U.S. Military Deaths in War With Iraq

ByABC News
November 11, 2003, 8:47 AM

— -- The following are the U.S. personnel who have been killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. All dates reflect when the incidents occurred local time. On May 1, 2003, President Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Mark D. Vasquez, 35, of Port Huron, Mich., was killed in Fallujah, Iraq. Vasquez was in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle that was struck by an improvised explosive device. The soldier died of his injuries.

Staff Sgt. Morgan D. Kennon, 23, of Memphis, Tenn., was killed in Mosul, Iraq. Kennon was guarding a bank in downtown Mosul when his position came under rocket-propelled grenade attack.

Chief Warrant Officer (CW5) Sharon T. Swartworth, 43, of Virginia was killed when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was traveling in was shot down in Tikrit, Iraq. The Black Hawk was shot down by unknown enemy ordnance.

Chief Warrant Officer (CW3) Kyran E. Kennedy, 43, of Boston, Mass., was killed when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was traveling in was shot down in Tikrit, Iraq. The Black Hawk was shot down by unknown enemy ordnance.

Staff Sgt. Paul M. Neff II, 30, of Fort Mill, S.C., was killed when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was traveling in was shot down in Tikrit, Iraq. The Black Hawk was shot down by unknown enemy ordnance.

Spc. James A. Chance III, 25, of Kokomo, Miss., was killed in Husaybah, Iraq. Chance died of injuries sustained when his vehicle struck a landmine.

Spc. James R. Wolf, 21, of Scottsbluff, Neb., was killed in Mosul, Iraq. Wolf was in a convoy when an improvised explosive device was detonated. He died of his injuries.

Sgt. Paul F. Fisher, 39, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died at the Homburg University Klinikum, Homberg, Germany. Fisher was very seriously injured on Nov. 2 in Al Fallujah, Iraq, when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter in which he was riding went down.

Sgt. 1st Class Jose A. Rivera, 34, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, was killed in Mumuhdyah, Iraq, when his unit came under rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire.

Spc. Robert T. Benson, 20, of Spokane, Wash., died from a nonhostile gunshot wound in Baghdad, Iraq.

Sgt. Francisco Martinez, 28, of Humacao, Puerto Rico, was killed in Baghdad, Iraq. Martinez was in a convoy when an improvised explosive exploded. Martinez died of his injuries.

Spc. Darius T. Jennings, 22 of Cordova, S.C., was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Bader, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Spc. Steven D. Conover, 21, of Wilmington, Ohio, was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Al Fallujah, Iraq.

Spc. Brian H. Penisten, 28, of Fort Wayne, Ind., was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Sgt. Joel Perez, 25, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Chief Warrant Officer Bruce A. Smith, 41, of West Liberty, Iowa, was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Sgt. Ernest G. Bucklew, 33, of Enon Valley, Pa. was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Pfc. Anthony D. Dagostino, 20, of Waterbury, Conn., was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Pfc. Karina S. Lau, 20, of Livingston, Calif., was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Sgt. Keelan L. Moss, 23, of Houston, Texas, was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Sgt. Ross A. Pennanen, 36, of Oklahoma, was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

1st Lt. Brian D. Slavenas, 30, of Genoa, Ill., was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Spc. Frances M. Vega, 20, of Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Joe N. Wilson, 30, of Mississippi, was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Paul A. Velazquez, 29, of California, was killed while on board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that went down in Fallujah, Iraq.

Spc. Maurice J. Johnson, 21, of Levittown, Pa., was killed in Mosul, Iraq. Johnson was riding in a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle when it was hit by an improvised explosive device. Johnson died as a result of his injuries.

1st Lt. Joshua C. Hurley, 24, of Virginia, was killed in Mosul, Iraq. Hurley was riding in a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle when he was hit with an improvised explosive device.

2nd Lt. Benjamin J. Colgan, 30, of Kent, Wash., was killed in Baghdad, Iraq. Colgan was responding to a rocket propelled grenade attack when he was struck with an improvised explosive device.

2nd Lt. Todd J. Bryant, 23, of Riverside, Calif., was killed on Oct. 31 in Al Fallujah, Iraq. Bryant was on patrol when an improvised explosive device exploded. Bryant died of his injuries.

Sgt. Michael Paul Barrera, 26, of Von Ormy, Texas, was killed in Baqubah, Iraq. Barrera was fatally injured when his tank was hit with an improvised explosive device.

Spec. Isaac Campoy, 21, of Douglas, Ariz., was killed in Baqubah, Iraq. Campoy was fatally injured when his tank was hit with an improvised explosive device.

Pvt. Algernon Adams, 36, of Aiken, S.C., died of non-combat related injuries at Forward Operating Base St. Mere, Iraq.

