Freedom isn’t free. It takes courage, honor and dedication. Jason Timmerman knew this and proudly put his own life on the line for his country. And 10 years ago, he paid the ultimate price for our freedom, dying a true American hero in the eyes of everyone who knew him.

First Lt. Jason Timmerman was 24 years old, serving his country as a National Guardsman, when he was killed by a roadside bomb explosion alongside two fellow 1st Battalion, 151st Field Artillery soldiers from Minnesota on Feb. 21, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq. Today marks the 10-year anniversary of that day – a day countless people in southwest Minnesota and across the nation will never forget.

“I just hope the American people don’t take their freedom for granted,” said Travis Timmerman, Jason’s younger brother. “I hope they live a life worthy of the price Jason paid with his life. He was a very good guy, a huge asset to the schools he worked at and the communities he lived in. It’s a huge loss.”

AN IMPACTFUL LIFE

While it is impossible to gage the full impact that Jason’s life – and unfortunately, his death – has had on those around him, it is astonishing to say the least. Those closest to him say they miss him dearly but treasure the years they had with him.

Along with being a loving son to parents Pat and Gary Timmerman, Jason was also a loyal brother to Eric, the Rev. Craig and Travis Timmerman. Though he’d only been married for just over a year, he was also a devoted husband to Teresa (Hildebrand).

“We couldn’t be more proud,” Pat Timmerman said about her son, Jason. “That, along with our faith and all the love and support we were blessed with back then and still are getting to this day, is what got us through the loss of our precious son. We realize God only takes the best, and three of our country’s best men met our Dear Lord on Feb. 21st, 2005.”

Jason was also a respected classmate to many at Lakeview Public School in Cottonwood and Dakota State University in Madison, S.D. and a sincere teacher to math and computer students at Madison Middle School and Lake Benton High School. He no doubt impacted countless others as a generous and faithful servant at the Church of St. Clotilde in Green Valley and through the many community services projects he was a part of.

“Jason was always focused on helping other people and doing what he could for his family and community, so when he passed away, it really impacted me,” said Marshall native Troy Timmerman, who was 9 years old when his cousin, Jason, was killed along with Sgt. Jesse Lhotka and Staff Sgt. David Day as they were evacuating two soldiers who were injured in a Humvee accident. “I remember coming home, seeing my dad in tears. I’d never seen him cry before. It just shocked me that Jason was gone, and I’d never be able to see him again.”

He remembers Jason as a person who would always make time to play with him and his younger siblings, but most of all, it was Jason’s strong faith and sincere desire to help others that stood out. It’s how Jason lived his life, even to the very end.

“I called him ‘my soldier boy,'” Timmerman said. “I idolized him for being in the military and serving his country. Just hearing when he died, that he was going to save some wounded soldier, confirmed that he really was a hero.”

Troy Timmerman, now 19 and attending college at the University of St. Thomas, has not only modeled his own life after Jason’s, he’s also done what he could to honor his cousin. He started by creating a scrapbook in memory of Jason for Pat and Gary Timmerman. He then made scrapbooks for other family members.

“After seeing how Jason’s death impacted others, I wanted to do something in honor of him, and to remember him,” he said.

Troy Timmerman has shown positive leadership of his own, not only earning the rank of Eagle Scout, which roughly 5 percent of Boy Scouts achieve, he was also selected as the Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Minnesota Scout of the Year in May of 2014. This past year, some people learned about an essay Timmerman had written about his cousin and they asked him to speak at the Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day program, no doubt making Jason very proud.

“I just really wanted to show them how much of a hero Jason was, how he and other service men and women have had such an impact,” he said. “There’s not really a lot of great role models out there, but Jason really was one.”

MEMORIES OF A BROTHER

Travis Timmerman was five years younger than Jason and in many ways, looked up to his brother.

“He was very kind,” Travis Timmerman said. “Of course, we had our squabbles, but he was a good older brother. He let me drive the car to school. He was a good role model in general, and I miss him.”

He remembers Jason as a fun guy to be around.

