Randolph native died in combat in Iraq, family reports

Staff Sgt. David W. Textor was killed when he was thrown from the turret of his Humvee during an enemy attack in Mosul, Iraq, according to his relatives.

The death of the 27-year-old Randolph native Tuesday was not the result of a simple vehicle accident as the Army first reported, his family says.

"He died in action. They were attacked. They were targeted," said Debbie Faultner-Vondra, the sister of Textor's wife, who both live in Olympia, Wash., where he had been assigned to Fort Lewis before his deployment in May.

The Army, at this point, still officially lists Textor's death as a "vehicle accident."

Three other soldiers were injured in the incident, said Lt. Gen. Robert Wagner, commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

"Once the investigation is complete, the Army will be able to release a statement that encompasses everything that occurred in relation to Sgt. Textor's death," Capt. Chris Augustine, a spokesman for Special Forces Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., said Friday.

Textor, who worked as a weapons sergeant, is believed to be the 33rd service member from Western New York to die in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Only hours before Textor died, he leaned forward and kissed a Web-cam image of his wife, Colette, whom he was chatting with over the Internet.

After the kiss, he said "goodbye" to her for the last time. She returned to caring for their five children, and her husband returned to a mission he took personally - protecting the United States for his children.

Textor's sister-in-law described him as devoted to his family and the military. He had been serving in Iraq for about two months.

" . . . not very long, but he loved what he was doing," Faultner-Vondra said. "He was the kind of guy that wasn't afraid of anything. He thought he was Superman, and my sister thought he was Superman. At that age, you never think that something like this is going to happen." Superman, she added, had a loving side.

"My sister and her husband saw each other every day. On the morning of the day he died, they were talking and he kissed the computer screen and said goodbye to her," Faultner-Vondra said.

The couple could not know it would be their final goodbye. Textor, who became a Green Beret in 2006, four years after enlisting, had so many plans.

When his tour ended in Iraq, he intended to come home and spend time with his children, who range in age from 2 to 14. He wanted to get back into coaching youth soccer.

Visiting parks, camping out and riding bicycles were other family activities he had enjoyed and had been looking forward to. All of his life, relatives said, Textor had been active.

At Randolph High School, where he graduated, he had participated in football, wrestling and track.

His plans also included more of the military. He intended to re-enlist in October.

"He wanted to fight for his country, and his main motivation was his children, to make sure they were protected," Faultner-Vondra said.

In Randolph, Textor's step-grandfather, Charles Lindberg, said it amazed him how much his grandson loved his military career.

"I was in the service in the Korean War, and I've met a lot of other soldiers, but I never saw someone who so thoroughly enjoyed what he was doing," Lindberg said.

He, too, recalled a young man who was well suited for facing the dangers of war.

"David was almost fearless. As just a little tyke, he would jump off roofs," Lindberg said. "He was the youngest and had five sisters, so he'd escape by jumping off the roof. He must have been about 8 at the time, and he never hurt himself."

After high school graduation, Textor moved with mother and stepfather, Jennie and Kevin Lindberg, to Roanoke, Va., where he joined the Army.

Though Textor will be buried in Fairbanks, Alaska - where he met his future wife in October 2002 while he was stationed at Fort Wainwright - a memorial service is set for 11 a.m. next Saturday in American Legion Post 181 in Randolph.

"The military is going to be conducting it," Lindberg said.

The staff sergeant's wife hopes people here who have stories and photographs of her late husband's early years will attend and share them with local relatives, who will forward the remembrances to her.

"My sister's trying to gather these stories and pictures so that they can be passed along to their children," Faultner-Vondra said. "We're all going to miss him."