Son of Chase Officer Killed in Afghanistan

Commander Lost in Copter Crash

Charlee Miller, formerly a vice president with the Chase Manhattan branch at 30 Rockefeller Center and now an officer in JP MorganChase's retail banking sector, lost her son on May 5, 2006 when he and nine other American soldiers were killed in remote Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed near Asadabad, not far from the Pakistani border.

Ms. Miller's son, Lt. Colonel Joseph Fenty Jr., 41, commander of 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, NY, had been in the military for almost 20 years. After 19 years of marriage, he and his wife had their first child less than a month before he died.
Ms. Miller has set up a scholarship fund* in memory of her son. Beginning in June 2006, the
Lt. Colonel Joseph J. Fenty Jr. Memorial Scholarship Award will be given each year to a graduating student from Connetquot High School in Bohemia, NY, from which Lt. Col. Fenty graduated in June 1982.

His awards and decorations include the Legion on Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism on Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge and Ranger Tab.

Deployed in February 2006 to Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Fenty was not home for the birth of Lauren Olivia Fenty on April 8, 2006. He kept calling in, however, during the some 11 hours of labor, during which Ms. Miller had the honor of joining her daughter-in-law as birth coach.

Approximately 30 seconds before Lauren arrived, a cell phone rang. Ms. Miller picked it up and, without knowing who it was, just said, “Joe.”

“Mom.”

“Hold on there Joe, your baby is about to be born.” And she was.

“Hold on son, listen to your baby’s first cry.” And Lauren cried into the phone to her father.

Commissioned an infantry officer in June 1986 after graduating from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, NC, with a degree in business administration, Lt. Col. Fenty received a master’s degree in education from Troy State University two years later. He graduated from ROTC at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with the Distinguished Military Student Award. After completing Officer Training, he was assigned to the 506th Infantry Regiment at Fort Kobbe, Panama. In 1990, he was assigned to Fort Wainwright, Ala., where he served as a company commander and battalion staff officer. He was then assigned to Fort Benning, Ga., to the 14th Infantry Regiment in June 1996 and to the 75th Ranger Regiment headquarters in July 1997.

In 1994, Lt. Col. Fenty was selected to serve for two years as an exchange officer with the British Army as an instructor at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the United Kingdom’s equivalent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In addition to his wife, daughter and mother, Lt. Col. Fenty is survived by his father, Joseph Fenty Sr. of Florida, sister, Joelle Fenty of Ronkonkoma, nephew Shelby and nieces Ashley and Justene, and aunts, uncles and cousins. Lt. Col. Fenty was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

* Contributions to the Lt. Colonel Joseph J. Fenty, Jr. Scholarship Fund for Connetquot High School graduating students can be sent
c/o Joelle Fenty
Award Administrator
396 Shelter Rd.
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779

Those wishing to contact Charlee Miller may do so c/o 345 East 73rd St., Apt. PH D, New York, NY 10021.