Army Specialist Adam M. Kuligowski
December 20, 1987 ~ April 6, 2009
Operation Iraqi Freedom
US Army Speial Troops Battalion,
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Fort Cambell, KY
21, of Derry NH; died as a result of service to our country, while deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
US Army Speial Troops Battalion,
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Fort Cambell, KY
21, of Derry NH; died as a result of service to our country, while deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan.
Adam was born in Seoul, South Korea. He grew up in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Honduras, Utah and in New Hampshire where he attended Pinkerton Academy. He loved learning and could always be found reading about one of his many interests, which included world history, Knight Templars, Nikolai Tesla and Teddy Roosevelt. He was an avid reader and was particularly fond of alternate history novels by authors such as Harry Turtledove. He loved to laugh and always appreciated a good comedy. He planned to go to college for engineering.
In high school, Adam made his mark on a 2004 trip to China when he climbed on a camel’s back and was photographed wearing his signature cowboy hat. A Pinkterton Academy student, he went to China as a member of the school's first exchange student program. “Adam was a unique individual,” said John Barry, one of his former teachers. “He wasn’t one for formality or going by the rules. He had a spirit of adventure, for sure. He was the only kid who dared to get up on the camel in China.”
Adam was the son of a foreign service officer and grew up living in U.S. embassies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He entered the Army in October 2006. He was a signals intelligence analyst assigned to the Special Troops Battalion. He worked worked six days a week, analyzing intelligence that the military gathered while he was serving in Afghanistan. He was gifted at his job and loved being a part of the 101st Airborne Division, just like his father and his great uncle. Adam had been in Afghanistan for about a year and was scheduled to return home in a month. He was looking forward to talking with his grandfather about his WWII experiences.
Adam's father Michael recalled "golden moments" on a hiking trip with then 7-year-old Adam. The two of them were 15,000 feet up in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by spectacular southern Utah scenery. They came upon a mountain lake, and Michael asked his son if he thought his father could catch a fish. "I know you can," Adam told his father. And he did. A big trout. They cleaned it and cooked it over a fire."We sat in front the fire and watched the sun go down and ate our dinner," Michael said. "I really think it was the best night of my life."
Stefan Kuligowski remembered how he and his younger brother shared an interest in movies and his brother's interest in cyber culture. Adam wove alternate history scenarios online with others who enjoyed the pastime. Once when he visited Stefan and their father, the two brothers talked and watched the three extended versions of the "The Lord of the Rings" movies for 12 hours, from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Stefan recalled a time as a high school student when he and Adam were going to Boston to see a movie. Stefan, who was driving, got overwhelmed by the traffic and pulled over in tears. Adam, who had never been to Boston, reassured him, telling him, "Pull out into traffic. Take a right. Take a left." "We were there," Stefan said. "Somehow he knew." Adam's sister, Kalia Kuligowski, said her younger brother was a free thinker and citizen of the world. She read from a high school essay that he had written before he traveled to China with fellow Pinkerton Academy students. She said he reflected on what it would be like to see the Great Wall of China and how it compared to a similar wall built as part of the Roman Empire. Kalia said her brother saw the big picture. And his imagination was rich. She quoted a section from her brother's writings. It read: "It's better to live in a beautiful dream then a terrible reality."
His job was to sift through intercepted electronic information such as cell phone calls and text messages to glean intelligence to protect people from terrorist activities, his father, Michael said. His brother said Adam liked puzzles and had a natural facility for understanding mechanical things. "He loved seeing how things worked and fit together," said Stefan. Adam's father said his son had always wanted to be in the Army, but he was not going to re-enlist. He planned to go to college or enter the foreign service.
Kuligowski entered the Army in October 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2007.
His awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; NATO Medal and Weapons Qualification: M4-rifle, expert.
He is survived by his mother Tracie Kuligowski, brothers Stefan and Lucas and extended family. In Jan. 2011, his father Michael passed away and in June 2011, sister Kalia passed away, both losing their battle with cancer.
In high school, Adam made his mark on a 2004 trip to China when he climbed on a camel’s back and was photographed wearing his signature cowboy hat. A Pinkterton Academy student, he went to China as a member of the school's first exchange student program. “Adam was a unique individual,” said John Barry, one of his former teachers. “He wasn’t one for formality or going by the rules. He had a spirit of adventure, for sure. He was the only kid who dared to get up on the camel in China.”
Adam was the son of a foreign service officer and grew up living in U.S. embassies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He entered the Army in October 2006. He was a signals intelligence analyst assigned to the Special Troops Battalion. He worked worked six days a week, analyzing intelligence that the military gathered while he was serving in Afghanistan. He was gifted at his job and loved being a part of the 101st Airborne Division, just like his father and his great uncle. Adam had been in Afghanistan for about a year and was scheduled to return home in a month. He was looking forward to talking with his grandfather about his WWII experiences.
Adam's father Michael recalled "golden moments" on a hiking trip with then 7-year-old Adam. The two of them were 15,000 feet up in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by spectacular southern Utah scenery. They came upon a mountain lake, and Michael asked his son if he thought his father could catch a fish. "I know you can," Adam told his father. And he did. A big trout. They cleaned it and cooked it over a fire."We sat in front the fire and watched the sun go down and ate our dinner," Michael said. "I really think it was the best night of my life."
Stefan Kuligowski remembered how he and his younger brother shared an interest in movies and his brother's interest in cyber culture. Adam wove alternate history scenarios online with others who enjoyed the pastime. Once when he visited Stefan and their father, the two brothers talked and watched the three extended versions of the "The Lord of the Rings" movies for 12 hours, from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Stefan recalled a time as a high school student when he and Adam were going to Boston to see a movie. Stefan, who was driving, got overwhelmed by the traffic and pulled over in tears. Adam, who had never been to Boston, reassured him, telling him, "Pull out into traffic. Take a right. Take a left." "We were there," Stefan said. "Somehow he knew." Adam's sister, Kalia Kuligowski, said her younger brother was a free thinker and citizen of the world. She read from a high school essay that he had written before he traveled to China with fellow Pinkerton Academy students. She said he reflected on what it would be like to see the Great Wall of China and how it compared to a similar wall built as part of the Roman Empire. Kalia said her brother saw the big picture. And his imagination was rich. She quoted a section from her brother's writings. It read: "It's better to live in a beautiful dream then a terrible reality."
His job was to sift through intercepted electronic information such as cell phone calls and text messages to glean intelligence to protect people from terrorist activities, his father, Michael said. His brother said Adam liked puzzles and had a natural facility for understanding mechanical things. "He loved seeing how things worked and fit together," said Stefan. Adam's father said his son had always wanted to be in the Army, but he was not going to re-enlist. He planned to go to college or enter the foreign service.
Kuligowski entered the Army in October 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2007.
His awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; NATO Medal and Weapons Qualification: M4-rifle, expert.
He is survived by his mother Tracie Kuligowski, brothers Stefan and Lucas and extended family. In Jan. 2011, his father Michael passed away and in June 2011, sister Kalia passed away, both losing their battle with cancer.
