Dillon Miles Jutras was the son of Pierre D. and Julia Jutras. His father was a Major in the U.S. Army and Dillon was born at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center near Fort Bragg, NC, where his father was stationed at the time. Through the years, he moved with his family as his father took assignments at Fort Campbell, KY, Fort Benning, GA, and finally Fort Belvoir, VA.

His family moved to Virginia the summer before Dillon entered 11th grade. He attended Thomas A. Edison High School in Fairfax County, where he played soccer and participated in the Junior ROTC, just as he had at Hoke County High School in Raeford, NC. He also played soccer with the Gunston Soccer Club, a local team. He was athletic, placing 49th out of 643 runners in the Goblin Gallop 5K race in Fairfax, according to results of the race on a Web site.

Dillon was also a music fan. He knew the names and titles to most '80s classic rock music and loved to play them while driving his loud 1986 Dodge pickup. And he knew the words to every song. It always amazed others that he could pick up a song. He knew the words to 'What a Wonderful World.'

While at George Mason University, where he was in the Senior ROTC program, he told his family that he would rather join the Army than continue studying Systems Engineering. He decided that wasn't the route he wanted to take. He also told his parents that he had decided to become a Ranger. He was in excellent physical condition, and that physical prowess enabled him to join the elite Army Rangers after his enlistment.

On 28 October 2005, PFC Dillon Jutras was serving with 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, GA, and his unit was currently deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On that day, PFC Jutras died of injuries he sustained while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province.

Medals, Awards, Badges & Tabs

Bronze Star Medal with Combat Valor Device
Purple Heart
Army Commendation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Parachutist Badge
Ranger Tab

Burial