Names, Stories, and Pictures of the Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom

Wire Reports | 3/22/03 | Wire Reports

[Diddle E. Squat]

Names of the four US Marines who died in yesterday's helicopter crash:

Maj. Jay Thomas Aubin, 36, of Waterville, Maine

Capt. Ryan Anthony Beaupre, 30, of Bloomington, Ill.

Cpl. Brian Matthew Kennedy, 25, of Houston, Texas

Staff Sgt. Kendall Damon Watersbey, 29, of Baltimore, Md.

The Pentagon has just released the names of two more US Marines who were killed in Iraq. I'll post as soon as I find that.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Lance Cpl. Brian E. Anderson


http://www.wral.com/news/2091028/detail.html

Lejeune Marine From Durham Dies In Vehicle Accident In Iraq

DURHAM, N.C. -- The Triangle suffered its first casualty of war when a U.S. Marine from Durham died Wednesday in a vehicle accident in Iraq.

Lance Cpl. Brian E. Anderson, 26, was the second North Carolinian to be killed during the war.

He was manning a .50-caliber rifle on top of a seven-ton truck when the vehicle passed under low-hanging power lines west of Nasiriya. Anderson reportedly put his hands on the lines to lift them over his gun and got electrocuted.

Anderson was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.

Colleagues in Anderson's unit recalled that he was among the first to throw water to Iraqi children when the company crossed the border not quite two weeks ago.

"I remember the first day he came to us; he was so excited to go," said 1st Sgt. Michael Sprague, 36, of White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. "He was so much fun to be around, that kid."

Anderson was also remembered at his high school on Friday, where an American flag was flown at half staff.

Anderson graduated from Riverside in 1996. Teachers said he was a popular and well-rounded student.

"He was fun loving," said football coach Linny Wrenn. "He just loved life. It seemed like everything he did, he just enjoyed being a part of it.

"He always talked positive about Riverside. He was on the track team. He was on the wrestling team. He was on the football team."

A picture of Brian with his wrestling team, which won the state championships, is on display at the school.

Anderson also was known for his love of playing dominoes.

An administrative clerk, Anderson had been assigned to his Marine unit just before its mid-January deployment. During the company's eight days in Nasiriya, Anderson often marveled that he, a clerk, was on the front lines of a war.

Charlie Company was involved in several firefights in Nasiriya. But its last days in the southern Iraqi town were quiet.

The night before he died, Anderson reportedly said he was becoming homesick.

According to the Marines, as Anderson's convoy rumbled out of town Wednesday following his call to "roll out," he took his position atop the truck. Not far out of Nasiriya, he grabbed a low-hanging power line to push it over the gun and his head.

The wire was live, and Anderson was electrocuted. He lost consciousness immediately and died en route to a medical facility.

The incident is under investigation, the Defense Department said.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Lance Cpl. Brian E. Anderson

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[Diddle E. Squat]

Pfc. Christian Gurtner


http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/104945229593210.xml

Shooting accident kills Marine from Ohio while he was asleep

Angela Chatman
Plain Dealer Reporter
Compiled from staff and wire service reports

Van Wert, Ohio- A 19-year-old Marine whose machine gun accidentally fired Wednesday became the first Ohio military member confirmed killed in Iraq.

Marine Pfc. Christian Gurtner, who lived in Ohio City, near this community 75 miles southwest of Toledo, was asleep with the weapon in his sleeping bag, a practice that the military said is common.

He was shot through his chest, the military reported. The incident still is under investigation, the Department of Defense said last night.

Van Wert schools Superintendent Cathy Hoffman described Gurtner as a "good kid" who never got into trouble as a student at Van Wert High School.

"He just decided before he graduated that he wanted to join the Marine Corps, and he was very, very committed to that," Hoffman said.

Gurtner's parents, Gary and Eldona Wagonrad, issued a statement that was read last night at a news conference at the Van Wert Naval Club.

