SGT Amanda Pinson Facebook Memorial Page
“If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever”
Army Sgt. Amanda Pinson, 21, of Lemay, MO assigned to the 101st Military Intelligence Detachment, 501st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; was killed March 16th, 2006 when a mortar round detonated in Tikrit, Iraq. Pinson was a 98C Signals Intelligence Analyst and the first female Signal Intelligence Analyst to ever be killed in combat. The United States Army will be naming their new Cryptology Center, “Pinson Hall”, in her honor.
Pinson graduated from Hancock Place High School in 2002. She was one of the top students in the class, winning several scholarships. She cheered with the pompon squad, played basketball and softball.
At her funeral service, at Hoffmeister Funeral Home on Lemay Ferry Rd., Chris Ehlen (Mother) and Tony Pinson (Father) accepted a Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and a Purple Heart for their daughter. Visitors filled the chapel and two other rooms to standing-room-only capacity, with closed-circuit television broadcasting the service.
State Rep. Patricia Yaeger, D-Lemay, told Pinson’s family at the service: “The state of Missouri stands with you. We mourn with you.”. During the procession, which included 117 bikers from the Patriot Guard, hundreds of Lemay residents lined the streets from the funeral home to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetary where Sgt. Pinson was laid to rest with full military honors.
The video below was created by Amanda's cousin, Jennifer, in her honor. The second song that plays is one that was requested be written about Amanda, by her cousin Jennifer, by her friend Chris "Blackie" Starks". They named it, "Angel in Fatigues". The song has been played all over the world.
10/20/2015 H.R. 323 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 55 Grasso Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri, as the “Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson Post Office Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
09/24/2015 H.R. 323 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 55 Grasso Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri, as the “Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson Post Office Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H6202)
January 13, 2015: H.R.323 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 55 Grasso Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri, as the “Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson Post Office” introduced to the House.
July 26th, 2012: The SGT Amanda N. Pinson Training Support Center ribbon cutting & plaque unveiling ceremony took place at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The building sits on over 2 acres and took approximately 18 months to build. The building consists of four separate sections: Administrative, training (to include simulators like the Engagement Skills Simulator for weapons training), warehouse (where they have an equipment library to loan out training devices and items for units to use in their daily training activities), and a fabrication section (where they will be able to make training devices).
December 7, 2011: The plaque from Pinson Hall, on FOB Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq, was hand delivered to Chris Andrews, Amanda’s mother, by Sgt. Maj. Mari Sidwell 4th Infantry Division Military Intelligence Sergeant Major. It was removed from FOB Speicher as Speicher was shut down due to the withdrawal of US Troops from Iraq.
October 2011: Hero’s Way sign placed at Bayless and Highway 55 (both North & South). Amanda grew up in Lemay on Bayless.
May 2011: Patriot Rovers announced they would be honoring Amanda by naming one of their PTSD trained dogs after her. Chris Andrews, Amanda’s mother, named her Mandy. Mandy is now with Army SFC Mathew L. Nagel and wife Rhonda. They will be the forever friends of “Mandy” Patriot Rover. SFC Mathew Nagel has since passed and his wife, Rhonda, still has Mandy; she is a Veteran as well.
Memorial Day 2006: She was the first female intelligence soldier to ever be honored by the NSA. There are only 166 names on the wall to date: (as of 12/2011) To read Amanda’s biography, written by the NSA, please click here.
The United States Army honored Amanda by dedicating the building where she worked and naming it “Pinson Hall” (Tikrit, Iraq on FOB Speicher): 2006. As mentioned above, the plaque that was mounted on the building was given to her mother, Chris, on December 7th, 2011 after FOB Speicher was shut down.
November 2006: Fort Campbell held a ceremony honoring Amanda where she has her name on a stone by the flag on base. The memorial has since been updated.
June 3, 2006: A pink willow tree was planted, in her honor, at Hancock High School. Amanda graduated from Hancock High School in 2002.
May 19, 2006: A song was written about her called, “Angel in Fatigues” (written by Blackie Starks) and played, for the first time at a tribute show, in her honor.
SGT Amanda Pinson Memorial Scholarship Information:
To make a donation, please send by form of check or money order to be made to the: Hancock Alumni Association, Amanda Pinson Memorial Scholarship, ATTN: Sue Weber, 2191 Lemay Ferry Rd., St. Louis, MO, 63125. This scholarship will be given out to future graduates of Hancock Place High School. Christine Holmer was the first recipient in 2006.