Matt Pionk

On behalf of Melanie, Dylan, Ashley, Brandon, Sandy, Jeremy, Joshua, Katie, Duane and all of Matt's family, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Village Of Oliver, WI and the park committee for honoring Matt by dedicating this park in his name.

The people of Oliver should be proud of the job the park improvement committee is doing. Thanks to Kevin Cane, Brenda and Jerry Ruzic, Sandy and Norm Shupe, Mary Kutzler, Ivan and all of the volunteers this park improvement is a success. Let's give them all a big hand! They will gladly take any donations today and welcome all of you to the meat raffles held every Wednesday at The Eldorado and every other Wednesday at Les Birds.

Matt did play on this park; he played baseball for the Oliver Pirates. Oliver barely had enough kids to field a team at that time. They were a mixture of girls and boys of all different ages we believe Matt was in 2nd grade. His uniform was so big he could hardly keep his pants up. They were indeed the bad news bears. They didn't win many games but they sure had fun.

Matt was born on October 10th, 1977. He graduated from Superior Senior in 1996. Matt excelled at the auto tech program where he rebuilt motors and painted vehicles. This was all thanks to Jim Bianchi his teacher and mentor. Matt and Melanie were married March of 1998. Matt joined the Army April 2nd, 1998. His basic training was at Fort Benning, GA where he graduated with infantry and airborne training. His 1st assignment was to the 1st infantry regiment in Fort Wainwright Fairbanks, Alaska. Dylan was born in Fairbanks and Ashley was born along the way to Matt's next assignment. The 24th infantry regiment in Fort Lewis, Washington.

Matt was deployed to Mosul Iraq in the fall of 2004 for one year. Their unit was called the defuce four. Mosul was a dangerous place when they arrived; Al Queda and terrorists controlled the city by beheading Iraqis and outlawing cell phones they had the people suppressed. You might recall when a suicide terrorist blew himself up in a mess hall when this happen, Matt's platoon was in combat on a daily basis. One day while on patrol they came under intense motor fire. Matt's platoon sergeant got hit by a motor and lost his leg. Matt was in a building and heard him screaming. Matt went out under intense motor fire and dragged him into the building and had him evacuated. Matt then was made platoon sergeant, taking the place of the injured platoon sergeant.

Matt's platoon patrolled Mosul daily conducting over 500 combat patrols, hundreds of searches and dozens of raids with no loss of men or equipment. The Deuce Four fought hard for one year. Out of a battalion of roughly 700 they lost nearly 25% to injury or death. When the Deuce Four left Mosul the Iraqi people had voted, they were using cell phones, woman's faces were uncovered and shops were open. Matt was awarded the bronze star with valor for his stellar leadership.

Brandon was born in 2005 while Matt was on deployment. Matt decided to sign up for three more years. Matt and family moved to Vilseck, Germany where Matt was assigned to the 3rd squadron, 2nd cavalry regiment. They bought a house in Eveleth and Melanie and the children moved home in the spring of 2007.

In May 2007 Matt became platoon sergeant for the scout platoon, Matt was proud and happy that they told him to hand pick his platoon soldiers. They were deployed to Baghad in August 2007.

Matt's platoon was in night recon in Baghad, Matt said they were driving the terrorists and Al Quida out of there area in Baghad by hitting them hard. January 7th Matt's platoon and about 500 soldiers and 75 strykers moved into the Dyala province called the bread basket of Iraq. This is an area rich in fruit orchards and farming. Al Quida had taken over the area and were torturing and killing the local citizens.

The Iraqi government forces were scared to go into the area. They met fierce resistance the first day losing a stryker vehicle and a soldier to serious injury. It was the next day January 9th that they were lured into a house in Sinsil, Iraq. A cowardly ruthless retreating enemy had rigged the house with a bomb that had recently been cleared by our troops. Six brave heroes were killed and an Iraqi interpreter named Roy. Six other soldiers were injured in the blast. Quoting Captain Dykema "on January 9th the Army lost several great warriors, I've not known a group of more professional soldiers than those scouts".

Let us never forget specialist Todd E. Davis, 22 of Raymore, MO, Staff Sergeant Jonathon K. Dozier, 30 of Rutherford, TN, Staff Sergeant Sean M. Gaul, 29 of Reno NV, Sergeant Zachary W. McBride, 20 of Bend, OR, Sergeant Christopher A. Sanders, 22 of Roswell, NM, Matthew I. Pionk, Eveleth, MN and Roy the interpreter. Let's pause in silence for these heroes.

Three months later quoting Staff Sergeant Russel Basset "the difference is palpable. Shops are open for business, kids play in the streets and families walk freely together down the main road". Matt was a mentor to his soldiers. Here are two letters wrote to him after his passing from his fellow soldiers I would like to share with you.