Josh obituary in Fargo Forum

Staff Sgt. Joshua Robert Hanson, age 27, a resident of rural Dent, MN, a 1998 Pelican Rapids High School graduate, was killed in action on Wednesday, August 30, 2006, in Iraq.
Joshua Robert Hanson was born August 22, 1979, in Fergus Falls, MN, the son of Robert and Kathy (Elizondo) Hanson. In November 1979 he was baptized at the Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in St. Paul, MN. He grew up in rural Dent, MN, and was confirmed at St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Perham, MN. On December 16, 1996, he joined the National Guard during his junior year in high school at the age of 17. In 1997 Josh and his teammates on the Pelican Rapids football team won the state AA championship. He graduated from Pelican Rapids High School in 1998. In May of 2005 Josh graduated with a degree in criminal justice at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He completed a program of law enforcement skills at Alexandria Technical College. His goal was to become a deputy for the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Department.
Josh completed a six-month deployment to Bosnia two years ago. His second tour of duty overseas began October 1, 2005, when his company left for six months of training in Camp Shelby, Mississippi, before deploying to Iraq in March. Josh was a member of the Minnesota National Guard assigned to Company A, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry stationed in southern Iraq. A 10-year National Guard member, Josh was killed instantly when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee during a mission outside Ramadi, Iraq.
Josh enjoyed pheasant, duck and deer hunting with his father and brother. He also enjoyed listening to music, reading, and spending time with his friends. Josh earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do in Pelican Rapids during his high school years. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus in Perham.
Josh was a wonderful and loving son, and a great friend. He was proud to serve his country as duty called. We can’t express enough how proud we are that he was willing to lay down his life for all of us. He and his comrades are real heroes. The United States of America is what it is today because of soldiers like Josh and those who have gone before him. Our solace is in knowing that Josh died doing what he felt he needed to do. God bless America, the land that Josh loved.
Josh is survived by his parents: Robert and Kathy Hanson of Dent, MN; brother: Jake Hanson of Dent; grandmother: Jean Hanson of Pelican Rapids; aunts and uncles: (Robert’s two sisters) JoEllen (Paul) Amundson and Linda (Joe) Grysiewicz; aunts and uncles: (Kathy’s five sisters) Virginia (Joe) Chavez, Helen Chelberg, Carmen (Nat) Santos, Frances (Henry) Becerra, and Lupe (Donald) Scott; (Kathy’s two brothers) Angelo Elizondo, Jr. and Anthony (Jeannie) Elizondo; numerous cousins; and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his grandfather: Harold Hanson; grandparents: Angelo and Marcella Elizondo; and aunt: Doris Elizondo.
Visitation: Friday, September 8, 2006, from 4 to 8 p.m. at St. Leonard’s Catholic Church, Pelican Rapids, MN; 5:00 p.m. Sacred Heart Catholic Church Parish Prayers; 6:15 p.m. Perham Knights of Columbus Rosary; 7:30 p.m. St. Leonard’s Catholic Church Parish Prayers. All prayers and rosary are held at St. Leonard’s Catholic Church in Pelican Rapids. Visitation resumes one hour prior to the service at the high school Gymnasium.
Service: 12:30 p.m., Saturday, September 9, 2006, at the Pelican Rapids High School Gymnasium, Pelican Rapids, MN.
Clergy: Father Arlie Sowada, Father Richard Walz, and Bishop John Kinney.
Burial: Ringsaker Cemetery, Pelican Rapids.
Funeral Home: Larson Funeral Home, Pelican Rapids, MN.