Their Story
Remembering Karl Platte.
Karl Wayne Platte was born December 2, 1980, in Big Spring, Texas, to Kenny and Gail Platte. His family moved often in his early years — to Dora, New Mexico, then to Wilson, Texas, where he threw himself into every sport he could find and excelled at each one — before settling in Shattuck, Oklahoma, in 1998.
He graduated co-valedictorian of his Shattuck High School class in 1999, then went on to Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, earning a bachelor's degree in education.
It was in college that Karl met his match: Brandie Lea Long, whom he married on September 14, 2002. Together they raised three children — Karli, Madison, and Hunter — and by every account Karl's devotion to his family was as fierce as his devotion to his country.
Karl served as a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant with B Company, 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry, deploying three times, including the invasion of Iraq and a combat tour in Afghanistan. His obituary described him as "a good man in a storm, and when he was bored, creative enough to generate a storm of his own." His fierce loyalty to his friends and his unit made him an integral part of Battle Company's character, and helped his comrades forgive a singing voice he used often and at high volume.
After his final deployment, Karl and his family made their home in Big Spring, Texas, where he worked as a teacher at the federal prison there. He died on June 1, 2013, at the age of thirty-two, leaving behind his wife, Brandie, and their three children, Karli, Madison, and Hunter.