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Tampa soldier reportedly killed

By REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published June 27, 2006

TAMPA - A Tampa man died while serving in the Army in Afghanistan, WFLA-Ch. 8 reported Monday night.

Starting Sunday, family and friends began posting messages on MySpace.com mourning the death of Joseph Fuerst III, 26, a 1998 graduate of Plant High and a newlywed.

"I love you baby and I miss you so much, I don't even know where to begin," read a message that appeared to be from his wife, Tara Lee Fuerst, 22, dated Sunday night.

The Defense Department had not publicly announced Fuerst's death Monday. Army spokeswoman Paula Smith said she was unable to confirm Fuerst's passing Monday. But WFLA reported at 6 p.m. that the family was notified this weekend and arrangements are under way for a Tampa funeral.

Contacted by the St. Petersburg Times Monday evening, Fuerst's family declined to comment.

Fuerst married Tara Lee in March 2005, public records show. According to his MySpace page, he served in the 53rd Infantry Brigade.

"No matter who you were, Joe would go out of his way to help you," Nicole Bradford, a 25-year-old Tampa woman, wrote to the Times in an e-mail.

If his blog is any indication of the person Fuerst was, a few things are clear. He loved his wife. He enjoyed time with his buddies. And he believed he'd be coming home.

"Keep a bottle of Jack chilled and the camp fire burning," he wrote. "Myself and my better half will return one day."

[Last modified June 27, 2006, 00:54:23]