the death of four soldiers who were
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died April 28 in Tal Afar, Iraq, when
an improvised explosive device
detonated near their Stryker military
vehicle.
Killed were:
1st Lt. William A. Edens, 29, of
Columbia, Mo. Edens was assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry
Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry
Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team),
Fort Lewis, Wash.
Sgt. Eric W. Morris, 31, of Sparks, Nev.
Morris was assigned to the 1st Battalion,
5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade,
25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade
Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.
Spc. Ricky W. Rockholt Jr., 28, of
Winston, Ore. Rockholt was assigned to
the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armor
Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.
Pfc. Robert W. Murray Jr., 21, of
Westfield, Ind. Murray was assigned to
the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armor
Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.
Sgt. Timothy C. Kiser, 37, of Tehama,
Calif., died April 28 in Riyhad, Iraq, when
an improvised explosive device
detonated near his patrol. Kiser was
assigned to the Army National Guard's
340th Forward Support Battalion, 40th
Infantry Division, Red Bluff, Calif.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of two soldiers who were
killed supporting Operation Iraqi
Freedom. They died April 29 in
Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised
explosive device detonated near their
dismounted patrol. Both soldiers were
assigned to 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,
10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry),
Fort Drum, N.Y.
The soldiers were:
Pfc. Darren A. Deblanc, 20, of
Evansville, Ind.
Pvt. Charles S. Cooper, Jr., 19, of
Jamestown, N.Y.
Cpl. Joseph S. Tremblay, 23, of New
Windsor, N.Y., died April 27 from injuries
received from a mine explosion while
conducting combat operations in vicinity
of Hit, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine
Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th
Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division,
Moundsville, W.Va. As part of Operation
Iraqi Freedom his unit was attached to
2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Staff Sgt. Juan De Dios Garcia-Arana,
27, of Los Angeles, Calif., died April 30
in Khaladiyah, Iraq, when his Bradley
Fighting Vehicle was attacked by
enemy forces using small arms fire.
Garcia-Arana was assigned to the 5th
Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery
Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp
Hovey, Korea.
2nd Lt. Clifford V. Gadsden, 25, of
South Carolina, died April 29 in Balad,
Iraq, when a vehicle-born improvised
explosive device detonated near his
convoy vehicle. Gadsden was assigned
to the Army’s 603rd Transportation
Company, 142nd Corps Support
Battalion, Warrior Brigade, Fort Polk, La.
Staff Sgt. Tommy S. Little, 47, of
Aliceville, Ala., died May 2 at Brooke
Army Medical Center in San Antonio,
Texas, of injuries sustained on April 19
near Iskandariyah, Iraq, when an
improvised explosive device
detonated near his HMMWV. Little was
assigned to the Army National Guard’s
2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery
Regiment, Columbus, Miss.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of two soldiers who were
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died April 29 in Diyarah, Iraq,
when a vehicle-borne improvised
explosive device detonated as they
were conducting a traffic control point
inspection. Both were assigned to 2nd
Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry
Regiment, Fort Irwin, Calif.
Killed were:
Capt. Stephen W. Frank, 29, of
Michigan.
Capt. Ralph J. Harting III, 28, of
Delaware.
Spc. Derrick J. Lutters, 24, of
Burlington, Colo., died May 1 along a
supply route in Iraq when a vehicle-
borne improvised explosive device
detonated while his unit was inspecting a
bridge for enemy tampering. Lutters was
assigned to the Army National Guard’s
891st Engineer Battalion, Pittsburg,
Kan.
The Department of Defense announced
today the death of a Marine who was
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Maj. John C. Spahr, 42, of Cherry Hill, N.
J., died May 2 from injuries received
when the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft he was
piloting apparently crashed in Iraq. He
was assigned to Marine Fighter Attack
Squadron 323, Marine Aircraft Group
11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine
Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. His
unit was embarked aboard the U.S.S.
Carl Vinson.
Media with questions about this Marine
can call the Marine Corps Air Station
Miramar Public Affairs Office at (858) 577-
7542 during working hours and (858) 864-
3406 after working hours.
Sgt. Kenya A. Parker, 26, of Fairfield,
Ala., died April 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, of a
non-combat related medical
condition. Parker was assigned to the
Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of a Marine who was supporting
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Capt. Kelly C. Hinz, 30, of Woodbury,
Minn., died May 2 from injuries received
when the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft he was
piloting crashed in Iraq while flying in
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He
was assigned to Marine Fighter Attack
Squadron 323, Marine Aircraft Group
11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine
Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. His
unit was embarked aboard the U.S.S.
Carl Vinson.
News media with questions about Hinz can
call the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Public Affairs Office at (858) 577-7542
during working hours and (858) 864-3406
after hours.
Sgt. John E. McGee, 36, of Columbus,
Ga., died May 2 near Diwaniyah, Iraq,
when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his convoy vehicle.
McGee was assigned to the Army
National Guard’s 2101st
Transportation Company, Camden, Ala.
