NAME: Douglas Logan Tinsley
PLACE OF BIRTH: St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada
DATE OF BIRTH: 20 Feb 1985
HOME OF RECORD:
DATES OF SERVICE: 28 Sep 2004 to 26 Dec 2006
UNIT ASSIGNED: Company D, 3rd BN, 509th (ABN)
CAMPAIGNS: Operation Iraqi Freedom
AWARDS: Bronze Star Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Medic Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge
SUMMARY OF SERVICE:
20 Feb 1985 - Corporal Douglas L. Tinsley was born in St. Johns Newfoundland, Canada.
2004 - He graduated high school.
28 Sep 2004 - He joined the Army and was assigned to Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 19th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he completed Basic Training.
Upon completion of Basic Training, CPL Tinsley then attended, and completed, his Advanced Individual Training as a Combat Medic at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Upon completion of Airborne School, CPL Tinsley arrived at Fort Richardson, Alaska where he was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment and then attached to Dog Company. While assigned to 3rd Battalion, 509th PIR, CPL Tinsley served in the Treatment and Evacuation section of the Battalion Aid Station and as a Combat Line Medic. He is a graduate of Combatives Level 1.
CPL Tinsley was the son of a Navy dad.
A few words from CPL Tinsley's Aunt:
He preferred Logan over Douglas, but the boys of Dog Company would call him Doc Tinsley. Also, Logan was born in Newfoundland, Canada not California. His father was a chief petty officer aboard the USS Nimitz at the time of Logan's birth. His parents are both from Chester, South Carolina. This is where Logan lived as a boy, graduated from high school, and served as executive offficer of the JROTC. He took his JROTC to tri-state competition where his battalion was recognized as an Honor Unit. He was a big brother to Ryan, a member of the 82nd Airborne serving in Iraq, best friend to his mother, Lori, and a foster brother of four young men that Logan brought home to join his family in Chester. They were friends in need and Logan answered the call. He would say, "Mama, he needs a place to live. He is going to live here now." Lori and Logan's #1 rule for these boys was that they go to school and work hard. They were not disappointed. Logan was a gifted guitar player, and even sent an audition tape to the U.S. Army band once. Unfortunately, they weren't looking for a heavy metal guitar player. He always impressed and made friends easily. He was offered full scholarship to the college of his choice by MSgt. Boyd of the JROTC. Logan said, "I would like that someday, but I want to go get some of that 'Hooah' first." He loved Airborne and he was a dedicated medic. His mother found pages of notes that he had written to help him as he performed his duties as a combat medic. Logan was dead on arrival when he was flown away from the Humvee, submerged in a watery canal. The two young men that were with him in the Humvee lived a little while longer, one for five hours, one for ten days. Perhaps, this can be attributed to Doc Tinsley's commitment to saving the lives of his unit, his friends. Without a doubt, he gave all. We are proud of Logan and honor his sacrifice, but we will always miss him. Very sincerely, Sherry Fairfax Malphus
26 Dec 2006 - Army Spc. Douglas L. Tinsley, assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division died December 26, 2006 of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was in was involved in a rollover incident in Baghdad while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“I remember (Douglas) Logan as a bright, handsome fellow, full of sunshine and mischief, eyes sparking as he grasped a new concept. Fearless, and full of daring on that third grade playground. As a student teacher at the time, I believe that he taught me more than he ever learned from me. Though I never saw him after those few months long ago, I hold his memory as that sweet, wonderful, innocent child.” These words from former student teacher, Lydia Padgett, sums up how all who knew Douglas “Logan” Tinsley felt about him. The military took Douglas “Logan” out of Chester, a small old textile town in South Carolina, to see things that may not have been possible without the military. He had traveled, jumped out of airplanes, lived in Alaska.
He was planning to be married to Sarah Nelson in early 2007.
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