Staff Sergeant Tracy A. Tidwell
17 September 1961 – 7 March 1996
Staff Sergeant Tracy A. Tidwell died during service with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
SSG Tidwell was born in Texarkana, Texas on 17 September, 1961. Graduating from New Boston High School in 1980, he attended Texarkana Community College for two years.
SSG Tidwell enlisted in the Army in 1984. He attended basic training at Ft. Dix, New Jersey and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Eustis, Virginia as a Medium Helicopter Repairman.
Joining the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), SSG Tidwell served with distinction in Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Uphold Democracy. Most recently, SSG Tidwell served as the Company Standardization Flight Engineer Instructor for A Company, 2nd Battalion, 160th SOAR (A).
SSG Tidwell was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (second award) on 7 March 1996. His numerous other awards include the Air Medal (second award), the Army Achievement Medal (third award), the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, four Joint Meritorious Unit Awards, Senior Aircraft Crewmember Badge, Parachute Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard