lt. Kass moved to Alpha Troop, where he served as executive officer.
Lt. Kass had completed the Chicago Marathon while in college. A few weeks ago he completed the Prague International Marathon.
On visits home, Lt. Kass was devoted to his family, his mother said.
"Other than his duties as a soldier, his family and friends were the important things in his life," she said.
Other survivors include a sister, Diana; two brothers, Jared and Braden; and grandparents Paul and Ruth Rossi and Eleanore Kass.
A visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Adams-Winterfield and Sullivan Funeral Home, 4343 Main St., Downers Grove. Services will begin at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home, followed by a 10 a.m. mass in Divine Savior Church, 6700 Main St., Downers Grove.
Memorials in Lt. Kass' name may be made by contacting the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors at 800-959-TAPS.
- Patricia Trebe, Chicago Tribune
-----
Adam Kass, a lieutenant in the United States Army, died in a vehicular accident while on duty in Germany with the 4th Cavalry Squadron of the 1st Infantry.
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, and a long-time resident of Downers Grove, Ill., where his family still resides, Lieutenant Kass graduated from Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., and from the University of Illinois at Champaign. Since the age of 14 , he demonstrated a sense of duty to his country, first through the Colonel Shorty Powers Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, where he eventually became the Cadet Commander. He got his pilot's license at age 17. His patriotism was clear as he won a national CAP competition with a speech advocating a constitutional amendment prohibiting desecration of the flag.
At the U of I, he was in the Army ROTC program and was commissioned an officer in the United States Army in December of 1999. He took his Officer Basic Course in armor at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and graduated first in his class. He completed Air Assault and Airborne training and Ranger school. He was among only 27 men of 289 that started and finished the 9-week Ranger training together. Especially remarkable since he broke a bone in his foot at the end of week 2, but kept quiet about it, laced up his boot and kept going to avoid getting washed out for medical reasons.
Eventually stationed at Schweinfurt, Germany, he was so deeply affected by the 9/11 terrorist attack that, upon hearing about it, he penned "A Message From a Soldier." His letter passionately describes how the persons responsible for ending the lives of thousands of innocents that he had sworn to defend would come to justice.
Lieutenant Kass also completed the Chicago Marathon and, just a few weeks before his death, the Prague International Marathon. Upon his death, his immediate superior began the A "Anvil" Troop Memorial Award to be awarded annually in Lt. Kass' name to the best man in the troop.
- Fall 2002 issue of TAPS magazine
-----
A Message from a Soldier
13 September 2001
To the person responsible:
It is obvious to my comrades in arms and me that you have no idea who you are dealing with, so allow me to enlighten you....
I am the one million American Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen sworn to defend my country. I have been called to give my life in the defense of liberty so that others may live; for America was founded on this principle, and I am so proud to carry it on. Patriotism is not a word to me, but my way of life. The uniform I don every day is the smallest symbol of my commitment to my mission. "I wear the uniform of my country because others do not," and so others do not have to. I carry out my mission to prevent others from doing what I must do and from feeling the pain I must feel. And these "others" are the ones you have taken from me.
You have ended the lives of thousands that I have sworn to defend. These innocents were my family, whether or not we shared the same blood. We all lived together as one, and they enjoyed the freedoms and rights that our democracy has provided and I have defended for them. Diverse, different, and ever-changing, the people of America ARE America. And you have challenged this....
You have attacked the very soil that I have sworn to defend. The land we love has been tainted with the wickedness of you and those who blindly follow you. Our land is not simply buildings of concrete and steel; those are but physical representations of the dedication of our people, and the technology we have achieved. And you have challenged this....
The razor sharp arrows of justice have been honed by America's resolve and whetted with the blood of those you murdered. The string of her bow is being stretched by my desire to unleash the wrath that is erupting inside my heart. I was created and placed on this earth with one purpose alone: to protect, with my life, my people and my country from the evils of the world; and to destroy the evils that challenge all that I have sworn to defend. And you have challenged this....
