Memorial Day in Phoenix: Remembering Sgt. John Kyle Daggett

At DX, most days move fast.

Schedules. Deliveries. Pickups. Jobsites. Crews trying to keep projects moving across the Phoenix Valley.

But Memorial Day should slow us down for a moment.

For remembrance.

Because behind every flag flying this weekend is a real person. A real family. A real absence still being carried somewhere.

One of those names is Sgt. John Kyle Daggett.

Sgt. Daggett was an Army Ranger from Arizona who was killed in action in Iraq in May 2008. He was only 21 years old. According to reporting from Arizona’s Family and ABC15 Arizona, Daggett died after a rocket-propelled grenade struck his Stryker vehicle during combat operations.

His sister, Kendall Rasmusson of Surprise, Arizona, has spent years honoring his memory with a Memorial Day tribute displayed outside her home. Recently, her story gained attention across the Phoenix area after her HOA challenged the display before later reversing course following public support.

And honestly — that story hit home for a lot of people here in Arizona.

Because Memorial Day is not abstract for families like theirs.

It’s personal.

It’s a brother who never came home.
A chair that stayed empty.
A folded flag carried through another year.

Memorial Day Means More Than a Long Weekend

At Dumpstr Xpress, we work alongside veterans, military families, contractors, tradespeople, landscapers, roofers, and hardworking crews throughout Phoenix every single day.

And Memorial Day reminds us that the freedoms we enjoy — the ability to build businesses, raise families, work jobsites, and live ordinary lives — came at an extraordinary cost for others.

People like Sgt. John Kyle Daggett.

So this weekend, we simply want to pause and say:

We remember.

We remember those who gave everything.
We remember Arizona families carrying grief long after the headlines disappear.
And we remember that freedom has always been personal to somebody.

From all of us at Dumpstr Xpress — thank you.

To those who served and sacrificed:
We honor you. We remember you. We won’t forget.

Sources

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  AZFamily coverage of Sgt. John Kyle Daggett memorial story
  
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  AZFamily follow-up story on the HOA reversal
  
• 
  ABC15 Arizona coverage of the family’s tribute to Sgt. Daggett