By Benjamin Poston
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
Copyright 2006 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.
BELLEVILLE — When supervisors at Abbott Ambulance opened Army Sgt. Steven P. Mennemeyer’s personnel file Saturday, they discovered dozens of letters from patients whom Mennemeyer had helped as an emergency medical technician there.
Mennemeyer, one of two soldiers killed last week in the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq, understood that elderly and sick patients often just wanted someone to hold their hands during transport to the hospital. In this way, he showed genuine concern for patients, co-workers said.
“These letters speak to the exemplary way Steven did his job,” said Larry Stone, vice president of administration at Abbott. “He had such a high degree of respect and care for his patients. It’s such a shame.”
Mennemeyer, 26, of Granite City, was killed Tuesday when his helicopter crashed into a lake near Baghdad, the Department of Defense said. Enemy action was not involved, the agency said. Mennemeyer was a flight medic with the 82nd Medical Company (Air Ambulance) based in Fort Riley, Kan.
Mennemeyer joined the Army Reserves after graduating from Granite City High School in 1998 and joined the Army in August 2002. This was his second deployment to Iraq; the first was with the 1st Armored Division.
“Steven was an awesome young man who loved being a flight medic and believed what he was doing in Iraq was truly important,” a press release issued by Mennemeyer’s family said.
Dick Stephens, a paramedic who worked with Mennemeyer at Abbott, said his co-worker’s death came as a shock.
Stephens’ son, Spc. Jason Stephens, 22, is scheduled for redeployment later this year with the Army’s 3rd Infantry.
A tank crew member, Jason Stephens suffered partial hearing loss during his first one-year tour in Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee.
“They are all in harm’s way,” Dick Stephens said. “You just pray this never happens to someone you know and care about. It really hits home when it’s one of your own.”
Outside of Abbott Ambulance in Belleville Saturday, operations manager Scott Tiepelman held a five-year service pin that he was waiting to give Mennemeyer when he returned from duty. Tiepelman, who said memorial decals will be placed on Abbott ambulances, plans to give the pin to Mennemeyer’s 7-year-old son.
“Everyone is grieving,” Tiepelman said. "(Steven) would do anything to help anybody.”
Mennemeyer’s remains were recovered Wednesday. Remains of the second crash victim, Jeffrey S. Brown, 25, of Trinity Center, Calif., were recovered Thursday.
Four other service members, two from the Army and two from the Navy, were injured in the crash during a routine flight in Anbar province. The military said the crash was not a result of hostile fire.
In addition to his son, among Mennemeyer’s survivors are his parents, Steve Mennemeyer and Ramona L. Phillips; a sister, Sarah; and friend Ginny Akins.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Irwin Chapel funeral home in Granite City.