God help you should our Nation decide to let loose its awesome power. For you will not only be faced with me, but with the hearts, desires, and determination of AMERICA projected through the flesh of my men, the steel of my saber, and the lead of my ammunition. You have challenged, and America will answer. You will run the gauntlet of my wrath, and I am the most lethal killing machine ever devised. I combine the technology and raw power of the world's best weaponry with the unrelenting determination and passion of the world's best warriors.
You are not a person to me; you are not a human being. You are a target. You are the destiny of the hammer falling in my rifle. So help me God, I WILL destroy you.
Note about the author: Lt. Adam Kass wrote this letter immediately after the terrorist attack of 9/11 but did not want to have his name on it because he thought it should not be identified as having come from one person, but coming from all those who defend our Nation. Lt. Kass died 8 months later in an accident while on duty with the U.S. Army in Germany.
-----
There was nothing more important to Lt. Adam P. Kass than serving his country. He focused on his duties in the Army with an unwavering sense of determination.
In the wake of Sept. 11, he wrote a letter to his friends, colleagues and commanders expressing outrage against those responsible for the attacks. He wrote: "I was created and placed on this earth with one purpose alone: to protect, with my life, my people and my country from the evils of the world."
"I believe he saw what he was doing--being a leader to soldiers and serving his country--as the most important contribution he could ever make," said his former commanding officer, Capt. Matthew Turpin.
Lt. Kass, 25, died Tuesday, June 25, in a vehicular accident while on duty with the 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry of the 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany.
He was born in Oak Park and raised in Downers Grove.
His mother, Cynthia, said her son demonstrated a strong sense of patriotic duty as a teen,, joining the Col. Shorty Powers Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol at age 14. Through an Air Force Association scholarship, he was able to obtain his pilot's license at age 17. While a senior in high school, he won a national Civil Air Patrol competition with a speech advocating a constitutional amendment prohibiting the desecration of the U.S. flag.
After graduating from Benet Academy in Lisle, he attended the University of Illinois on an Army ROTC scholarship and went through air assault school. After graduating from the U. of I. with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in December 1999, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army.
He ranked first in the armor officer basic course at Ft. Knox, Ky. Later that year, he completed the scout leaders course and airborne school and went through the Army's nine-week Ranger school.
"In the second week he broke a bone in his foot. He just laced up his boot and finished it because he didn't want to be washed out," his mother said.
Of the 289 men who started the course, Lt. Kass was one of 27 to complete it in nine weeks.
"He was just relentless. He was determined in whatever he decided to do," said his father, David.
Lt. Kass joined the 1st Squadron in Germany in January 2001. He served as a tank platoon leader under Turpin. Two months later, Turpin promoted him to a scout platoon leader.
Turnpin said the unit had been experiencing several personnel and morale problems. "In two months' time he turned them around, creating an incredible amount of pride in the men, Turpin said, adding, "His soldiers gravitated to him. And they would do anything to follow him. He was the most upright lieutenant I have ever met. I trusted him completely."
Last January Lt. Kass moved to Alpha Troop, where he served as executive officer.
Lt. Kass had completed the Chicago Marathon while in college. A few weeks ago he completed the Prague International Marathon.
On visits home, Lt. Kass was devoted to his family, his mother said.
"Other than his duties as a soldier, his family and friends were the important things in his life," she said.
Other survivors include a sister, Diana; two brothers, Jared and Braden; and grandparents Paul and Ruth Rossi and Eleanore Kass.
A visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Adams-Winterfield and Sullivan Funeral Home, 4343 Main St., Downers Grove. Services will begin at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home, followed by a 10 a.m. mass in Divine Savior Church, 6700 Main St., Downers Grove.
Memorials in Lt. Kass' name may be made by contacting the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors at 800-959-TAPS.
- Patricia Trebe, Chicago Tribune
-----
Adam Kass, a lieutenant in the United States Army, died in a vehicular accident while on duty in Germany with the 4th Cavalry Squadron of the 1st Infantry.
