Mary Jo Brostrom would describe her fun loving and dear son, Jonathan, a typical teenager from a military family who on one occasion got into trouble playing paintball on base. It seems that everyone always had a ‘Jon’ story.

But Army 1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom had a depth of character that teachers at Damien Memorial School noticed.

Mike Normand, a Damien teacher, said some students are memorable because they need a lot of help. But Normand said Jonathan Brostrom stood out for far different reasons.He is a solid, hard-working student who had good leadership qualities. "He worked his tail off. ... He was a real honest kid," Normand said.

He further described Brostrom as an outgoing person who had a team-player mentality. "In his life he chose to defend the U.S. He did what he believed was right for his country. That's the kind of kid he was, do what is right and necessary. He chose to do the right thing," he added "There's that few who are just outstanding people when you get them. They've already got that sense of honor and responsibility within themselves, and Jon was one of those," Normand said.

Jon with his PSG, SFC Matt Kahler

"He took responsibility for himself. If he didn't turn in his homework, he didn't bother making up a fanciful excuse for not doing so. "He'd just say, 'I didn't do it because I was doing other things, and I take responsibility for it,' " Normand said.

Brostrom was a lifeguard at Pearl Harbor and played on the Damien golf team. His former golf coach, Jim Weicking, "Jon was a great asset to the team. He was absolutely a fun-loving guy. He was a character."

Fellow soldiers, meanwhile, say that trait of honor and the physical skills Brostrom possessed made him perfectly cut out for his job as a platoon leader in the mountains of Afghanistan.

"I love the guy to death," said 1st Lt. Carter Johnston, who became friends with Brostrom when they went through the University of Hawai'i ROTC program, graduating in 2006. "He was just a wonderful guy. Loyal, and would always give you the shirt off his back. That's just the way he is and I could always count on him. He'd be running for you smiling. It didn't matter what it was. Always looking out for his people. He died doing what he loved — leading soldiers. He loved it," he said.

Johnston, who e-mailed and talked regularly with Jon, noted that he was at a remote outpost away from the comforts of a big base with PXs, dining facilities, movies, weight rooms and other amenities. "He laughed about (the conditions)," Johnston said. "I know one time he told me he hadn't showered for like 30 days."

Brostrom's parents, David, a retired Army colonel, and Mary Jo, moved to O'ahu in 1999. Jonathan Brostrom has a brother, Blake, and a son, Jase, who lives with his mother Lindsey in Utah. And while he grew up in a military family, Jonathan gave no indication he'd follow in his father's footsteps until he graduated from Damien when he then received a four-year UH ROTC scholarship.

"Jon was very professional, but he loved to have fun at the same time," said Maj. Christopher Sweeney, a former instructor of Brostrom's who now is a recruiting officer with the program. "He had a serious side, but he also loved to joke around, and that's what made him a joy to have in class." Sweeney taught Brostrom during his junior year. Each year, a cadet was selected to attend dive school at Pearl Harbor, and Brostrom was selected that year. "He was the one cadet, and he made it through there with flying colors," Sweeney said.

Maj. Ed Leo, executive officer of the UH Army ROTC program, said Brostrom was a "distinguished military graduate" in his senior year in the top 20 percent of the 4,000 university Army ROTC cadets enrolled in 270 universities. "He was one of the very rare students," Leo said, "who during the summers was able to graduate from the Army's air assault, airborne and dive school." Leo described Brostrom as "a good-natured kid who was very tough ... and a leader. If he had been on the football (team), he wouldn't have been the quarterback, but the linebacker."

1st Lt. Brandon Kennedy remembered “Jon Boy” Brostrom from time spent at Fort Benning, Ga., and the deployment to Afghanistan, where they eventually went to different companies. The day before Brostrom left for Wanat, Kennedy caught up with him at nearby Camp Blessing. There, the one-upmanship began. “No matter what I did, he’d always climbed a higher mountain, carried a heavier ruck,” Kennedy said jokingly. Their last hours together were spent in the weight room, and that’s how Kennedy said he’ll remember the accomplished leader — always striving to make himself better.

Brostrom loved to surf and one of the photos on the family computer is of Jonathan and his son, Jase, tandem surfing with Diamond Head in the distance. "He enjoyed his time here in Hawai'i, I know that," 2LT Nathan Esafe, friend of the family, said. "He called it home."
"He just loved it. He loved the culture. He loved the people," Johnston said. "There's no other place he'd want to go home to."

"Dad. I know you're a very brave soldier. I know you saved America. I love you very very much. I miss you very much. I wish you could send me a Star Wars Lego set down from Heaven for my next birthday." - Jase, 6, Jon’s Son

"Jonathan will always be in our hearts — a proud father, a loving brother and a cherished son. He was our world, and we miss him more than words can express. Jon was a Hawaii boy and a true patriot who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country."

- The words of a proud father, COL (R) Dave Brostrom.