"He was proud and believed in what he was doing," the statement said. "He wanted the Iraqis to have the same privileges as we Americans."

Hoffman and Van Wert High School Principal Bill Clifton met with the parents early yesterday.

"The one thing that was very clear, that they stressed to us, was that Christian was doing exactly what he wanted to do," Hoffman said.

Gurtner was an infantry scout assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. He joined the Marines in June 2002. He had been stationed with the 1st Marine Division in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Marine Staff Sgt. Eryck Little, who recruited Gurtner, said the infantryman was a typical Marine. "He was young, motivated, hard-charging," he said.

Before yesterday, the Wagonrads had placed a very big sign hanging on their porch that said "Support Our Troops." The sign has since been joined by yellow ribbons tied to nearby posts and trees.

Flags at the Van Wert district's schools will fly at half staff today.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Pfc. Christian Gurtner

[Diddle E. Squat]

Spc. Donald S. Oaks Jr., 20, Erie, PA

Sgt. 1st Class Randall S. Rehn, 36, Longmont, CO

Sgt. Todd J. Robbins, 33, Pentwater, MI

Master Sgt. George A. Fernandez, 36, El Paso, TX

[IGOTMINE]

Jim Cawley was one of the finest men I ever served with. He was a close quarters battle instructor with the Special Operations Training Group. Incredible sense of humor...he had a non-PC version of "Rapunzel" that would set me rolling every time he did that stand up. Smart. Intense.

Rest easy, my brother. I'm still doing the fighting while wounded drills you taught me.

Semper Fi

[Diddle E. Squat]

heroes bump

[firewalk]

bttt

[Diddle E. Squat]

Staff Sgt. Nino D. Livaudais, 23, UT

Spc. Ryan P. Long, 21, Seaford, DE

Capt. Russell B. Rippetoe, 27, CO

Sgt. George E. Buggs, 31, Barnwell, SC

Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38, Cleveland, OH

Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, El Paso, TX

Spc. James M. Kiehl, 22, Comfort, TX

Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, Amarillo, TX

Pfc. Lori Ann Piestewa, 23, Tuba City, AZ

Pvt. Brandon U. Sloan, 19, Cleveland, OH

Sgt. Donald R. Walters, 33, Kansas City, MO

[Ligeia]

Charlie Company loses one of its own
By DENNIS O'BRIEN, The Virginian-Pilot
© April 4, 2003
Last updated: 1:15 AM

SOUTHERN IRAQ -- Dawn was breaking Wednesday, and it was time for Charlie Company to move north from Nasiriyah.

That meant it was time for Lance Cpl. Brian E. Anderson to bellow ``Roll out!'' just as he had every other time this unit of Marines had gotten the call to advance.

An hour later, Anderson, 26, of Durham was dead, the company's first fatality in the war with Iraq. He was electrocuted in an accident just outside town. Thursday night, after Anderson's next of kin had been notified, the Department of Defense released his name.

Anderson's fellow Marines from Camp Lejeune remembered him as a kind and generous man who was among the first to throw water to Iraqi children when the company crossed the border not quite two weeks ago.

``I remember the first day he came to us, he was so excited to go,'' said 1st Sgt. Michael Sprague, 36, of White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. ``He was so much fun to be around, that kid.''

He was known for his affection of dominoes -- or ``bones,'' as the men here call the game.

Anderson, an administrative clerk, had been assigned to the unit just before its deployment in mid-January. During the company's eight days in Nasiriyah, Anderson often marveled that he, a clerk, was on the front lines of a war.

Charlie Company was involved in several firefights in Nasiriyah, but its last days in the southern Iraqi town were relatively subdued. The night before he died, Anderson had said that the recent lull in combat was giving him too much time to think, and that he was becoming homesick.

Wednesday morning, as the convoy rumbled out of town following Anderson's call, he took his position manning a .50-caliber machine gun atop one of the convoy's seven-ton trucks. Not far out of Nasiriyah, he grabbed a low-hanging power line to push it over the gun and his head.