Sgt. Stephen P. Saxton, 24, of
Temecula, Calif., died May 3 in
Baghdad, Iraq, when his unit was
conducting a route security mission and
an improvised explosive device
detonated near his HMMWV. Saxton was
assigned to the Army’s 3rd Armored
Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.
Staff Sgt. William J. Brooks, 30, of
Birmingham, Ala., died May 3 in Baghdad
Iraq, when his unit was conducting a
route security mission and an
improvised explosive device
detonated near his HMMWV. Brooks
was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th
Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division,
Fort Stewart, Ga.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of three Marines who were
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom:
Sgt. Aaron N. Cepeda Sr., 22, San
Antonio, Texas
Lance Cpl. Lance T. Graham, 26, San
Antonio, Texas
Lance Cpl. Michael V. Postal, 21, Glen
Oaks, N.Y.
All died May 7 from explosions as a
result of enemy action while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar Province,
Iraq.
Cepeda and Graham were assigned to
Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion,
25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine
Division, San Antonio, Texas. As part of
Operation Iraqi Freedom their unit was
attached to 2nd Marine Division, II
Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Postal was assigned to 3rd Battalion,
8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine
Division, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Media with questions about Cepeda and
Graham can call the Marine Forces
Reserve Public Affairs Office at (504) 678-
4178. Media with questions about Postal
can call the 2nd Marine Division Public
Affairs Office at (910) 451-9033.
Lance Cpl. Lawrence R. Philippon, 22,
of Hartford, Conn., died May 8 from
enemy small-arms fire while conducting
combat operations in the vicinity of Al
Qa’im, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd
Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd
Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.
C.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of two Marines who were
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Dustin A. Derga, 24, of Columbus,
Ohio, died May 8 as the result of enemy
small arms fire while conducting combat
operations in Ubaydi, Iraq.
Sgt. Michael A. Marzano, 28, of
Greenville, Pa., died May 7 as the result
of an explosion caused by suicide
vehicle borne improvised explosive
device while conducting combat
operations in Hadithah, Iraq.
Both Marines were assigned to Marine
Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th
Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division.
Marzano’s company is based in Phoenix,
Ariz., and Derga’s company is based
Columbus, Ohio. As part of Operation
Iraqi Freedom their unit was attached to
2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Media with questions about these Marines
can call the Marine Forces Reserve Public
Affairs Office at (504) 678-4178.
Ohio, died May 8 in Balad, Iraq, from
injuries sustained earlier that day in
Samarra, Iraq, when an improvised
explosive device detonated near his
HMMWV. Eckert was assigned to the
Army Reserve's 983rd Engineer
Battalion, Monclova, Ohio.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of a sailor who was supporting
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Petty Officer Third Class Jeffery L.
Wiener, 32, of Louisville, Ky., died May
7, in a combat related incident. Weiner
was a Navy hospital corpsman
assigned to II Marine Expeditionary
Force (MEF).
For further information related to this
release, contact Navy Public Affairs at
(703) 697-5342.
For further information about II Marine
Expeditionary Force (MEF), email
mnfwcepaowo@cemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of two soldiers who were
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died May 8 in Khalidiyah, Iraq,
when they were conducting combat
operations and an improvised
explosive device detonated near their
HMMWV. Both were assigned to the
1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment,
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd
Infantry Division, Camp Greaves, Korea.
Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Thor H. Ingraham, 24, of
Murrysville, Pa.
Pfc. Nicolas E. Messmer, 20, of
Franklin, Ohio.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of two Marines who were
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Stephen P. Baldwyn, 19, of Saltillo,
Miss.,
Lance Cpl. Taylor B. Prazynski, 20, of
Fairfield, Ohio,
Both Marines died May 9. Baldwyn died
as a result of wounds received from an
explosion while conducting combat
operations against enemy forces in
Nasser Wa Salaam, Iraq. Prazynski died
from an explosion while conducting
combat operations against enemy forces
in Al Karmah, Iraq.
Both Marines were assigned to 3rd
Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd
Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.
C.
Staff Sgt. Anthony L. Goodwin, 33, of
Mount Holly, N.J., died May 9 from enemy
small-arms fire while conducting combat
operations in the vicinity of Al Qaim, Iraq.
He was assigned to 2nd Marine
Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Lejeune, N.C.
Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee, 20, of Fort
Walton Beach, Fla., died May 9 as a
result of wounds received from an enemy
explosion while conducting combat
operations in the vicinity of Al Karmah,
Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion,
8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine
Division, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Lance Cpl. Wesley G. Davids, 20, of
Dublin, Ohio, died May 11 from an
explosion while conducting combat
operations against enemy forces in
Karabilah, Iraq. He was assigned to
Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion,
25th Marines, 4th Marine Division,
Columbus, Ohio. During Operation Iraqi
Freedom, his reserve unit was
attached to 2nd Marine Division, II
Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Sgt. John M. Smith, 22, of Wilmington, N.
