IN HONOR OF OUR FALLEN SOLDIERS

Left to right (top row):
Capt. Cody A. Khork – U.S. Army Reserve Command
Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens – U.S. Army Reserve Command
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor – U.S. Army Reserve Command
Spc. Declan Coady was posthumously promoted to sergeant – U.S. Army Reserve Command
Left to right (second row):
Chief Warrant Officer 3, Robert M. Marzan
Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien
Photo credit:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gq33ynl07o (top photo)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/us-service-members-killed-iran-war-rcna261608

Destination Freedom Media Group and the Davis Vanguard offer their sincere condolences and prayers to the families who recently lost loved ones in the recent U.S. military operation in Iran. As a U.S. Army Veteran, I want to make it crystal clear to all civilians that soldiers in the military do not have a choice whether to follow orders or not. You follow orders no matter who the commander in chief is and when you sign your name on the dotted line, you are aware that there is always a possibility that you may have to make the ultimate sacrifice so people who are safe in the U.S. can live free.

Here’s our song/video for this article:

Toby Keith – Courtesy of the Red, White And Blue (The Angry American) (Official Music Video)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Malik Washington is an investigative journalist, U.S. Army veteran, and CEO of Destination Freedom Media Group, which he co-founded with Gale Washington. Destination Freedom Media Group, an independent nonprofit newsroom dedicated to accountability reporting at the intersection of civil rights, public integrity, disability justice, structural accountability within American institutions, and community survival.

He previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper (2020–2021) and has been a published journalist for over 14 years.

With journalist Maura Corkery, he is co-author of The Unquiet Resignation, an investigative series on the San Francisco Unified School District produced in partnership with The Davis Vanguard.

His “Price of Being Poor” series — also produced in partnership with The Davis Vanguard — is the most sustained recent accounting of privatized public housing in San Francisco  documenting the conditions at Alice Griffith Apartments that culminated in San Francisco’s first-of-its-kind code-enforcement settlement of August 26, 2026.

His work focuses on government power, criminal justice, environmental justice, and the human consequences of policy decisions too often insulated from public scrutiny. Washington’s reporting amplifies the voices of impacted communities while insisting on documentary evidence, transparency, and the unvarnished truth—especially when institutions demand silence.

His work appears on platforms such as Muck Rack, examining the intersection of justice, governance, and community.

You can reach him via email: mwashington2059@gmail.com or call him at (719) 715-9592.

Suggestions or leads on stories are always welcome.

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