The wire was live, and Anderson was electrocuted. He lost consciousness immediately and died en route to a medical facility around 7 a.m. local time, or 11 p.m. Tuesday back home.

http://home.hamptonroads.com/supersearch/articles/print.cfm?id=52351

[patriciaruth]

From Drudgereport.com

DEATHS:

April 3:

Army Staff Sgt. Nino D. Livaudais, 23, Utah, combat

Army Spc. Ryan P. Long, 21, Seaford, Del., combat

Marine Pfc. Chad B. Metcalf, 20, Coahoma, Texas

Army Spc. Donald S. Oaks Jr., 20, Harborcreek, Pa., combat

Army Sgt. 1st Class Randy Rehn, 36, Longmont, Colo., combat

Army Capt. Russell B. Rippetoe, 27, Colorado, combat

Army Sgt. Todd J. Robbins, 33, Hart, Mich., combat.

April 2:

Marine Lance Cpl. Brian E. Anderson, 26, Durham, N.C., non-hostile accident

Army Spc. Mathew Boule, 22, Dracut, Mass., helicopter crash

Marine Cpl. Mark Evnin, 21, South Burlington, Vt.

Army Master Sgt. George A. Fernandez, 36, El Paso, Texas

Marine Pfc. Christian D. Gurtner, 19, Ohio City, Ohio, non-combat weapons discharge

Army Chief Warrant Officer 4th Class Erik A. Halvorsen, 40, Bennington, Vt., helicopter crash.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric A. Smith, 42, Rochester, N.Y., helicopter crash

April 1:

Army Sgt. Jacob L. Butler, 24, Wellsville, Kan., combat

Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Maglione, 22, Lansdale, Pa., non-combat weapon discharge

March 31:

Army Spc. Brandon Rowe, 20, Roscoe, Ill., combat

March 30:

Marine Capt. Aaron J. Contreras, 31, Sherwood, Ore., helicopter crash

Marine Sgt. Michael V. Lalush, 23, Troutville, Va., helicopter crash

Marine Sgt. Brian McGinnis, 23, St. Georges, Del., helicopter crash

March 29:

Marine Staff Sgt. James Cawley, 41, Layton, Utah, combat

Army Cpl. Michael Curtin, 23, Howell, N.J., suicide attack

Army Pfc. Diego Fernando Rincon, 19, Conyers, Ga., suicide attack

Army Pfc. Michael Russell Creighton Weldon, 20, Palm Bay, Fla., suicide attack

Marine Lance Cpl. William W. White, 24, New York, vehicle accident

Army Sgt. Eugene Williams, 24, Highland, N.Y, suicide attack

March 28:

Army Sgt. Roderic A. Solomon , 32, Fayetteville, N.C., vehicle accident

March 27:

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa, 33, Tracy, Calif., combat

Marine Lance Cpl. Jesus A. Suarez Del Solar, 20, Escondido, Calif., combat

March 26:

Army Spc. William A. Jeffries, 39, Evansville, Ind., illness

Marine Maj. Kevin G. Nave, 36, White Lake Township, Mich., vehicle accident

March 25:

Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Michael Vann Johnson Jr., 25, Little Rock, Ark., combat

Marine Pfc. Francisco A. Martinez Flores, 21, Los Angeles, combat

Marine Staff Sgt. Donald C. May, Jr., 31, Richmond, Va., combat

Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick T. O'Day, 20, Santa Rosa, Calif., combat

Marine Cpl. Robert M. Rodriguez, 21, New York, combat

Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone, 40, Boise, Idaho, grenade attack

March 24:

Marine Cpl. Evan James, 20, La Harpe, Ill., drowned in canal

Marine Sgt. Bradley S. Korthaus, 29, Davenport, Iowa, drowned in canal

Army Spc. Gregory P. Sanders, 19, Hobart, Ind., combat

March 23:

