Mark Evans Jr.

Fallen Hero’s Hometown and State: Jacksonville, FL

Branch of Service: United States Navy

Rank: Chief Warrant Officer

Chief Warrant Officer Mark Evans Jr. served for six years in the Navy before switching over to the Army. He was killed along with six other soldiers in a Blackhawk Helicopter crash near Temple, Texas. The helicopter was on its way to Texarkana to check on the status of the 4th Infantry Division’s equipment for its next deployment.

Mark loved what he did for his country. He was an excellent pilot. Among many others, he served on missions escorting President Bush to his farm in Crawford, Texas. Evans had returned from a deployment to Iraq a few months before the crash and had survived a year in combat. He loved flying Army helicopters and protecting those he served.

When Mark and his wife Colleen went shopping the week before the crash, he insisted on buying six Christmas stockings, even though the couple only had two children at the time. They had decided the week prior to have another baby. He said, “Go ahead and get six stockings because you know we’ll have two more kids,” recalled Colleen.

Age: 27

Date of Death: November 29, 2004