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SGT MICHAEL A. DEBLOIS

Soldier killed in Panama buried
Related stories from Panama, Page 4A
By The Associated Press

   A soldier who was killed in a grenade blast during the invasion of Panama was buried by two military brothers, while other families celebrated Christmas-season contact with loved ones who were wounded in the fighting.
   Army Sgt Michael DeBlois, 24, of Columbus, Ga., was buried with full military honors and a 21-gun salute at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery in Phenix City in one of several funerals around the country for soldiers killed in action in Panama last week.
   Sgt DeBlois, a radio operator, was one of two soldiers killed when someone tossed a grenade inside a building in Panama City that had been "cleared" by U.S. troops, said Staff Sgt Henry O'Neal, Sgt DeBlois squad leader.
   Sgt DeBlois, who had lived in Columbus with his wife, Paula, for about two years, came from a family of military tradition.
   One of his brothers, Robert DeBlois, is an Army sergeant. Another, David DeBlois, is a Navy airman. His father, Robert DeBlois of Fort Worth, Texas, is a retired Air Force chief master sergeant.
   Pfc. Jeffrey Lynn Horton of St. Florian, a paratrooper who has been in the Army about 18 months, was able to spend Christmas at his Lauderdale County home

after he was shot in the leg during the Panama invasion. "Santa Claus came here about midnight, and he dropped Jeff off about an hour later," said Pfc. Horton's father, Billy.
   In Anniston, the family of Spec. 4 Billy Moon received an early Christmas morning telephone call from him. "I had just told my husband that if there's any way he can get to a phone, he'll call today," said Doris Moon. Fifteen minutes later, the phone rang. Their son had stood in line three hours to make the call.
  . In Andalusia, the telephone rang at noon Christmas Day, and Army Spec. 5 Russell Scott gave his family the best present of all word that he was "bruised and scratched" but doing fine.
   In Tuscaloosa, Maria Sayers got her Christmas present about 4 p.m. when her son, Army 2nd Lt. Steven Sayers, called from Panama to say he was all right Mrs. Sayers' husband is Roger Sayers, president of the University of Alabama, and their son's call was made, fittingly, from a Panamanian schoolhouse. "He went into a schoolhouse ... and there was a phone in there, and he just picked it up and called us collect," Mrs. Sayers said.
   Two members of his platoon were killed during a raid on Gen. Manuel Noriega's headquarters, she said, and his thoughts were about them.

[Alabama Journal, Montgomery, AL, 28 Dec 1989, Thu, Page 2]

Paula DeBlois, widow of Army Sgt. Michael DeBlois who died in fighting in Panama last week, is presented a flag by Fort Benning' Deputy Post Commander Brig. Gen. William Steele on Wednesday in Fort Mitchell, Ala.

Grave marker for Sgt Michael A. DeBlois in Plot 2, Site 60, Fort Mitchell National Cemetery, Fort Mitchell (Russell county), Alabama.

Michael was born at Jacksonville Air Force Base, Arkansas. He resided in Mississippi, New Hampshire, Germany, Oklahoma and California. He graduated from Biloxi High School and attended Louisiana State University prior to enlisting in the US Army. He went through infantry training and jump school at Fort Benning.

Michael was fatally wounded in Panama City, Panama during Operation Just Cause and was awarded the Bronze Star with V device and Purple Heart. Michael was a cross-country long distance runner and earned numerous trophies/awards.