Governor Jerry Brown ordered flags above the State Capitol lowered to half-staff to honor fallen Army Sgt. 1st Class James F. Grissom, 31, of Hayward, California:
On behalf of all Californians, Governor Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown honor Sgt. 1st Class James F. Grissom, who bravely gave his life in service to our state and nation. The Governor and First Lady extend their deepest condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.
As Home Post reported Monday, Grissom died March 21 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, of wounds he suffered from small arms fire March 18 in Paktika Province, Afghanistan.
After graduating from Mt. Eden High School in 1999, Grissom attended the Art Institute of San Francisco, where he earned an associate's degree in computer animation.
Grissom then joined the Army in June 2003. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.
He is survived by his wife, parents, and sister.