Pvt. Jonathan I. Falaniko, 20, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, was killed in action in Baghdad, Iraq. Falaniko was near the Al Khadra Police Station in downtown Baghdad when a vehicle containing an improvised explosive device detonated.

Sgt. Aubrey D. Bell, 33, of Tuskegee, Ala., was killed in action in Baghdad, Iraq. Bell was at the Al Bayra Police Station when his unit came under small arms fire and an improvised explosive device detonated at his location.

Pfc. Rachel K. Bosveld, 19, of Waupun, Wis., was killed in Abu Ghraib, Iraq. Bosveld was fatally injured during a mortar attack on the Abu Ghraib Police Station.

Pfc. Steven Acosta, 19, of Calexico, Calif., died in Baqubah, Iraq. Acosta died from a non-hostile gunshot wound.

Lt. Col. Charles H. Buehring, 40, of Fayetteville, N.C., was killed in Baghdad, Iraq. Buehring was fatally injured during a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Al-Rasheed Hotel.

Pvt. Joseph R. Guerrera, 20, of Dunn, N.C., was killed in Baghdad, Iraq. Guerrera was on patrol when his vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device.

Staff Sgt. Jamie L. Huggins, 26, of Hume, Mo., was killed in action in Baghdad, Iraq. Huggins was on patrol when his vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device.

Sgt. Michael S. Hancock, 29, of Yreka, Calif., was killed in Mosul, Iraq. Hancock was on guard duty when he was shot. He died of his injuries.

Spc. Artimus D. Brassfield, 22, of Flint, Mich. was killed in Brassfield Samaria, Iraq. He died of wounds received from an enemy mortar attack.

Spc. Jose L. Mora, 26, of Bell Gardens, Calif. was killed in Brassfield Samaria, Iraq. He died of wounds received from an enemy mortar attack.

Capt. John R. Teal, 31, of Mechanicsville, Va., was killed in Baqubah, Iraq. Teal was in a convoy when an improvised explosive device exploded. He died of injuries sustained in the explosion.

Pvt. Jason M. Ward, 25, of Tulsa, Okla., died in Baghdad, Iraq. Ward died of non-combat related injuries.

Spc. John P. Johnson, 24, of Houston, Texas, died in Baghdad, Iraq. Johnson died of non-combat related injuries.

Pfc. Paul J. Bueche, 19, of Daphne, Ala., died in Balad, Iraq. Bueche was changing a tire on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter when the tire exploded.

Staff Sgt. Paul J. Johnson, 29, of Calumet, Mich., was killed in Al Fallujah, Iraq. Johnson was on a mounted patrol when the vehicle he was riding in hit an improvised explosive device and later came under small arms fire by enemy forces.

1st Lt. David R. Bernstein, 24, of Phoenixville, Pa. was killed in action in Taza, Iraq, when enemy forces ambushed his patrol using rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.

Pfc. John D. Hart, 20, of Bedford, Mass., was killed in action in Taza, Iraq, when enemy forces ambushed his patrol using rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.

Spc. Michael L. Williams, 46, of Buffalo, N.Y., was killed along MSR Jackson, near Baghdad, Iraq. Williams was killed in action when his vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device. He died as a result of his injuries.

Lt. Col. Kim S. Orlando, 43, of Tennessee was killed in Karbala, Iraq. The soldier was among three who were attempting to negotiate with armed men who were congregating on a road near a mosque after curfew. The Iraqis opened fire killing the three soldiers and wounding seven others.

Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Bellavia, 28, of Wakefield, Mass., was killed in Karbala, Iraq. The soldier was among three who were attempting to negotiate with armed men who were congregating on a road near a mosque after curfew. The Iraqis opened fire killing the three soldiers and wounding seven others.

Cpl. Sean R. Grilley, 24, of San Bernardino, Calif., was killed in Karbala, Iraq. The soldier was among three who were attempting to negotiate with armed men who were congregating on a road near a mosque after curfew. The Iraqis opened fire killing the three soldiers and wounding seven others.

Spc. Douglas J. Weismantle, 28, of Pittsburgh, Pa., died in Baghdad, Iraq. Weismantle was driving a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle when an Iraqi dump truck swerved and rolled over on top of his vehicle. Weismantle was one of two soldiers killed in this incident.

Pfc. Jose Casanova, 23, of El Monte, Calif., died in Baghdad, Iraq. Casanova was in a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle when an Iraqi dump truck swerved and rolled over on top of his vehicle. Casanova was one of two soldiers killed in this incident.

