Fallen Newport Soldier to Get Medals Posthumously

NEWPORT, RI—A fallen Newport soldier will be honored with a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and other medals on Friday, nearly 10 years after he died serving his country in Iraq.

Army Sgt. Michael Weidemann was killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated near his Light Medium Tactical Vehicle on Oct. 31, 2006.

He was 23 and had served in the Army for virtually all of his adult life, enlisting the same month he walked across the stage at his graduation from Rogers High School in 2001.

A member of the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Weidemann's specialized in automotive technology while taking classes at the Newport Area Career and Technical Center, was an honor student and member of the school's JROTC program.

His sister, Catherine Weidemann, will accept the posthumous honors at a ceremony on Friday afternoon in the Cranston office of U.S. Sen Jack Reed.

“Sgt. Weidemann was a brave American who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country. It is my honor to join his family in celebrating his memory and his uncommon courage and dedication," Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said. "We owe Sgt. Weidemann a debt of gratitude we can never repay, and his service will never be forgotten.”