WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Louisville Native Among Recent Casualties In Iraq

Louisville Native Among Recent Casualties In Iraq

By Connie Leonard

(LOUISVILLE, April 8th 2004) -- Fierce fighting in Iraq has taken the life of a soldier from Louisville who was serving in Baghdad. Sgt. George Scott Rentschler is one of the latest casualties of the escalating violence. Our Connie Leonard recently visited with his grieving family.

Wednesday night at Gesthemeny Baptist Church, the congregation prayed for Associate Minister Lillian Rentschler, who found out early Wednesday morning that she had lost her son to the war in Iraq when an Army chaplain knocked on her door. "She told me that the Secretary of State was sorry to tell me my son had died, and he was offering his apology."

Lillian's son, 31-year old Platoon Sgt. George Scott Rentschler, was with the 135th Armored Division out of Fort Knox. Army officials told Lillian that George was killed Tuesday night in Baghdad when a rocket propelled grenade hit his tank. Lillian said she was told the grenade "hit the side of the tank as he was going out to relieve his platoon."

George leaves behind his wife, Rachel, and two children -- 12-year-old Scott and 5-year-old Brock. Lillian says her son "loved children, he loved coaching. He took his military career very seriously. There wasn't any talking him out of it because he liked what he was doing and he was very proud of his country."

Just three weeks ago, Lillian's classmates at Jefferson Community College helped her send over Easter candy and a banner to tell George they missed him. "All the kids had written on it from JCC. It just thanked the troops for being over there."

Lillian says she and other family members were hoping George would be home for Derby. "We were getting ready to send him a 'Welcome Home' banner, but I guess we won't be doing that."

George, a former Central High baseball and football player, also loved coaching Little League. Before being deployed to Iraq, he was part of the U.N. peacekeeping forces in Bosnia. "He does believe in taking care of our country," Lillian says, "and now he's given his life for it."

Lillian says all she can do now is pray for peace, and for other families with young men and women still in harm's way. "I hope they don't get the message at the door that I just got this morning. But my fear is they will."

Sgt. George Rentschler was most recently based in Germany, and his wife and children are still there. Lillian says she's not sure when her son's body will be brought back to the U.S.

She's asking everyone in the community to remember that the war is far from over and to pray for peace and the safe return of our troops.

Online Reporter: Connie Leonard

Online Producer: Michael Dever