Orange County FlArchives Obituaries.....Dwelley, Jason B. April 30, 2004
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William Morgan wsmorganv@aol.com July 9, 2008, 5:07 pm

Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2004
Jason B. Dwelley: Roadside blast kills sailor from Apopka, 1 other
by Rich McKay, Sentinel Staff Writer 

An Apopka man was one of two sailors whose deaths in Iraq were announced Sunday 
by the military.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason B. Dwelley, 31, of Apopka, was killed Friday 
in the Al Anbar province of Iraq when his military vehicle was hit by 
an "improvised explosive device while traveling in a convoy," according to a 
release from the Department of Defense.

Traveling with him was Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher M. Dickerson, 
33, of Eastman, Ga., who was killed in that same blast, the DOD reported.

No other information on the attack was available. Al Anbar is the largest 
province in Iraq and contains the city of Fallujah, where U.S. forces have 
encountered fierce fighting. Both men were among 400 reservists of Naval Mobile 
Construction Battalion 14, based in Jacksonville, who were deployed to Iraq on 
April 1, said Miriam Lareau, a civilian spokesperson for the battalion.

Their jobs were reservists called to duty in their function as "Seabees," 
military terminology for a construction battalion, Lareau said. Dwelley was a 
hull-maintenance technician, who joined the Reserves in August 1994. Dickerson 
was an equipment specialist.

Lareau didn't know specifically what their jobs were in Iraq, but she said that 
they and the other Seabees were providing support to the troops, filling jobs 
as carpenters, electricians and whatever was needed.

Both men have prior service in the full-time military, but those records were 
not available Sunday.

Dwelley's family in Apopka would not comment Sunday on the death. John Edwards, 
principal of Apopka High School, said Dwelley attended school there, before his 
time as principal, and that Dwelley's mother works in the front office. He 
declined further comment.

A longtime neighbor, Laura Davis, said Dwelley and his brothers grew up on 
about 5 acres next door to her property, often coming over as children to look 
at her family's horses.

"We're way out here in the country, and they'd come running over here all the 
time,'' Davis said. "They're a great family.''

Longtime Apopka Mayor John H. Land said he thinks Dwelley is the first Apopka 
resident to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"It's real sad that this has happened," Land said. "But we appreciate those who 
put their lives on the line for the freedom the rest of us enjoy."

Dickerson's family in Georgia said Sunday that they have scant details on what 
happened to the sailors. "We're wondering if there're any remains [that can be 
returned for burial]," said Dickerson's father-in-law, Bobby Graham.

No one there knew whether Dickerson and Dwelley were close friends, but Graham 
said, "If they're over there, I'm sure they're of like mind, wanting to help."

He said two Navy officers came to the house late Friday night and told the 
family the news.

"We've all been taking it real hard," he said. "I'm sure that man's family 
feels the same."


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