May 2004 Casualties
Spc. Trevor A. Wine, 22, of Orange, Calif., died May
1, in Tikrit, Iraq, from injuries sustained on April 30
when his convoy vehicle hit an improvised explosive
device. Spc. Wine was assigned to the Army’s 24th
Quartermaster Company, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Capt. John E. Tipton, 32, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.,
died May 2 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, from an
explosion while conducting combat operations. Tipton
commanded Headquarters, Headquarters Company,
1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry
Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
The Department of Defense announced today the death
of five sailors who were supporting Operation Iraqi
Freedom. They died May 2 in the Al Anbar Province as
a result of hostile fire. They were assigned to Naval
Mobile Construction Battalion 14, Jacksonville, Fla.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael C. Anderson, 36, of
Daytona, Fla.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Trace W. Dossett, 37, of
Orlando, Fla.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott R. Mchugh, 33 of
Boca Raton Fla.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert B. Jenkins, 35 of
Stuart, Fla.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Ronald A. Ginther, 37 of
Auburndale, Fla.
For further information related to this release, contact
commander Navy Region Southeast Public Affairs Office
at (904) 542-4032.
Staff Sgt. Todd E. Nunes, 29, of Chapel Hills, Tenn.
died May 2 in Kirkuk, Iraq, when his convoy
encountered an improvised explosive device and small
arms fire. Nunes was assigned to 1st Battalion, 21st
Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield
Barracks, Hawaii.
May 3, 2004
DoD Identifies Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths
of two Soldiers supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died May 2, in Baghdad, Iraq, when their convoy
vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. The
Soldiers were assigned to the Army’s 91st Engineer
Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood,
Texas. Killed were:
Spc. Ervin Caradine, Jr., 33, of Memphis, Tenn.
Pvt. Jeremy L. Drexler, 23, of Topeka, Kan.
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths
of two Soldiers supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died, May 1, in Al Amarah, Iraq when their
convoy was attacked. Both Soldiers were assigned to
the Army’s 84th Engineer Battalion, 25th Infantry
Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Honolulu,
Hawaii. Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Oscar D. Vargas-Medina, 32, of Chicago,
Ill.
Spc. Ramon C. Ojeda, 22, of Ramona, Calif.
Sgt. Joshua S. Ladd, 20, of Fort Gibson, Miss, died
May 1 in Mosul, Iraq, when his convoy vehicle hit an
improvised explosive device. Ladd was assigned to the
Army National Guard’s 367th Maintenance Company,
DeKalb, Miss.
May 4, 2004
Staff Sgt. Erickson H. Petty, 28, of Fort Gibson,
Okla., died May 3 in Salman Al Habb, Iraq, from an
attack by small arms fire while conducting security of a
weapons cache. Petty was assigned to Headquarters,
Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor
Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Smith Barracks,
Baumholder, Germany
Gunnery Sgt. Ronald E. Baum, 38, of Hollidaysburg,
Pa., died May 3 due to hostile action in Al Anbar
Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Intelligence
Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Pfc. Jesse R. Buryj, 21, of Canton, Ohio, died May 5,
in Karbala, Iraq, when his military vehicle was struck by
a dump truck whose driver had been shot while trying to
run through a control point. Pfc. Buryj was assigned to
the 66th Military Police Company, Fort Lewis, Wash.
The Department of Defense announced today the death
of four soldiers supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died May 3, in Balad, Iraq, when their military
vehicle left the road and flipped over in a canal. All
soldiers were assigned to the 4th Cavalry Regiment,
1st Infantry Division, Vilseck, Germany. Killed were:
1st Lt. Christopher J. Kenny, 32, of Miami, Fla.
Sgt. Marvin R. Sprayberry, III, 24, of Tehachapi,
Calif.
Sgt. Gregory L. Wahl, 30, of Salisbury, N.C.
Pfc. Lyndon A. Marcus, Jr., 21, of Long Beach, Calif.
