Anthony R. Yost
Master Sergeant, United States Army
October 9, 1966 – November 19 2005
Age – 39
Flint, MI
Operation Iraqi Freedom
3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, NC
Died as a result of an explosion in a building he was searching in Mosul, Iraq
Anthony R.C. Yost was born October 9th 1966 at Hurley hospital in Flint Michigan to Penny Thomas. In 1968 Penny married Donald Yost. Don quickly adopted Anthony and became the only father that he ever knew and loved, in fact he was his best man at his wedding to his first wife Rhonda. Don always told Anthony to be proud of his Indian heritage and to hold his head high because the Indians were the only true Americans. He spoke five languages.
Andy was a very serious child. It seemed as though He was always scoping out his perimeters. He was curious about everything and when he rode in the car or went to visit someone he checked everything out, always craning his little neck to get a good view of where he was. He loved the sound of sirens and whenever he seen a police car his eyes would light up and he would whisper “shhhhhhh cops coming”.
He loved motorcycles, toy guns and hot wheel cars and of course sunglasses. Two of his favorite activities were jumping homemade ramps on his bike and playing soldier. He also loved to be in his dad’s garage where the guys always worked on their motorcycles. Don remembers the day he painted his fenders and left for a while to let them dry. When he returned Andy, who was about 7, was spray painting the fenders on his bike with every color he could get his hands on. He wanted a cool bike just like his dad!
When he became a teenager his motto should have been” I can’t wait until tomorrow comes because I just get cooler everyday.”
He played basketball at Millington High School and was dubbed with the name “Chico” by the team. He got good grades and had many friends but like most teens he liked to party and had the typical issues that every kid growing up has.
His big passion was (as with most people here in Michigan) deer hunting and never missed a season or the chance to go to “deer camp” with his dad, uncles and cousins. Years later he would say that being in the army on missions was like “deer camp”, sitting around shooting the bull with the guys, he loved it.
Anthony Ray Charles Yost enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 6, 1987 and attended Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky where he served as a tanker from 1987-1991. He then served a one year tour in Korea in the Air Defense Artillery field.
MSG Yost graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1993 and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colorado as a SF weapons sergeant for 8 years, where he deployed to Kosovo in support of NATO peacekeeping operations. In addition to Korea and Kosovo he was also in Latvia, Germany, Turkey, Bosnia, Italy, Russia, Kazakhstan, Serbia Montenegro and probably some countries he could not mention.
MSG Anthony Yost was killed in action on November 19, 2005 while conducting combat operations to in Mosul, Iraq. We may never know what evil was present in that building that day in Mosul but as someone recently said, “he would have done it ten times over”. He was a Special Forces soldier first and he gave his life for a cause he believed in.
His assignments included tours in South Korea, Fort Lewis, Wash., and Fort Bliss, Tex. prior his training and service as a special forces Soldier.
Yost graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1993 and was assigned that year to 2nd Bn., 10th SFG at Fort Carson, Co., as an SF weapons sergeant. After serving eight years in 10th SFG, Yost was assigned in 2001 to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, N.C., where he served as a senior SF weapons instructor. In March 2005, Yost was assigned to 3rd Bn., 3rd SFG and served there as an Operational Detachment – Alpha team sergeant until his death.
Yost’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medals (6), Army Achievement Medals (6), the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Military Freefall Master Parachutist Badge, the Driver and Mechanic Badges and the Special Forces Tab. His posthumous awards include the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Purple Heart and the Combat Infantryman Badge.