“He had a good sense of humor, and he loved the outdoors,” he said. “I had a lot of fun going camping with him and Teresa. Jason had a wave runner that he brought to the campouts. He was pretty adventurous.”

In 2002, Travis Timmerman joined Jason in the National Guard.

“The military seemed really interesting, and I wanted that experience, too,” he said. “I guess I was following in his footsteps. I did look up to him.”

Travis Timmerman, part of Alpha Company, was deployed the same time as Jason, as were their cousins, Adam and Clayton. Officers called the three of them together to notify them of Jason’s death.

“I was in Camp Cuervo, a camp in southeast Baghdad, washing a Humvee when they called me up,” he said. “When I got there, my cousins Adam and Clayton were sitting there, so I knew something bad had happened.”

Despite the circumstances, Travis Timmerman said he was grateful for the support and respect the leaders showed during the notification process.

“It was a shock,” he said. “I remember being very emotional when they told us. But you kind of learn in combat, to shut off your emotions, so I did that until I got home. It was kind of a blur.”

He not only had to deal with the death of his brother but was also assigned the task of notifying his parents.

“I wasn’t supposed to call home until Teresa knew,” he said. “They finally gave the word so that I could call home. That was really hard. I talked to my mom, and she was at work. It was horrible.”

Once home, the support for Jason’s family swelled like an endless tidal wave, especially for his parents.

“It was very devastating for my parents, but at the same time, it brought them closer together,” said Travis Timmerman, who spent three weeks at home before going back overseas, which was difficult on his parents.

“It was a tough position to be in,” he said. “But they just learned to trust a little more.”

Through the loss of his beloved brother, he said he’s also learned that time heals all wounds.

“You think you can’t move on, but then you do, though you never forget,” he said. “It’s also very comforting to know that Jason had a strong faith, he led a good life and that we’ll see him again someday.”

Travis Timmerman has made sure to keep his brother’s name alive by naming his first son after him: Jude Jason (2-and-a-half). Jude’s brother, Dominic, was born two weeks ago.

Shortly before the end of his military career, Travis Timmerman was deployed to Iraq for a second time, between 2009 and 2010. It was then that he unexpectedly came to terms with everything.

“It was nice to see how Iraq had transformed,” he said. “Driving on some of the roads on downtown Baghdad, there were lights up all over, and the roads were painted. It was like a normal city. It would bother me if it would start to fall apart again because then Jason would have died for nothing.”

MILITARY MEMORIES

In addition to countless relatives and friends, Jason Timmerman is fondly remembered by his military family. Having joined the National Guard in 1997 – a year before he graduated from Lakeview High School – he had gotten to know a lot of other soldiers and their families. Terry Kesteloot grew up less than two miles from Jason and his family, though he attended school in neighboring Marshall.

The two were deployed at the same time. While Kesteloot was with the Marshall squad, Alpha, Jason Timmerman had been with Charlie Company out of Morris since being promoted to officer status when he, too, was with Alpha.

Kesteloot remembers being on a mission that fateful day 10 years ago. When they returned, an emergency meeting was called, he said.

“Our commander gathered us all together and told us that those three had been killed,” he said. “Right away when he mentioned Jason’s name, my heart just dropped. I said, ‘you had to be kidding.'”

After the shock wore off a little, Kesteloot said he felt angry about it.

“It makes you mad that those people who hurt them are out there trying to do that every day,” he said. “It’s sad they lost their lives. It definitely hit me pretty hard. It’s not something you get over quickly.”

Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 25,000 Minnesota National Guard members have been deployed and served in more than 33 countries worldwide, according to the Minnesota National Guard Public Affairs website. Eighteen of them have been killed in a combat zone.

“Everybody still remembers that day, especially those who were deployed with Jason,” said Carmen Brunsvold, a local family readiness support assistant. “The news spread like wildfire. It’s that fear that you never want to have happen. Then, to have it hit so close to home. You’re reminded that no one is invincible.”

Brunsvold, whose husband and two sons were deployed at the time, said being from a small community is both good and bad.

