Gabriel G. DeRoo
Sergeant, United States Army
April 1, 1981 – August 20, 2006
Age – 25
Paw Paw, MI
Operation Iraqi Freedom
2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2 Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA
Killed by small arms fire while engaged in combat operations in Mosul, Iraq.
Gabe wanted to serve his country after the events of 911, so he enlisted in the Army. He was placed in the Arrowhead Stryker Brigade, America’s first Stryker Brigade.
“War is horrible, but sitting by while evil persists is worse.”
“I am healthy, I am capable and I owe it to my Country”.
‘SGT Gabriel De Roo
Gabriel Glenn De Roo, better known as Gabe by family, was a good man, a faithful husband and an exemplary soldier by almost anyone’s standard.
Gabriel was born on April 1, 1981, at Lakeview Community Hospital in Paw Paw, Michigan, to David and Laura (Skinner) De Roo. Like his sister before him, he was given a name of significance. He was given the name Gabriel, which is Hebrew in origin and means, “God is my strength”.
While Gabriel was not his parents’ last child, he was their only son. All together, there were five children in the De Roo household, including his older sister Angel, his twin sisters Charity and Chastity, and his youngest sister Patience. Gabriel’s father worked as a math teacher in the Decatur Public School system, while his mother stayed home to teach the five children. Gabriel and his sisters were home schooled for much of their formative years. From early on it was apparent that Gabriel was growing into a helpful and hard working young man. If his dad was doing chores around the house or in the yard, Gabriel felt compelled to pitch in and help. This was a great time to learn not just lawn, garden and house maintenance skills, but to share the big and little things that were happening in their lives. It was also an opportunity to view his father’s work ethic and values in action and begin to implement
As a young man Gabe’s work ethic was well known. For awhile he worked for a company that paid according to the number of packages he could move. Gabe worked hard to make additional funds for a car purchase. He moved so many packages that the company put an upper limit on how much it would pay. It was called the De Roo Rule.
Gabriel graduated in 1999 from Grace Christian School in Watervliet, Michigan. He attended community college and was considering going into law enforcement when he surprised his family and joined the Army in January 2003.
One of his first jobs was to be part of the team that installed slat armor on the brigade’s Stryker vehicles in Kuwait before they moved north into Iraq. Some soldiers were skeptical about whether the 5,200 pound steel cages would work as advertised and protect them from rocket-propelled grenades but not Gabriel. His response was, “It sounds good to me. I mean, any extra armor is good.” The slat armor proved to be a reliable defense against most RPGs and is in use on Strykers in Iraq today.
He also took time from his busy days to learn Iraqi words so he could communicate better with the people he had come to like, especially the children. Gabriel took the time to write his letters home in longhand. Two days after he was killed, letters that he wrote his wife and flowers he habitually sent her were still arriving. This was his second deployment to Iraq and during his military time, he earned the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Expert Infantryman Badge. Gabriel was a very religious man who had great faith in God and was very proud to be in the military. Gabriel lived his life to honor his Lord. During his first deployment each member of his team had their own call names that they used among themselves. Gabriel’s team named him John 3:16.
He had told family that the Army provided him with clothes, food, and shelter when it was available. If he was injured, he would be cared for. If he was killed, God had provided for that, too. Gabriel had also said if there was a grenade tossed near them he would be the first one on it. He knew he was ready to meet his Lord and he wanted to make sure his teammates had the opportunity to get right with the Lord.
He excelled in all aspects of combat training. A spirit of sacrifice and concern for others motivated Gabe. A book of military quotes was found among his things sent home. One quote highlighted was by Nathan Hale: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Just below it a quote from Manning Coles read, “If a country is worth living in, it is worth fighting for.” Gabe wrote in the margin “right on the money.” All who knew Gabe were impressed with his gentle smile, calm demeanor and genuine care for others. He was always more concerned about the well-being of his men than he was about himself.
Gabriel did things all out. If he was playing scrimmage football, it was the Super Bowl and deserved his very best effort. If he was playing a softball game, it was the last game in the World Series. He learned if he wanted to advance his career, he had to listen, learn and apply what his officers were telling him. When Gabriel still lived at home each child had his or her own place at the table. The table was covered with a world map and a heavy piece of clear plastic. Gabriel put the Proverb about the Lion and the Gazelle under the plastic at his place at the table, reminding himself at every meal or family game night that whether he was the Lion or the Gazelle, when the sun comes up you better be running! (i.e. putting in your best performance!).