Every year the Lo family of Salem, N.H. (owners of Jasmine Computer Service) attend our annual BASH Scholarship and Award Night and sit at the coveted Gold Star Family table as our honored guests after their family member, Army Staff Sgt. Edmond L. Lo died on June 13, 2009 in Samarra City, Iraq, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was 23 years old and assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.
This year, the Valley Patriot partnered with Carrie Clark Weiland of the Franz Acres Association to surprise the Los with a donation to the Edmund Lo Scholarship fund for students graduating from Salem, N.H. High School.
Upon presenting the check to Mr. Lo, the Lawrence High JrROTC marched to the front of the room and saluted the gold star father, as Carrie Weiland and former Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services Francisco Urena (a Purple Heart Marine) looked on.
Edmund Lo was killed when an improvised explosive device that his explosive ordnance disposal team was acting to neutralize detonated.
Lo was offered a full scholarship to a prominent engineering school in his senior year, but turned it down, choosing instead to disarm bombs for the Army.
It was a job intended to save lives, but one that cost Lo his. The 23-year-old staff sergeant was six months into his second tour of duty in Iraq when a roadside bomb he was working on exploded June 13th in Samarra City, his family said.
Lo graduated from Salem High School in 2004, where he was a member of the Air Force Junior ROTC program. He was commander of the drill team, color guard and operations squadron.
Edmund Lo was the youngest of six children born to parents who emigrated from Hong Kong, became U.S. citizens and started a family. They run Jasmine computer repair service in Salem, N.H..