109th | The Fallen

Our Fallen Comrades

109th Infantry — The Final Roll Call

SSG Ryan Scott Ostrom, 25 (b. 23 SEP 1979), Liberty, PA, d. 9 AUG 2005, attached to 110th AR, Habaniyah, Iraq

SPC William L. Evans, 22 (b. 13 SEP 1980), Hallstead, PA, d. 19 SEP 2005, Ramadi, Iraq

SFC George Anthony Pugliese, 39 (b. 18 SEP 1966), Carbondale, PA, d. 28 SEP 2005, Ramadi, Iraq

SSG Daniel Laverne Arnold, 27 (b. 2 DEC 1977), Montrose, PA, d. 28 SEP 2005, Ramadi, Iraq

SGT Eric Wentworth Slebodnik, 21 (b. 3 AUG 1984), Greenfield TWP, PA, d. 28 SEP 2005, Ramadi, Iraq

SPC Lee Allen Wiegand, 20 (b. 16 NOV 1984), Hallstead, PA, d. 28 SEP 2005, Ramadi, Iraq

SPC Oliver J. Brown, 19 (b. 4 DEC 1985), Athens, PA, d. 28 SEP 2005, Ramadi, Iraq

1LT Jeffrey Frank Deprimo, 35 (b. 6 DEC 1972), Pittston, PA, d. 20 MAY 2008, assigned to B-3rd-103rd AR, Ghazni, Aband District, Afghanistan

SGT Jan Michael Argonish, 26 (b. 6 FEB 1981), Peckville, PA, d. 27 AUG 2007, HHC 55th BDE FWD 2, with ETT, Jalalabad, Kunar Province, Afghanistan

109th Infantry Regiment — Grave sites of our Fallen Soldiers

SGT Jan Michael Argonish
St. Mary’s Greek Catholic Cemetery
2993 Cemetery Ave.
Scranton, PA 18505

Note: 58 Cemetery Ave. IAW GPS; 2993 Cemetery Ave. IAW Google Earth.

SSG Dan Laverne Arnold
Montrose Cemetery
Montrose (Susquehanna County), PA
Phone: 570-278-1358

Notes: The cemetery is on Rte. 706 just west of Montrose, and is on the left of the highway as you travel west out of town. The grave site is on the lower right corner of the cemetery as you face it from the highway just below a large tree. It is hard to miss if you know what to look for, and now has a large flag pole next to it.

SPC Oliver J. Brown
Tioga Point Cemetery
803 N. Main St.
Athens (Bradford County), PA
Phone: 570-888-2131

Notes; Take Rte. 220 north off of Rte. 6 west of Towanda. When you get to Athens take Rte. 199 into town. This runs right into Main St. The cemetery is on the left, and can’t be missed. It is a large cemetery, and has a nice sign. The caretaker knew right where Oliver’s grave was when I called him. He met me there, then had me follow him into the back where the grave site is. There is a very nice memorial pillar along N. Main St. erected as a monument by the community honoring the deceased PAARNG soldiers.
Oliver’s grave site appears through the fence from Pennsylvania Ave. at the back of the cemetery. This is the easiest way to get to it. There is a gate in the back along Pennsylvania Ave. very close to Oliver’s grave. That way you don’t have to drive through the whole cemetery to get to it. The cemetery is bordered by N. Main St. on the east, W. Frederick St. to the south, and Lincoln St. to the north. If you turn left on W. Frederick St. off of N. Main St., and then right on Pennsylvania Ave., then in the rear gate which will be on your right, Oliver Brown’s grave will be to the left (the far left hand corner of the cemetery as you face it from Pennsylvania Ave., or the NW corner of the cemetery). If you go by the gate and keep watching to your right as you go north on Pennsylvania Ave. you will see the grave site through the fence.

