In a letter read at Robert J. Basham”s funeral, Brian Basham remembered a brother who was always the life of the party, who didn”t mind acting goofy even if it meant dancing the “worm” in his Kenosha Military Academy uniform at prom.
“Know that I will live my life to the fullest in your honor. Love, your biggest fan _ Brian,” he read.
Basham, 22, of Kenosha, Wis., died April 14 in Doha, Qatar, of non-combat related injuries. A 2002 high school graduate, he was on his second tour and was assigned to Kenosha.
Basham enjoyed golf and loved to play poker. Brian Basham talked about his brother wanting to go into the Secret Service, while Brian would become an FBI agent and “side by side we were going to make a difference in the world.”
Capt. Paul Denton, remembered Basham as someone who loved being a soldier and volunteered to stay in Iraq. “He absolutely loved his job, he loved getting down in the dirt. When it came time for us to go home, he said, ”Listen, I”m single, I have nothing to go back home for. I love being a soldier, I want to stay,”” said Denton.
He also is survived by his parents, Mitchell and Nora.
Staff Sgt. Robert J. Basham, 22, in of Kenosha, serving in Iraq, passed away on Saturday, April 14th, 2007, at Camp As Sayliyah in Doha, Qatar.
The son of Mitchell W. and Nora (Palazzolo) Basham, he was born in Libertyville, IL, on May 4, 1984. He came to Kenosha in 1994 and was educated in local schools. In 2002, he graduated from the Kenosha Military Academy. While in high school, he was named Cadet Battalion Commander, serving on the Color Guard, Rifle Team and Raider’s Team. His passion was the Military. Robert enjoyed golf and loved to play poker.
He was in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. He served as a member of the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 1st Battalion, 126th Field Artillery before being sent to Kuwait in 2005 with the Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 128th Infantry for 1 year. When his unit returned home last November, he volunteered for another tour of duty with the Kansas Army National Guard for a mission inside Iraq.
Surviving are his parents of Kenosha; two brothers and one sister, Brian M. of Milwaukee, and Christopher W. and Jennifer J. Basham, both of Kenosha; paternal grandparents, George and Eva Pavlis of Mundelein, IL; maternal grandmother, Norma Palazzolo of Round Lake, IL; and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Stephanie Ann on February 14, 1994, and his maternal grandfather, William Palazzolo.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 26th, at Proko Funeral Home at 10:00 am. Interment to follow at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove, WI. Visitation will be held on Wednesday at Proko Funeral Home from 2:00 pm until 8:00 pm.
Proko Funeral Home & Crematory
5111-60th Street
Kenosha, WI 53144
Phone: (262) 654-3533
www.prokofuneralhome.com
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