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, and a long-time resident of Downers Grove, Ill., where his family still resides, Lieutenant Kass graduated from Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., and from the University of Illinois at Champaign. Since the age of 14 , he demonstrated a sense of duty to his country, first through the Colonel Shorty Powers Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, where he eventually became the Cadet Commander. He got his pilot's license at age 17. His patriotism was clear as he won a national CAP competition with a speech advocating a constitutional amendment prohibiting desecration of the flag.
At the U of I, he was in the Army ROTC program and was commissioned an officer in the United States Army in December of 1999. He took his Officer Basic Course in armor at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and graduated first in his class. He completed Air Assault and Airborne training and Ranger school. He was among only 27 men of 289 that started and finished the 9-week Ranger training together. Especially remarkable since he broke a bone in his foot at the end of week 2, but kept quiet about it, laced up his boot and kept going to avoid getting washed out for medical reasons.
Eventually stationed at Schweinfurt, Germany, he was so deeply affected by the 9/11 terrorist attack that, upon hearing about it, he penned "A Message From a Soldier." His letter passionately describes how the persons responsible for ending the lives of thousands of innocents that he had sworn to defend would come to justice.
Lieutenant Kass also completed the Chicago Marathon and, just a few weeks before his death, the Prague International Marathon. Upon his death, his immediate superior began the A "Anvil" Troop Memorial Award to be awarded annually in Lt. Kass' name to the best man in the troop.
- Fall 2002 issue of TAPS magazine
-----
A Message from a Soldier
13 September 2001
To the person responsible:
It is obvious to my comrades in arms and me that you have no idea who you are dealing with, so allow me to enlighten you....
I am the one million American Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen sworn to defend my country. I have been called to give my life in the defense of liberty so that others may live; for America was founded on this principle, and I am so proud to carry it on. Patriotism is not a word to me, but my way of life. The uniform I don every day is the smallest symbol of my commitment to my mission. "I wear the uniform of my country because others do not," and so others do not have to. I carry out my mission to prevent others from doing what I must do and from feeling the pain I must feel. And these "others" are the ones you have taken from me.
You have ended the lives of thousands that I have sworn to defend. These innocents were my family, whether or not we shared the same blood. We all lived together as one, and they enjoyed the freedoms and rights that our democracy has provided and I have defended for them. Diverse, different, and ever-changing, the people of America ARE America. And you have challenged this....
You have attacked the very soil that I have sworn to defend. The land we love has been tainted with the wickedness of you and those who blindly follow you. Our land is not simply buildings of concrete and steel; those are but physical representations of the dedication of our people, and the technology we have achieved. And you have challenged this....
The razor sharp arrows of justice have been honed by America's resolve and whetted with the blood of those you murdered. The string of her bow is being stretched by my desire to unleash the wrath that is erupting inside my heart. I was created and placed on this earth with one purpose alone: to protect, with my life, my people and my country from the evils of the world; and to destroy the evils that challenge all that I have sworn to defend. And you have challenged this....
God help you should our Nation decide to let loose its awesome power. For you will not only be faced with me, but with the hearts, desires, and determination of AMERICA projected through the flesh of my men, the steel of my saber, and the lead of my ammunition. You have challenged, and America will answer. You will run the gauntlet of my wrath, and I am the most lethal killing machine ever devised. I combine the technology and raw power of the world's best weaponry with the unrelenting determination and passion of the world's best warriors.
You are not a person to me; you are not a human being. You are a target. You are the destiny of the hammer falling in my rifle. So help me God, I WILL destroy you.
Note about the author: Lt. Adam Kass wrote this letter immediately after the terrorist attack of 9/11 but did not want to have his name on it because he thought it should not be identified as having come from one person, but coming from all those who defend our Nation. Lt. Kass died 8 months later in an accident while on duty with the U.S. Army in Germany.
Inscription
BELOVED SON & BROTHER
ADAM PHILIP KASS
LT. U. S. ARMY
MAY 29,
1977
RANGER
JUNE 25,
2002
1-4 CAV
"NEVER SHALL I FAIL MY COMRADES"
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