1LT Jeffrey Frank Deprimo
Saint Peter’s Lutheran Cemetery
Rock Street and Center Street
Hughestown, PA 18640

SPC William L. Evans
Lakeview Cemetery
Lakeview (Susquehanna County), PA

Notes: You can get there several ways.
1. Take Rte. 547 north from the Gibson exit off of I-81 through Gibson and Steinbach’s Corners.
The cemetery is on both sides of the road between Steinbach’s Corners and Lakeview. Billy’s grave is on the left (west) side of the road as you travel north on Rte. 547. As you face that portion of the cemetery his grave is on the right hand (north) corner near the road.
2. Another way to get there is to take Rte. 492 east from New Milford to Rte. 547. Then turn left (north) on Rte. 547 at Steinbach’s Corners.
3. Those are the two simplest ways. For those coming in from Wayne County to the east, or from NY state to the north, there are other ways. I came up from Archbald (George Pugliese’s grave site) through Carbondale and Forest City taking Rte. 171.

SSG Ryan Scott Ostrom
Salem-St. Paul Cemetery
RR #1, Box 9
Liberty (Tioga County), PA 16930
Phone: 570-324-5443

Notes: This cemetery is almost exactly in the center of the southernmost portion of Tioga County. If you take Rte. 414 west off of Rte. 15 you come to a “Y” in the road at Hartfield (nothing there). You must stop at the sign, leaving Rte. 414, take the left hand leg of the “Y” towards Nauvoo, and go 2/10 of a mile further. The cemetery is just after the Salem Lutheran church on the left. Go in to the cemetery by the hedges on the west side of the church, and then turn right in the driveway to go through the middle of the cemetery. Ryan’s grave site is just about in the center. If you go along the gravel drive through the middle of the cemetery as you travel away from the church (west), his grave will be on your left.

SFC George Anthony Pugliese
St. Thomas Aquinas Cemetery
411 Church St.
Archbald (Lackawanna County), PA 18403
Phone: 570-876-1701

Notes:
1. If you are coming in from the valley take Wayne St. off of S. Main St. Cross the bridge and go up the hill. The cemetery will be on your right. It is bordered by Wayne St. to the north, Cemetery St. to the west, Pike St. to the south, and Poplar St. to the east. George’s grave is on the upper right hand side of the cemetery (southeast) as viewed from Archbald (facing east) near the corner of Chestnut St. and Pike St.
2. Another way to come in is to take the Archbald exit off of the new route 6. Come down the hill towards Archbald on Salem Rd. (west), and take a right (south) on Cemetery St. (or Poplar St., or Chestnut St. – they will all get you there).

SGT Eric Wentworth Slebodnik
291 Hickory Ridge Rd.
Greenfield Twp (Lackawanna County), PA 18407

Notes: This is Eric’s parents’ home address, since he is buried in a family plot on their property.
Directions from Scranton:
Take I-81 N to PA-107 E in Scott.
Take exit 202 from I-81 N.
Turn right onto PA-107 E.
Turn left onto Sr1013.
Turn right onto State Rte 1002/Hickory Ridge Rd.
The home is on the left at .3 mile.
Eric is buried on the top of the hill (past the windsock in the field behind the house) with his grandfather and grandmother.

SPC Lee Allen Wiegand
Lawsville Cemetery
Montrose (Susquehanna County), PA
Phone: 570-967-2774

Notes: It took some doing to get there, since this is the smallest of the cemeteries, and therefore the easiest to miss. The address given for Lawsville Cemetery is Montrose, but it is actually closer to Lawsville Center (north of Montrose on Rte. 29).
1. Go north on Rte. 29 out of Montrose to Lawsville Center.
2. Turn right (east) onto Franklin Hill Rd.
4. After crossing the bridge just below the intersection on Rte. 29 turn right onto Bailey Rd. The cemetery is on the corner, and below the corner on both sides of the road. Lee’s grave will be on your left immediately after turning onto Bailey Road in the southeast corner of the cemetery, and is clearly visible from the road.

Note concening Indiantown Gap National Cemetery:

There is an additional grave in Section 30, Site 10, at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Indiantown Gap Rd., Annville, PA 17003-9618.

This grave contains further remains discovered at a later date for SSG Pugliese, SSG Arnold, SGT Slebodnik, and SPC Brown.

All of their names are on one grave stone at that location.