May 07, 2004
Cpl. Jeffrey G. Green, 20, of Dallas, Texas, was
found deceased on May 5 in the Euphrates River, in
Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Cause of death is under
investigation. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th
Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Cpl. Dustin H. Schrage, 20, of Brevard, Fla., was
found deceased on May 6 in Al Anbar Province,
Iraq. Cause of death is under investigation. He was
assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st
Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at
Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Staff Sgt. Hesley Box, Jr, 24, of Nashville, Ark., died
May 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, when a car bomb detonated
near his guard post. Staff Sgt. Box was assigned to 1st
Battalion, 153rd Infantry, 39th Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Arkansas National
Guard, Texarkana, Ark.
May 5 in Baghdad, Iraq, when their vehicle hit an
improvised explosive device. Both soldiers were
assigned to 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery
Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Spc. James E. Marshall, 19, of Tulsa, Okla.
Pfc. Bradley G. Kritzer, 18, of Irvona, Penn.
Minn., died May 8 in Landstuhl, Germany, from injuries
sustained on May 3 in Iraq when an improvised
explosive device detonated near the driver side of his
military vehicle. Spc. Holmes was assigned to C
Company, 141st Engineer Combat Battalion, North
Dakota National Guard, Hettinger, N.D.
Spc. Chase R.Whitham, 21, of Ore.died May 8, in
Mosul, Iraq, while he was in a swimming pool when an
electrical current charged the water. Spc. Whitham
was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry
Regiment, , 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort
Lewis, Wash..
Spc. Isela Rubalcava, 25, of El Paso, Texas, died May
8 in Mosul, Iraq, when a mortar round hit near her.
Spc. Rubalcava was assigned to the 296th Combat
Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry
Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis,
Wash.
Spc. Philip D. Brown, 21, of El Paso, Texas, died May
8 in Balad, Iraq, from injuries sustained west of Samarra
by an improvised explosive device. Brown was assigned
to the Army National Guard’s Company B, 141st
Engineer Combat Battalion, Jamestown, N.D.
Sgt. Rodney A. Murray, 28, of Ayden, N.C., died
May 9, in Iraq, in a vehicle accident between Baghdad
and Scania when a Bradley Fighting Vehicle and his
military vehicle collided. Sgt. Murray was assigned to
the Army Reserve’s 351st Military Police
Company, Ocala, Fla.
May 12, 2004
Pfc. Andrew L. Tuazon, 21, of Chesapeake, Va., died
May 10, in Mosul, Iraq, from hostile fire while on
guard duty. Pfc. Tuazon was assigned to the Army’s
293rd Military Police Company, 3rd Military Police
Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Spc. Kyle A. Brinlee, 21, of Pryor, Okla., died May
11 in Al Asad, Iraq, when his convoy vehicle struck an
improvised explosive device. Brinlee was assigned to the
Army National Guard’s Detachment 1, Company B,
120th Combat Engineer Battalion, Pryor, Okla.
Spc. Jeffrey R. Shaver, 26, of Maple Valley, Wash.,
died May 12 in Baghdad, Iraq, when his convoy vehicle
hit an improvised explosive device. Shaver was
assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion,
161st Infantry, Spokane, Wash.
May 13, 2004
ONE SOLDIER DIES, ONE WOUNDED IN IED
ATTACK
BAGHDAD, Iraq - One Task Force Baghdad Soldier
was killed and another was wounded when an
improvised-explosive device struck a convoy
Wednesday in Baghdad.
MARINE DIES OF WOUNDS
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq -- A Marine assigned to I
Marine Expeditionary Force died May 12 from wounds
received earlier that day in the Al Anbar Province while
conducting security and stability operations.
MARINE KLLED IN ACTION
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq -- A Marine assigned to the
1st Marine Expeditionary Force was killed in action May
13 in the Al Anbar Province while conducting security
and stability operations.
May 13, 2004
Sgt. Brud J. Cronkrite, 22, of Spring Valley, Calif.,
died May 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries he
sustained on May 13, in Karbala when a rocket-
propelled grenade fired into a building near him during a
security patrol. Cronkrite was assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 37th Armor, 1st Armored Division,
Friedberg, Germany.