“In a small town in southwest Minnesota, everybody knows everybody,” she said. “Jason was an amazing person. And he was just an extension of his family and how wonderful they are.”

One of the ways people have honored the three fallen soldiers is by participating in the LTD (named after the three men) Motorcycle Tour in July.

“We have several of the soldiers who were with Timmerman and remember that feeling of that day,” Brunsvold said. “That’s why the LTD Ride is so important to them.”

While it’s not something he can think about all the time, Kesteloot said he’ll never forget the fallen soldiers.

“I’m thankful I made it home, and it’s unbelievable that I can be standing here today and they didn’t make it,” he said. “It could have happened to any of us as easily as it did to them.”

TRIBUTES OF HONOR

Gestures of respect for the fallen soldiers and support for their family and friends have been generous and sincere since that tragic day. Staff and students at Tracy Area High School, where Teresa Timmerman was a math teacher and junior high coach, wore commemorative green ribbons – said to be Jason’s favorite color – as a tribute to Jason. Countless long-stem white roses were placed on his casket by supporters at a prayer service at Tracy Lutheran.

On the day of Jason’s funeral – March 1, 2005 – then Gov. Tim Pawlenty ordered that the U.S. flag and the state of Minnesota flag be flown at half-staff in honor and remembrance of Jason. Pawlenty, along with former U.S. Sens. Mark Dayton (now governor) and Norm Coleman attended Jason’s funeral at the Church of Holy Redeemer, which was filled beyond capacity. Some 1,500 people paid their respects that day, including the National Guard representatives who presented the Timmerman family with Jason’s Bronze Star and Purple Heart awards.

“My parents went to Jason’s funeral, and my wife, Hilary, tried to go, but the church was full,” Kesteloot said. “And he deserved to have every one of those seats filled.”

The Rev. Paul Timmerman read Jason’s eulogy at the funeral for his cousin and friend. And on Friday, he took time to reminisce about the past 10 years without Jason’s presence.

“Jason was a week older than me,” Paul Timmerman said. “We were close cousins. We’d play games together, and I’d join them in climbing trees and hunting with BB guns. As a teenager, we went on a weekend retreat together. He even skipped Belgian American Days – the family was big into rolle bolle – to go to a family Bible camp with me. He was always kind and someone you liked being around.”

Paul Timmerman admits that he has dealt with – and continues to deal with – a variety of emotions regarding the loss of Jason.

“I was away at seminary school in Columbus, Ohio, when I got a phone call from my parents,” he said. “It was very surreal. We’d prayed that they’d come home safely. It was almost a given that they would, so I couldn’t believe it. It was just a flood of emotions. I was angry at the Iraqis and at God. And there was sadness.”

Two things helped Paul Timmerman and other family members get through the toughest of times. One was talking to each other and sharing memories. The other was their faith.

“Jason, David and Jesse were bringing an injured guy to the helicopter when the explosion went off, so they died for one another,” he said. “Like Jesus said, ‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ Through our faith, we know he’s in a better place.”

Not having an open casket made it difficult to have closure, Paul Timmerman said, though in time, it’s gotten better.

“I definitely had to work through the different stages of grieving,” he said. “Not seeing him in a number of months, it felt like he was still living in Iraq or something. Now, when I’m reading articles about it or going through pictures, it’s easier to talk freely about the memories of Jason and not have someone break into tears.”

Other tributes have followed. In time for Christmas that year, Sgt. Timothy Green, the officer in command of the Marshall unit, pushed to honor Jason and his family by having Artillery Drive, which borders the National Guard Armory in Marshall, renamed Timmerman Drive.

Along with LTD Motorcycle Tour, Jason was also honored at his gravesite by members of the Military Salute Project during the 2009 Remember the Fallen Tribute. In Morris – the hometown of David Day – a memorial with the three soldier’s faces etched in black stone was dedicated. On May 26, 2013, the Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel Foundation honored the casualties of the Global War on Terrorism from Minnesota and the bordering states. White crosses bearing the names of the war dead can be found in the memorial garden nearby. In Montevideo, a painting hung inside the American Legion building memorializes the three soldiers.