Army Spc. Jamaal R. Addison, 22, Roswell, Ga., combat

Marine Sgt. Michael E. Bitz, 31, Ventura, Calif., combat

Marine Lance Cpl. Brian Rory Buesing, 20, Cedar Key, Fla., combat

Marine Lance Cpl. David K. Fribley, 26, Fort Myers, Fla., combat

Marine Cpl. Jose A. Garibay, 21, Costa Mesa, Calif., combat

Marine Cpl. Jorge A. Gonzalez, 20, Los Angeles, combat

Army Pfc. Howard Johnson II, 21, Mobile, Ala., combat

Marine Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Jordan, 42, Enfield, Conn., combat

Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick R. Nixon, 21, Gallatin, Tenn., combat

Marine 2nd Lt. Frederick E. Pokorney Jr., 31, Tonopah, Nev., combat

Marine Cpl. Randal Kent Rosacker, 21, San Diego, combat

Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Slocum, 22, Thornton, Colo., combat

Marine Lance Cpl. Michael J. Williams, 31, Yuma, Ariz.

March 22:

Navy Lt. Thomas Mullen Adams, 27, La Mesa, Calif., helicopter collision

Marine Lance Cpl. Eric J. Orlowski, 26, Buffalo, N.Y., machine gun accident

Army Capt. Christopher Scott Seifert, 27, Easton, Pa., grenade attack

Army Reserve Spc. Brandon S. Tobler, 19, Portland, Ore., vehicle accident

March 21:

Marine Maj. Jay Thomas Aubin, 36, Waterville, Maine, helicopter crash

Marine Capt. Ryan Anthony Beaupre, 30, St. Anne, Ill., helicopter crash

Marine 2nd Lt. Therrel S. Childers, 30, Harrison County, Miss., combat

Marine Lance Cpl. Jose Gutierrez, 22, Los Angeles, combat

Marine Cpl. Brian Matthew Kennedy, 25, Houston, helicopter crash

Marine Staff Sgt. Kendall Damon Waters-Bey, 29, Baltimore, helicopter crash

Date not given:

Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas A. Blair, 24, Broken Arrow, Okla., combat

Marine Sgt. Nicolas M. Hodson, 22, Smithville, Mo., vehicle accident

Army Spc. James Kiehl, 22, Comfort, Texas, combat

Army Sgt. George Edward Buggs, 31, Barnwell, S.C., combat

Army Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38, Cleveland, combat

Army Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, El Paso, Texas, combat

Army Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, El Paso, Texas, combat

Army Pfc. Lori Piestewa, 22, Tuba City, Ariz., combat

Army Pvt. Brandon Sloan, 19, Bedford Heights, Ohio, combat

Army Sgt. Donald Walters, 33, Kansas City, Mo., combat

CAPTURED:

March 24:

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ronald D. Young Jr., 26, Lithia Springs, Ga.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 David S. Williams, 30, Orlando, Fla.

March 23:

Army Spc. Edgar Hernandez, 21, Mission, Texas

Army Spc. Joseph Hudson, 23, Alamogordo, N.M.

Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson, 30, Fort Bliss, Texas

Army Pfc. Patrick Miller, 23, Park City, Kan.

Army Sgt. James Riley, 31, Pennsauken, N.J.

MISSING:

March 23:

Army Sgt. Edward J. Anguiano, 24, Brownsville, Texas.

Marine Pfc. Tamario D. Burkett, 21, Buffalo, N.Y.

Marine Cpl. Kemaphoom A. Chanawongse, 22, Waterford, Conn.

Marine Lance Cpl. Donald J. Cline, Jr., 21, Sparks, Nev.

Marine Pvt. Jonathan L. Gifford, 30, Decatur, Ill.

Marine Pvt. Nolen R. Hutchings, 19, Boiling Springs, S.C.

Marine Sgt. Fernando Padilla-Ramirez, 26, Yuma, Ariz.

Marine Sgt. Brendon Reiss, 23, Casper, Wyo.