Command Sgt. Maj. Edward C. Barnhill, 50, of
Shreveport, La., died May 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, of non-
combat related injuries. Barnhill was assigned to the
Army Reserve's 431st Civil Affairs Battalion, North
Little Rock, Ark.
Spc. Philip I. Spakosky, 25, of Browns Mill, N.J., died
May 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained on
May 13, in Karbala, Iraq when he was shot by a
suspected sniper. Spakosky was assigned to the Army’
s 1st Battalion, 37th Armor, 1st Armored Division,
Friedberg, Germany.
Pfc. Michael A. Mora, 19, of Arroyo Grande, Calif.,
died May 14 in An Najaf, Iraq, when his military
vehicle slid off the road and turned over. Mora was
assigned to the Army’s 3rd Squadron, 2nd Armored
Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Polk,
La.
Staff Sgt. Rene Ledesma, 34, of Abelene, Texas, died
May 15 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised
explosive device exploded near his Bradley Fighting
Vehicle. Ledesma was assigned to the Army’s 1st
Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas
Senior Airman Pedro I. Espaillat Jr., 20, of
Colombia, Tenn., died May 15 as a result of non-hostile
injuries in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to the 4th
Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Seymour Johnson
Air Force Base, N.C.
2nd Lt. Leonard M. Cowherd, 22, of Culpeper, Va.,
died May 16 in Karbala, Iraq, when he received sniper
and rocket propelled grenade fire while securing a
building near the Mukhayam Mosque. Cowherd was
assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor
Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg,
Germany.
Pfc. Brian K. Cutter, 19, of Riverside, Calif., was
found unconscious on May 13, and was later
pronounced dead in Al Asad, Iraq. Cause of death is
under investigation. He was assigned to 3rd Assault
Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Pfc. Brandon C. Sturdy, 19, of Urbandale, Iowa, died
May 13 from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The Department of Defense announced today the death
of two soldiers supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died May 16 in Al Karmah, Iraq, when their
vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. Both soldiers
were assigned to the Army National Guard’s Battery
C, 1st Battalion, 107th Field Artillery Regiment, Oil
City, Pa. Killed were:
Spc. Mark J. Kasecky, 20, of McKees Rocks, Pa.
Spc. Carl F. Curran, 22, of Union City, Pa.
Sgt. James W. Harlan, 44, of Owensboro, Ky., died
May 14 at Camp Anaconda, Iraq, when a suicide
bomber detonated a car bomb next to his vehicle.
Harlan was assigned to the Army Reserve’s 660th
Transportation Company, 88th Regional Readiness
Command, Zanesville, Ohio.
Lance Cpl. Bob W. Roberts, 30, of Newport, Ore.,
died May 17, due to hostile fire in Al Anbar Province,
Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Combat Engineer
Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Garyantes, 34, of Rehoboth,
Del., died May 18 by sniper fire in Muqdadiyah, Iraq,
while on a combat patrol. Garyantes was assigned to B
Company, 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, 1st
Infantry Division, Vilseck, Germany.
Spc. Marcos O. Nolasco, 34, of Chino, Calif., died
May 18 in Baji, Iraq, as a result of an electrocution
accident. Nolasco was assigned to Battery B, 1st
Battalion, 33rd Field Artillery, 1st Infantry
Division, Bamberg, Germany.
May 19, 2004
Release Number: 04-05-46
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COALITION FORCES RAID SUSPECTED
FOREIGN FIGHTER SAFE HOUSE NEAR SYRIAN
BORDER
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- At 3 a.m. May 18, Coalition forces
conducted a military operation against a suspected
foreign fighter safe house in the open desert, 85 km
SW of Husaybah, and 25 km from the Syrian border.
During the operation, Coalition forces came under
hostile fire and close air support was provided.
Coalition forces on the ground recovered numerous
weapons, 2 million Iraqi and Syrian dinar, foreign
passports, and a SATCOM radio.