Pvt. Benjamin L. Freeman, 19, of Valdosta, Ga., drowned near Al Asad, Iraq. Soldiers from his unit had been searching for Freeman when they discovered him floating on the surface of the water near Haditha dam. Attempts made to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Pfc. Stephen E. Wyatt, 19, of Kilgore, Texas, was killed in Balad, Iraq. Wyatt was in a convoy that was hit by an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. He died as a result of his injuries.

Spc. Donald L. Wheeler, 22, of Concord, Mich., was killed in Tikrit, Iraq. Wheeler was searching for a possible improvised explosive device when his unit came under attack from a rocket-propelled grenade. He died as a result of his injuries.

Spc. James E. Powell, 26, of Radcliff, Ky., was killed in Baji, Iraq. Powell was killed when his M2/A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle struck an enemy anti-tank mine. He died as a result of his injuries.

Spc. Joseph C. Norquist, 26, of San Antonio, Texas, was killed in Baqubah, Iraq. Norquist was in a convoy that came under attack from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. Norquist was fatally injured in the incident.

Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Swisher, 26, of Lincoln, Neb., was killed in an ambush in Baghdad, Iraq. Swisher was on patrol when his unit was ambushed by individuals using small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

Pvt. Sean A. Silva, 23, of Roseville, Calif., was killed in an ambush in Baghdad, Iraq. Silva was on patrol when his unit was ambushed by individuals using small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

2nd Lt. Richard Torres, 25, of Clarksville, Tenn., was killed in Baghdad, Iraq. While on combat patrol, Torres' convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device. Torres died of his injuries.

Spc. Spencer T. Karol, 20, of Woodruff, Ariz., was killed in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Karol was on a mission to observe enemy activity when a command-detonated device exploded. His vehicle was overturned from the force of the explosion and he was fatally injured.

Pfc. Kerry D. Scott, 21, of Mount Vernon, Wash., was killed in Iskandariyah, Iraq. While on a combat patrol, Scott's convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device. Scott was one of two soldiers killed in the blast.

Spc. James H. Pirtle, 27, of La Mesa, N.M., was killed in Assadah, Iraq. Pirtle was in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle when an RPG struck his vehicle. Pirtle died of his injuries.

Pfc. Charles M. Sims, 18, of Miami, Fla., drowned in Baghdad, Iraq. The incident is under investigation.

Command Sgt. Maj. James D. Blankenbecler, 40, of Alexandria, Va., was killed in Samarra, Iraq. Blankenbecler was in a convoy that was hit by an improvised explosive device and rocket-propelled grenades. Blankenbecler died of his injuries.

Pfc. Analaura Esparza Gutierrez, 21, of Houston, Texas, was killed in Tikrit, Iraq. Esparza Gutierrez was in a convoy that was hit by an improvised explosive device and rocket-propelled grenades.

Spc. Simeon Hunte, 23, of Essex, N.J., was killed in Al Khadra, Iraq. Hunte was on patrol when an Iraqi citizen approached and shot him.

Spc. Dustin K. McGaugh, 20, of Derby, Kan., died in Balad, Iraq from a non-hostile gunshot wound.

Sgt. Andrew Joseph Baddick, 26, of Jim Thorpe, Pa., drowned as he tried to rescue another soldier whose vehicle had entered a canal near Abu Ghraib Prison, Iraq.

Pfc. Kristian E. Parker, 23, of Slidell, La., died at Camp AS Sayliyah, Qatar. Parker died from non-combat related injuries.

Staff Sgt. Christopher E. Cutchall, 30, of McConnellsburg, Pa., was killed west of Baghdad, Iraq. He was traveling in a convoy when an improvised explosive device detonated as his vehicle passed by. He died of injuries sustained in the incident.

Sgt. Darrin K. Potter, 24, of Louisville, Ky., was killed near Abu Ghraib Prison, Iraq. Potter was a member of a military police team searching the prison area. During the search, his vehicle left the road and went into a canal. Potter died in the vehicle.

Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Rooney, 43, of Nashua, N.H. Rooney was at Shuabai Port, in Kuwait, when he was struck by a forklift and died of his injuries.

Spc. Kyle G. Thomas, 23, of Topeka, Kan., was killed in Tikrit, Iraq. Thomas was on patrol when an improvised explosive device exploded. He died of injuries sustained in the explosion.

Capt. Robert L. Lucero, 34, of Casper, Wyo., was killed in Tikrit, Iraq. Lucero died and another soldier was injured when they were struck by an improvised explosive device.

Spc. Michael Andrade, 28, of Bristol, R.I., died in Balad, Iraq. Andrade was a passenger in a HMMWV when a 5-ton truck struck the side of his vehicle. He died of injuries sustained in the accident.

Spc. Paul J. Sturino, 21, of Rice Lake, Wis., died in Quest, Iraq. Sturino died from a non-combat weapons discharge.