OTHER COALITION CASUALTIES:

DEATHS:

British:

April 1:

Unidentified soldier, killed in accident involving light armored vehicle.

March 31:

Staff Sgt. Chris Muir, Romsey, England, killed while disposing of explosive ordnance

March 30:

Marine Christopher R. Maddison, combat

Lance Cpl. Shaun Andrew Brierley, road accident

March 28:

Lance Cpl. Matty Hull, in combat; death is being investigated possibly as result of friendly fire

March 25:

Cpl. Stephen John Allbutt, Stoke-on-Trent, England, tank hit by friendly fire

Trooper David Jeffrey Clarke, Littleworth, England, tank hit by friendly fire

March 24:

Sgt. Steven Mark Roberts, Bradford, England, combat

Lance Cpl. Barry Stephen, Perth, Scotland, combat

March 23:

Sapper Luke Allsopp, London, combat

Staff Sgt. Simon Cullingworth, Essex, England, combat

Flight Lt. Kevin Barry Main, jet shot down by friendly fire

Flight Lt. David Rhys Williams, jet shot down by friendly fire

March 22:

Lt. Philip Green, helicopter collision

Lt. Marc Lawrence, helicopter collision

Lt. Antony King, Helston, England, helicopter collision

Lt. Philip West, Budock Water, England, helicopter collision

Lt. James Williams, Falmouth, England, helicopter collision Lt. Andrew Wilson, helicopter collision

March 21:

Color Sgt. John Cecil, Plymouth, England, helicopter crash

Lance Bombardier Llewelyn Karl Evans, Llandudno, Wales, helicopter crash

Capt. Philip Stuart Guy, helicopter crash

Marine Sholto Hedenskog, helicopter crash

Sgt. Les Hehir, Poole, England, helicopter crash

Operator Mechanic Second Class Ian Seymour, helicopter crash

Warrant Officer Second Class Mark Stratford, helicopter crash

Maj. Jason Ward, helicopter crash

[timrivera]

Thanks for this informative thread! I have created a website in memory of the fallen soldiers. I wanted to have info and photos, as well as the oportunity for visitors to leave messages for the family. The info is gathered from DefenseLINK (U.S. Department of Defense,) and I got a lot of photos from this thread.

Please help me get the word out about this site, so people can leave messages, and so that the family can read messages. Thank you!

http://www.FallenHeroesMemorial.com

[Diddle E. Squat]

Excellent.

Well done website, and thanks for your efforts to memorialize these heroes.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Capt. Benjamin W. Sammis, 29, of Rehobeth, Mass.

Pfc. Chad E. Bales, 20, of Coahoma, Texas

Cpl. Mark A. Evnin, 21, of Burlington, Vt.

Cpl. Erik H. Silva, 22, of Chula Vista, Calif.

Capt. James F. Adamouski, 29, of Springfield, Va.

Spc. Mathew G. Boule, 22, of Dracut, Mass.

Chief Warrant Officer Erik A. Halvorsen, 40, of Bennington, Vt.

Chief Warrant Officer Scott Jamar, 32, of Granbury, Texas.

Sgt. Michael F. Pedersen, 26, of Flint, Mich.

Chief Warrant Officer Eric A. Smith, 41, of Calif.

Capt. Tristan N. Aitken, 31, of State College, Pa.

Staff Sgt. Wilbert Davis, 40, of Alaska

Capt. Edward J. Korn, 31, of Savannah, Ga.

Pfc. Wilfred D. Bellard, 20, of Lake Charles, La.

Spc. Daniel Francis J. Cunningham, 33, of Lewiston, Maine.

Pvt. Devon D. Jones, 19, of San Diego, Calif.

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, 33, of Tampa, Fla.

Capt. Travis A. Ford, 30, of Ogallala, Neb.

Cpl. Bernard G. Gooden, 22, of Mt. Vernon, N.Y.

1st Lt. Brian M. McPhillips, 25, of Pembroke, Mass.

