Specialist Joseph "Joey" Thomas Prentler

3rd sgd/ 2nd stryker calvary regiment
US Army

Specialist Prentler's Act of Heroism

On the day of Oct 4,2010 Joey was told that he had the day off. His sgt told him some one else was driving him to go get the mail from another cop. Joey agrued with his sgt cause they had never been apart from the day Joey arrived in Germany and started driving for this sgt. so instead of fighting with Joey, sgt Dickie told Joey he could drive him to go get the mail.. so in the mean time there was 2 other men with Joey and Sgt Dickie. Joey was on the road and was'nt there very long when Joey had ran over the IED. Joey took the full force of the bomb. 1 walked away with just bruises, 1 had broken ribs and a collapsed lung, Sgt Dickie had a gash on his leg and it still has shrapnel in it. Joey was the only one who was KIA,

My Hero

From the day Joey turned 8yrs old I knew he wanted to join the Army. He wanted to be like his Grandpa Prentler who was always telling him about how the military changed his life. I wasn't shocked when he was 17 and I had two soldiers show up at my house telling me that he had been looking into joining. I was never so proud of him then that day when I knew what was going to happen. He loved being in that stryker. he took very good care of it and wouldn't let no one work on it with out him there. He went through boot camp in Ga. he asked how I would feel if he went to Germany and became part of the Ghostriders.. I told him it was up to him and I would support him no matter where he was in life, so after boot camp he left for Germany. there he met the Dickie family and they took him in like he was one of their kids. He would always make the sgt and his wife take time out for themselves. he would watch their two kids and play with them cause he was missing home. When he got to Afghanistan there was several new guys who Joey welcomed into the unit. When they needed something and couldn't afford it, if he had it he would give it to them. If someone needed money he would give them whatever they needed. He was a giving young man who thought of everyone else other then himself. This is why i consider my son a true American Hero.

Letters

Army Spc Joseph T Prentler was a giving young man who cared for everyone but himself. I couldnt ask for a better son. he will be greatly missed and loved everyday.