Eleven days before Christmas, Spc. Robert "Bobby" Tauteris Jr., a member of the Indiana National Guard serving in Afghanistan, posted a video on Facebook: Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth."
"Wow, you are showing your age," a friend commented. "And so am I, knowing this song without even clicking on it."
"Yeah, someday I will find that place. Just not until 4/22/13," Tauteris responded, referring to the end of his tour.
Tauteris never made it to 4/22/13. The North Judson native died Jan. 6 in Afghanistan when the vehicle in which he was traveling struck a roadside bomb.
The blast killed four other members of the 713th Engineering Company, out of Valparaiso, as well, and critically injured a fifth.
A 1986 graduate of North Judson-San Pierre High School, Tauteris, 44, served alongside his son, 21-year-old Spc. Robert Tauteris III. Both worked as part of separate units charged with clearing Afghan roads of roadside bombs.
According to Thomas Tauteris, Robert Tauteris Jr.'s older brother, Tauteris III escorted his father and the other four deceased soldiers back to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Sunday.
He and other family members were there waiting, he said.
"Oh, dude, that was heart-wrenching, I can't even explain it," the Goshen man said Friday. "It was just ... you didn't know if you were shivering from the cold or the nerves. It was just awful, just awful. It's the saddest thing I ever had to witness."
In addition to Robert Tauteris III, Robert Tauteris Jr. leaves
behind another son, Matthew
Tauteris, 18, a student at Oregon-Davis Junior/Senior High School, as well.
"He was a loving father. He loved his kids. He devoted his life to them," Thomas Tauteris said of his brother. "He really did without to provide for his kids."
Robert Tauteris Jr. worked at Ferro Corp. He enjoyed fishing and camping, Thomas Tauteris said, and football -- especially the New Orleans Saints.
"Bobby was just a down-to-earth guy, a very good guy," he said. "If you needed a hand, anything, he'd be right there to help ya."
Robert Tauteris Jr. is also survived by his father and stepmother Robert (Nichelle) Tauteris Sr.; brother Darryl Minix; and sister Tammy Smith.
His body will arrive back in Valparaiso today, his brother said. From there, it will be transported to North Judson for burial.
"We grew up in North Judson, and the town has stepped up," he said. "And it's a small town, and they've really shown their support for him and the family."
Visitation is set for 10 a.m. Sunday at Braman & Bailey Funeral Home, 6020 S. Oakwood Ave., North Judson, followed by funeral services at 1 p.m.
Staff writer Erin Blasko:
eblasko@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6187
"Wow, you are showing your age," a friend commented. "And so am I, knowing this song without even clicking on it."
Tauteris never made it to 4/22/13. The North Judson native died Jan. 6 in Afghanistan when the vehicle in which he was traveling struck a roadside bomb.
The blast killed four other members of the 713th Engineering Company, out of Valparaiso, as well, and critically injured a fifth.
A 1986 graduate of North Judson-San Pierre High School, Tauteris, 44, served alongside his son, 21-year-old Spc. Robert Tauteris III. Both worked as part of separate units charged with clearing Afghan roads of roadside bombs.
According to Thomas Tauteris, Robert Tauteris Jr.'s older brother, Tauteris III escorted his father and the other four deceased soldiers back to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Sunday.
He and other family members were there waiting, he said.
"Oh, dude, that was heart-wrenching, I can't even explain it," the Goshen man said Friday. "It was just ... you didn't know if you were shivering from the cold or the nerves. It was just awful, just awful. It's the saddest thing I ever had to witness."
In addition to Robert Tauteris III, Robert Tauteris Jr. leaves
behind another son, Matthew
Tauteris, 18, a student at Oregon-Davis Junior/Senior High School, as well.
"He was a loving father. He loved his kids. He devoted his life to them," Thomas Tauteris said of his brother. "He really did without to provide for his kids."
Robert Tauteris Jr. worked at Ferro Corp. He enjoyed fishing and camping, Thomas Tauteris said, and football -- especially the New Orleans Saints.
"Bobby was just a down-to-earth guy, a very good guy," he said. "If you needed a hand, anything, he'd be right there to help ya."
Robert Tauteris Jr. is also survived by his father and stepmother Robert (Nichelle) Tauteris Sr.; brother Darryl Minix; and sister Tammy Smith.
His body will arrive back in Valparaiso today, his brother said. From there, it will be transported to North Judson for burial.
"We grew up in North Judson, and the town has stepped up," he said. "And it's a small town, and they've really shown their support for him and the family."
Visitation is set for 10 a.m. Sunday at Braman & Bailey Funeral Home, 6020 S. Oakwood Ave., North Judson, followed by funeral services at 1 p.m.
Staff writer Erin Blasko:
eblasko@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6187
