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President Obama Consoles Lake Arrowhead Family

DEA Agent Michael Weston Killed in Afghanistan

By Michael P. Neufeld
Saturday, October 31, 2009

Dover Air Force Base - President Barack Obama was on hand this week at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to salute the 18 Americans who died in Afghanistan including — Michael E. Weston — the son of a Lake Arrowhead couple.

(Photo by Drug Enforcement Administration.)

Obama stood near the C-17 military transport plane carrying the remains of 15 soldiers and three Drug Enforcement Administration agents and saluted each American.

President Barak Obama salutes a fallen soldier during a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base where he met with families of 18 Americans killed this past week in Afghanistan. (Photo by USAF/Jason Minto.)

Obama, who was wearing a dark suit and a topcoat, met privately with the families of the 18 individuals including Steve and Jude Weston of Lake Arrowhead.

White House aides heard the president tell each family, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

When the president came to the Westons, Steve Weston stated, "Mr. President, my son went to Harvard Law School, just like you did," according to friends who had spoken to the family after the ceremony at Dover.

"It was a sobering reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our young men and women in uniform are engaging in every single day," Obama stated during his four-hour stay at Dover, "not only our troops, but their families as well. And so, Michelle and I are constantly mindful of those sacrifices. And obviously, the burden that both our troops and families bear in any wartime situation is going to bear on how I see these conflicts. And it is something that I think of each and every day."

Flags at the Lake Arrowhead Country Club are at half staff in memory of DEA Agent Michael E. Weston, son of Steve and Jude Weston from Lake Arowhead. (Photo by Michael P. Neufeld.)

Meanwhile, back in the mountain communities, friends expressed condolences to the Westons and the flag at Lake Arrowhead Country Club was solemnly lowered to half-staff.

Steve Weston is a past president of the board of directors of the County Club.

A memorial service was held for three Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Kabul, Afghanistan who were killed when their U.S. military helicopter crashed while returning from a joint counter narcotics mission in Western Afghanistan. One of the agents -- Michael Weston -- was the son of Steve and Jude Weston of Lake Arrowhead. (Photo by DEA/Daniel Wilkinson.)

Weston was one of three DEA agents who died while completing a joint counter-narcotics mission in Afghanistan. The other agents were Chad Michael, 30, and Forrest N. Leamon, 37.

A special memorial service was held in Kabul to salute Weston and the other agents and to remember the soldiers who also died.

DEA Assistant Regional Director Jay Fitzpatrick honored his fallen colleagues at the ceremony.

Deputy Ambassador Francis Ricciadone added her comments during the ceremony. "Special agents Weston, Leamon and Michael exemplified the best traditions of service to country and of high achievement. They were far from home and their families, carrying out a difficult mission for the betterment of Afghanistan."

MICHAEL E. WESTON

Weston, who had been with the DEA since 2003, arrived in Kabul in August.

Michael, who married his wife, Cindy, in May, served several tours of duty in Iraq and other war zones as a Marine major and then joined the DEA.

This article was first published on Friday, October 30, 2009 at 2:01 pm. This article has been viewed 1613 times.

Michael P. Neufeld, Senior News Editor, is a graduate of the Dwight Bentel School of Journalism at San Jose State University. His first job out of San Jose State was with the Associated Press in Los Angeles as overnight Radio Editor. Prior to joining RIMOFTHEWORLD.net, Neufeld was editor of two weekly newspapers—THE MOUNTAIN NEWS and CRESTLINE COURIER-NEWS. He also has experience as editor of an employee newspaper for a major utility company and during his tenure as executive director of the San Jose State University Alumni Association served as faculty advisor to the association's monthly newsletter. He also spent eight years in commercial radio doing everything from news to advertising sales and writing commercials to being an announcer and on-air personality. Neufeld is actively involved the mountain communities including serving as master of ceremonies for the Arrowhead Arts Music Festival held each summer.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of RIMOFTHEWORLD.net. This column is copyrighted by Michael P. Neufeld.