Du Quoin Commissioner: These Three Men Are Our Losses, Too

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ When the "Run for the Fallen" memorial honoring the over 4,000 men and women killed in Iraq came through Du Quoin Wednesday, July 30th, suddenly three of the casualties became our losses, too.

Runners who started out in California are on a memorial run all the way to Arlington National Cemetery. The run ends later this month.

A laminated card bearing the names of each of the casualties and an American flag are being placed a mile apart along the entire route.

Time and time again, Du Quoin commissioner Rex Duncan said he has looked at the card fastened to a post in front of the Du Quoin State Bark and though about the life of Shelby J. Feniello--that once was.

These were young men who made a difference, who had families, who made the ultimate sacrifice. And, their families now know that it was in Du Quoin, Illinois that their handmade memorials--now sorely faded--were placed.

Duncan said he was so taken by the "Run for the Fallen" that he would like to see the names of these three men put in a place of honor. And, while we are at risk of not remembering what this was all about decades from now, the gesture shows we are a town with heart that care about the families of these three men. It is obviously not appropriate to make them part of Du Quoin's Roll of Honor, but it is possible to adopt these casualties and Duncan plans to pursue small individual plaques or maybe a donated marker so that the families understand Du Quoin cares.

Shelby Feniello's card was placed in front of the Du Quoin State Bank. Shane Adcock's card was placed along Rt. 51 across from the Dairy Queen. Nicholas Sowinski's card was placed on the boulevard in front of the Illinois State Police headquarters.

Whether we permanently honor them or not, we certainly remember them here, in this article.

Marine Pfc. Shelby J. Feniello, 25,

of Connelsville, Pa.

Pfc. Feniello was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. and died October 6, 2006 while conducting operations against the enemy.

A 1999 graduate of Connelsville Area Senior High School, he became the town's first casualty of the war.

He was killed when his humvee was hit by several roadside bombs. Feniello was the son of Richard Feniello and Kimberly McCune, both of Connelsville. He is described by his father as "an all-American boy. Take orders and do your duty."

"He was trying to help others who were in trouble. He knew there was danger. We all knew there was danger. He was just doing his job.

It was his second tour. Friends held a sendoff. He was an only child. "He had a great personality. He was always smiling. He had a wonderful girlfriend, Emily Saylor. He was always so happy and his senior year he was named 'class flirt'," remembers Feniello's aunt, Sheryl Nagy.

He was a member of the wrestling team. He played football. He loved hunting and fishing. Before joining the military, he had several parttime jobs. He worked for Allegheny Power and then United Parcel Service. He had an associate degree in accounting from Westmoreland County Community College.

Capt. Shane T. Adcock, 27 of

Mechanicsville, Va.

Shane was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division based in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

He was brace and loyal, always ready to help, according to Brian Jalbert, a friend. Once, after Adcock saw a collision, he jumped from his car to pull a driver from the burning truck. That desire to help, coupled with his love of adventure, made the Army of logical choice. "Words can't describe what kind of a person he was," Jalbert said. "He was a hero." Adcock was killed October 11, 2006 in Hawijah, Iraq during a grenade attack.

Adcock had studied political science at Longwood Colle in Fairville, Va., graduating in 2003. He also had done a tour in Afghanistan. As a youth, he was active in the Boy Scouts, attending the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in 1993 and `1997. He loved outdoor sports like surfing and rock climbing. In high school, he wrestled and received a scholarship. In college, he was an officer with Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. "There was so much that I loved about him," said his wife, Jennifer Skeele. "His sincerity, his loyalty, his charisma and his love of life."

Army Sgt. Nicholas R. Sowinski, 25

of Tempe, Arizona

Diane Sowinski remembers well something her son said to her years ago after he had watched the movie "Black Hawk Down" and saw the story of American soldiers dying for their country. "He said to me, 'When I saw those men standing by our country, I decided I wanted to be one of them'," Diane said. Nicholas Sowinski was killed October 11, 2006 after being struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Wainwright. He graduated high school in 1999 and attended Arizona State University's Tempe campus from fall 1999 through spring 2001. He loved camping, skiing, hiking, rock climbing, wrestling, movies, books, music and golf. "He was so bright and it was enjoyable to try to one-up each other on who read more books," said Jaylee Drainey, a friend. "The world has too few many individuals who not only have the ability to make something of themselves,but the drive, as well. Nick was one of those people."

His mother once asked him. "You have been in a war now. Do you think you have made the right decision?" And, he said "yes."

These are the lives of the three men who were honored during the Du Quoin leg of the "Run for the Fallen."

Let them never be forgotten in their hometowns nor here in Du Quoin.

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