Sophie Christine Lisa Champoux, 25, Fort Stewart, GA died September 30, 2011. She was born July 5, 1986 in Orlando, the daughter of Denis Jean Joseph Champoux and Suzette Perkins Champoux. She was a former Clermont resident and member of Clermont Bible Church. In 2006, she relocated to New Jersey. At the time of her death, she was a Sergeant in the US Army stationed at Fort Stewart.
Sophie was a gift. She loved sports and her hobbies included softball, Tae Kwon Do, hockey, and unicycle riding, to name a few. She also played guitar and drums. Sophie was a simple person, full of common sense. She loved her two younger brothers, Ian and Noah, and was a relentless prankster. At a young age, she was “Sergeant” and got her little brothers to do her dirty deeds! She loved and protected them all her life and was always loyal to them. In 9th grade she joined NJROTC, but quit when her CO was paralyzed. After that she attended graphic design school and earned her certification. But her dream had always been to serve in the Army, so she enlisted, after having scored an extremely high 98% on her ASVAB.
Sophie went to boot camp and excelled. At her graduation everything seemed fine. She went to technical school at Fort Sam Houston and became an Army Medic. She seemed excited and began to think about becoming a doctor or a Physician Assistant. She served as a Combat Medic in Operation Enduring Freedom, stationed at FOB Sharana in Afghanistan. Sophie loved the Afghani children.
In three and a half years, Sophie was raped while she was on duty in White Sands, New Mexico, in Sharan, Afghanistan, and at Ft. Stewart, Georgia. The same man raped her in Afghanistan, and at Ft. Stewart. He stalked her from Afghanistan to Georgia. She could not get away from him.
Sophie called her mother from Afghanistan and said, “Mom send me Ka-Bar because I cannot go to the bathroom safely. I have more to fear from my own (fellow soldiers) than any enemy Afghani with a grenade.” She was never scared of Afghani citizens. She was afraid of her fellow soldiers. Sophie lost her battle to post traumatic stress / military sexual trauma one month after her final attack.
The stalking rapist at Ft. Stewart confessed to CID (Criminal Investigative Division) and then he retracted his statements, stole an Army vehicle, and got arrested for DUI (Driving Under the Influence). He is currently serving a sentence at Fort Leavenworth’s Military Corrections Complex.
Sophie was a true American sweetheart. Her mother, Suzie, loves this picture of Sophie because “she is so free – at her favorite place – Tybee Island!”
#22toomany #OurHeroes are #NeverForgotten #militarysexualtrauma #mst
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