Todd Weaver was born in Northern Virginia into a Foreign Service family and lived much of his early life overseas. He moved back to Hampton, Virginia, where he attended Bruton High School, in the Hampton Roads area. He was a senior when the attack on America on September 11, 2001 occurred. It changed him. He told his parents that day that as soon as he could serve his country, he would do it. Todd graduated Bruton High School in 2002, began college at James Madison University, and joined the National Guard. He went to Iraq for a 10 month deployment in February 2004. Todd said that one of his favorite memories of Iraq was the children running up to the convoys and giving a “thumbs up” sign. He even had a picture of a little Iraqi child wearing his uniform top while saluting. It was proof of the connection.
During Todd’s deployment in Iraq – in 2004 – his father, Donn Weaver, visited him. Donn Weaver taught intelligence gathering in nations including Iraq. Donn was working with the Iraqis in the capital, Bagdad, “trying to support the effort to get them to focus on what had to be done with a regime that none of them had any experience in.” He convinced the Iraqis that some teaching had to be done in Mosul. There, an Army officer acquaintance got him to Todd. The father and son had four hours together that day. Two months later to the day, a bomb went off in a mess tent in Mosul killing two Army troops. Todd’s parents thought that Todd was very likely a casualty because they knew that Todd had breakfast in that tent. But Todd’s safety was verified in a phone call from Weaver’s office in Bagdad to Mosul.
After his return from Iraq, Todd transferred to the college of William and Mary, and in October 2006 he joined the Army. Todd earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in government and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. While he was there, Todd was well known on campus, a star cadet in the ROTC, and was commissioned into the U.S. Army through William and Mary’s ROTC program in 2008.
Todd served as Battalion Commander during his time with the ROTC, which was a position assigned only to top cadets for excellence in leadership, scholarship, and physical fitness. His motivation was strong and Todd was determined to excel to further serve his country as best he could. After commissioning into the Army, he spent additional time with the college’s ROTC as a gold bar recruiter. Todd’s teachers felt that he had a genuinely brilliant and inquisitive mind and clearly had a bright future head of him. He was the best of the best and a very special man. They also said Todd was very patriotic, incredibly bright, engaged, full of life, and felt he owed it to his country to serve in the military.
Todd attended the same high school as his wife did but their paths never crossed at Bruton High School because Todd was a star in baseball and football, and he was always the most popular guy. It would be a few years later when he would decide that Emma was the one for him. Then at a party before his deployment to Iraq in 2004, Emma was leaving and Todd ran outside, in socks, in the rain, and asked for a kiss. When he returned on furlough they were together every day. Wherever Todd was, Emma was with him. When the deployment was over, they remained together, got married, and became the parents of a daughter named Kiley. Todd and Emma would dine about twice a week at the Green Leafe Café in Williamsburg. They would order a few appetizers, eat, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company. Friends said that Todd had a fun side to him, they got Todd to sing karaoke.
Todd is remembered as a focused, outstanding, and fair-minded man who had the most incredibly pure spirit, and was the embodiment of truth, courage, and leadership. A friend who served with Todd in Iraq said he truly believed in what he was doing and was one of the best people he had ever served with. As a 1st Lieutenant, Todd was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2009.
While leading a dismounted patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, 1st Lt. Todd Weaver and his unit was attacked by insurgents and was struck by an improvised explosive device. Todd passed away because of the wounds he suffered from that attack by insurgents.
Todd’s awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobilization Device; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Air Assault Badge; Expert Infantry Badge; Parachutists Badge; and the Ranger Tab.
We will never forget your service and sacrifice for us all. You will forever be a Hero in our hearts and minds. Salute.
Cindy