West Suburban Bureau

2 Naperville Soldiers Killed In Battle Overseas

Flags Are Lowered Today In Naperville As The Community Paid Tribute To 2 Fallen Sons

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) ― Flags are lowered in Naperville today in honor of two hometown servicemen killed in action. As CBS 2 West Suburban Bureau Chief Mike Puccinelli reports, the community paid an emotional tribute today to its fallen sons.

There were hugs and tears at the base of the Millennium Carillon in downtown Naperville. They gathered there today to hear the bells tolling for their loved one - Tony Mihalo - one of two sons of Naperville killed fighting overseas.

James Hale was killed Wednesday in Baghdad after his vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb. Mihalo was killed Thursday in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device. Today at Naperville's Rotary Hill, the two young men were honored.

"It's a sad day," said Naperville Mayor George Pradel. "A sad day for Naperville."

It's sadder still when you consider that Mihalo didn't have to be in the line of fire. He'd been injured four times in tours in Iraq and Afghanistan - most recently in July when he was hit by shrapnel. At the time, the call from the casualty department seemed like it would finally lead to a trip home.

"We thought, 'well, this is the worse that it can be,'" said Debbie Wolfe, Mihalo's mother. "Okay, let it come, we're okay with it and… it wasn't."

It wasn't because Mihalo didn't want to go home - instead volunteering to go to Afghanistan so he could be in the so-called tip of the spear.

Hale dreamed of one day becoming a Chicago policeman. He was working towards that goal by serving as a military policeman in the army. At Naperville Central High School, he wrestled and played football.

Today, across the street from his high school, Taps was played in his honor and in honor of his brother in arms Tony Mihalo.

Hale leaves behind a wife and three children, including four-week-old Jordan whom he never even had a chance to meet.

Hale was awarded a posthumous Purple Heart.

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