Sgt. Duane R. Rios, 25, of Hammond, Ind.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Spc. Larry K. Brown, 22, of Jackson, Miss.

Staff Sgt. Lincoln D. Hollinsaid, 27, of Malden, Ill.

Pfc. Gregory P. Huxley, Jr., 19, of Forestport, N.Y.

Staff Sgt. Stevon A. Booker, 34, of Apollo, Pa.

Lance Cpl. Andrew Julian Aviles, 18, of Palm Beach, Fla.

Cpl. Jesus Martin Antonio Medellin, 21, of Fort Worth, Texas

1st Sgt. Edward Smith, 38, of Chicago, Ill.

2nd Lt. Jeffrey J. Kaylor, 24, of Clifton, Va.

Pfc. Anthony S. Miller, 19, of San Antonio, Texas

Pfc. Juan Guadalupe Garza Jr., 20, of Temperance, Mich.

Spc. George A. Mitchell, 35, of Rawlings, Md.

Cpl. Henry L. Brown, 22, of Natchez, Miss.

Pvt. Kelley S. Prewitt, 24, of Alabama

Staff Sgt. Robert A. Stever, 36, of Pendleton, Ore.

Pfc. Jason M. Meyer, 23, of Swartz Creek, Mich.

[Diddle E. Squat]

British fallen warriors:

Major Steve Ballard, 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines

Lance Corporal Ian Keith Malone

Piper Christopher Muzvuru

Fusilier Kelan John Turrington, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

[Diddle E. Squat]

Lance Corporal Ian Keith Malone


http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/malone.htm

It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence can confirm that Lance Corporal Ian Keith Malone, 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, was killed in action in Basrah on 6 April.

Lance Corporal Malone, who was 28, was born in Dublin and enlisted into the Army in Belfast in July 1997. After training, he joined his Battalion in March 1998. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in October 2000 and served on Operation Agricola in Kosovo. He was a valued member of the Pipe Band after completing a Piper's Course in April 1999.

He had also seen service with the Battle Group in Poland, Canada, Oman and Germany.

He deployed on Operation Telic in an armoured infantry section with Number 1 Company, Irish Guard, as part of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Battle Group within 7 Armoured Brigade.

The Malone family have issued the following statement:

"Ian was a wonderful son, full of life and vitality, fun and wit. His family and girlfriend are devastated to learn of his death. He had so many friends and so much to live for. He loved the Army and lived for the excitement and challenges that being a soldier brought. He was proud to be an Irishman and proud to serve in the Irish Guards. His family takes some comfort from knowing that he died doing the job he loved."

[Diddle E. Squat]

Lance Corporal Ian Keith Malone

[Diddle E. Squat]

Lance Cpl. William W. White


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=676&ncid=716&e=18&u=/usatoday/20030402/ts_usatoday/5023693

Marine Lance Cpl. William W. White, 24, always looked out for his brothers. The last letter he sent home to his mother's house in Brooklyn, N.Y., included $100 and some advice for the youngest: ''Hold your head up high,'' White wrote to his 16-year-old brother, Bryan. ''I'll talk to you soon, kid.''

White, a field radio operator, died in Iraq on Saturday when his military vehicle rolled into a canal. Family members have streamed to his boyhood home, where an American flag and a picture of the Marine in dress uniform are on display. But comfort was hard to come by for his mother.

''What can you say to someone who has lost their eldest son?'' an aunt, Rita Russell, told The New York Times.

White also left behind a wife, Mychelle. The couple married in 2001 and had hoped to return to Brooklyn to begin a family after his military service. White, whose February discharge was delayed because of the war, wanted to become either a firefighter or a cop. The son of an Army veteran, White enlisted in the Marines after his 1998 graduation from Brooklyn's Bushwick High School.

His mother didn't want him to go to Iraq, and his father offered to help him get excused. But White wouldn't hear of it.

''He was a soldier, not a fake Marine,'' a cousin, Althia Russell-Muse, told the New York Daily News.