C., died May 12 in Iskandariyah, Iraq,
from injuries sustained when an
improvised explosive device
detonated near his vehicle. Smith was
assigned to the Army's 2nd Squadron,
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort
Irwin, Calif.
Lance Cpl. John T. Schmidt III, 21, of
Brookfield, Conn., died May 11 from
wounds received as a result of an
explosion while conducting combat
operations against enemy forces in Al
Anbar Province, Iraq, on Jan. 30. He
was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine
Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Schmidt’
s unit was attached to 1st Marine
Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force.
Staff Sgt. Kendall H. Ivy II, 28, of
Crawford, Ohio, was killed May 11 from
an explosion while conducting combat
operations against enemy forces in
Karabilah, Iraq. He was assigned to
Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd
Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.
C.
Spec. Steven R. Givens, 26, of Mobile,
Ala., died May 8 in Balad, Iraq, from
injuries sustained from enemy small arms
fire. Givens was assigned to the Army's
1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment,
3d Brigade, 3d Infantry Division, Fort
Benning, Ga.
Staff Sgt. Samuel T. Castle, 26, of
Naples, Texas, died May 11 in Al Asad,
Iraq, from injuries sustained from an
improvised explosive device
detonation. Castle was assigned to the
Army's 327th Signal Battalion, 35th
Signal Brigade, Fort Bragg. N. C.
Sgt. Andrew R. Jodon, 27, of Karthaus,
Penn., died May 12 in Samarra, Iraq,
when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his military vehicle. Jodon
was assigned to the Army's 3rd
Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd
Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Pfc. Kenneth E. Zeigler II, 22, of
Dillsburg, Penn., died May 12 in
Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised
explosive device detonated near his
military vehicle. Ziegler was assigned to
the Army's 1st Battalion, 64th Armor
Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort
Stewart, Ga.
Pfc. Travis W. Anderson, 28, of Hooper,
Colo., died May 13 in Bayji, Iraq, when a
vehicle-borne improvised explosive
device detonated near his convoy.
Anderson was assigned to the Army's
2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment,
1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort
Stewart, Ga.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of four Marines who were
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Christopher R. Dixon, 18, of
Columbus, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Nicholas B. Erdy, 21, of
Williamsburg, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Jonathan W. Grant, 23, of
Santa Fe, N.M.
Lance Cpl. Jourdan L. Grez, 24, of
Harrisonburg, Va.
All Marines were killed May 11 when
their amphibious assault vehicle struck
an explosive device while conducting
combat operations against enemy forces
in Karabilah, Iraq.
Dixon and Erdy were assigned to
Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd
Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th
Marine Division, Columbus, Ohio.
Grant was assigned to Marine Forces
Reserve’s 4th Reconnaissance
Battalion, 4th Marine Division,
Albuquerque, N.M., and Grez was
assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s
4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th
Marine Division, Roanoke, Va.
For Operation Iraqi Freedom, these
Marines’ units were attached to
Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd
Marine Division.
Sgt. Charles C. Gillican, III, 35, of
Brunswick, Ga., died May 14 at Camp
Arifjan, Kuwait, from injuries sustained
in a military vehicle accident. Gillican
was assigned to the Army National
Guard's 1st Battalion, 118th Field
Artillery Regiment, 48th Infantry
Brigade, Brunswick, Ga.
Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs, 19, of Baytown,
Texas died May 17 in Tikrit, Iraq, from
injuries sustained when an improvised
explosive device detonated near his
dismounted position. Riggs was assigned
to the Army's 2d Battalion, 7th Infantry
Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, Fort
Stewart, Ga.
Pfc. Wyatt D. Eisenhauer, 26, of
Pinckneyville, Ill., died May 19 in
Mahmudiyah, Iraq, on an escort
mission in a HMMWV when an
improvised explosive device
detonated on a bridge. Eisenhauer was
assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion,
70th Armor, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored
Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
The Department of Defense announced
the death of two soldiers who were
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died May 19 in Baghdad, Iraq,
when they were shot while conducting
dismounted combat operations. Both
were assigned to the Army National
Guard's 1st Battalion, 156th Armor
Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat
Team, Shreveport, La.
The soldiers are:
Spec. Bernard L. Sembly, 25, of Bossier
City, La.
Sgt. Robin V. Fell, 22, of Shreveport, La.
Sgt. Kurt D. Schamberg, 26, of Euclid,
Ohio, died May 20, in Baghdad, Iraq,
when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his HMMWV. Schamberg
was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th
Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 10th
Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Sgt. Benjamin C. Morton, 24, of Wright,
Kan., died May 22, in Mosul, Iraq, when
his dismounted patrol encountered enemy
small arms fire. Morton was assigned to
the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry
Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry
Division (Stryker Brigade Combat
Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.
Sgt. Kenneth J. Schall, 22, of Peoria,
Ariz., died May 22, in Yusafiyah, Iraq,
when the HMMWV in which he was riding
was involved in an accident. Schall was
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 70th
Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st
Armored Division, Fort Riley, Kan.