Operation Iraqi Freedom
This page is dedicated to those Soldiers who served with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Ft. Campbell, that gave their lives for liberty in the War on Terrorism
#1--23 March 2003—Capt. Christopher Scott Seifert, 27, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Combat Team, died as a result of a grenade attack at Camp Pennsylvania.
#2--31 March 2003—Spc. Brandon J. Rowe, 20, died as a result of enemy artillery fire near the town of Ayyub, Iraq. Rowe was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry regiment. Rowe was a native of Roscoe, Illinois.
#3--13 April 2003—Spc. Gil Mercado, 25, died as a result of a non-combat related gunshot wound near Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment. (Later classified as self-inflicted). Mercado’s home of record was Patterson, New Jersey.
#4--14 April 2003—Spc. Thomas A. Foley III, 23, died as a result of a non-combat related grenade wounds (accidental detonation of a grenade) near Baghdad, Iraq. Foley was assigned to B Battery, 2-44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. Foley was a native of Dresden, Tennessee.
#5--14 April 2003—Pfc. John E. Brown, 21, died as a result of a non-combat related grenade wounds (accidental detonation of a grenade) near Baghdad, Iraq. Brown was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2-44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. Brown was a native of Troy, Alabama.
#6--24 April 2003—Sgt. Troy D. Jenkins, 25, wounded on 19 April 2003 near Baghdad when an unexploded ordnance went off (an young Iraqi girl handed SGT Jenkins a cluster bomb just as it went off). He died at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany on 24 April 2003. He was assigned to B Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment. Jenkins was from Repton, Alabama.
#7--14 May 2003—Spc. David T. Nutt, 32, died as a result of a traffic accident near Mosul, Iraq. He was driving a fully loaded 5-ton truck when an Iraqi citizen driving a car approached him head on. SPC Nutt swerved to avoid the collision and his vehicle overturned. He was assigned to the 494th Transportation Company, 129th Corps Support Battalion, 101st Corps Support Group. Nutt was a native of Blackshear, Georgia.
#8--5 June 2003—Pfc. Brandon F. Oberleitner, 20, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, was killed at approximately 1 a.m. (GMT +3) near Al Fallujah. when his unit came under attack on a dismounted patrol. Oberleitner was an 11B (Infantryman) who entered the Army in January, 2002. He arrived at Fort Campbell May 16, 2002. His home of record is Worthington, Ohio.
#9--7 July 2003 -- Staff Sgt. Barry Sanford, 46, of Aurora, Colorado, died July 7 of a non-combat-related gunshot wound. Sanford was an Automated Logistical Specialist (92A) with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Corps Support Group. Sanford arrived at Fort Campbell in December, 2002. He entered the Army in 1988. The incident is under investigation.
#10--8 July 2003—Pvt. Robert L. McKinley, 23, of Kokomo, Ind., died on July 8 in Homberg, Germany. McKinley was an Infantryman (11B) assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). McKinley suffered a heat stroke in Mosul, Iraq in mid-June, and was transported to Germany for further medical treatment
#11--20 July 2003 – Sgt. Jason D. Jordan, 24, or Alba, Ala., died July 20 of wounds sustained during an attack near Tallifar, Iraq. Jordan was an Indirect Fire Infantryman (11C) assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 187th Infantry Regiment. Jordan entered the Army in Aug. 1998. He arrived at Fort Campbell July, 2002.
#12--20 July 2003 – Sgt. Justin W. Garvey, 23, of Townsend, Mass. died July 20 of wounds sustained during an attack near Tallifar, Iraq. Garvey was an Indirect Fire Infantryman (11C) assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 187th Infantry Regiment. Garvey entered the Army in 1997, arrived at Fort Campbell in July, 2000.
#13--23 July 2003—Spc. Brett T. Christian, 27, C Company, 2 Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, died when an explosive device struck two military vehicles traveling on Highway 1 outside of Mosul, Iraq. Christian entered the US Army in May 197 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2002. Christian was single and a native of Cleveland, Ohio.
#14--24 July 2003—Pfc. Raheen T. Heighter, 22. Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment was killed during an ambush near Qayarrah, Iraq. Heighter entered the US Army in August 2001 and arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2002. He was single and a native of Bay Shore, New York. He is survived by his mother Cathy who also lives in New York.
#15--24 July 2003--Cpl. Evan A. Ashcraft, 24, of A Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, was killed in an ambush near Qayarrah, Iraq.. Ashcraft, a native of West Hills, Calif. He entered the U.S. Army in January 2000 and arrived at Fort Campbell in May 2000. He is survived by his wife Ashley of Castaic, Calif.
#16--24 July 2003--Staff Sgt. Hector R. Perez, 40, of A Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, was killed in an ambush near Qayarrah, Iraq.. Perez, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, entered the U.S. Army in June 1993 and arrived at Fort Campbell in October 2002. He is survived by his wife and three children who reside at Fort Campbell.
#17--5 August 2003—Spc. Farao K. Letufuga, 20, of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, died after falling from a building while performing guard duty in Mosul, Iraq. Letufuga was single and is survived by his parents both of Pago Pago, American Samoa.
#18--6 August 2003—Sgt. Leonard D. Simmons, 33, of C Company, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, died after suffering a seizure while performing duties near Mosul, Iraq. Simmons was a native of New Bern, N.C., and he is survived by his wife and three step-children who reside in Clarksville, Tennessee.
#19--12 August 2003—Pfc. Daniel R. Parker, 18, of B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 44th Field Artillery Regiment, died when he was thrown from a military vehicle when the driver swerved to avoid hitting another Iraqi civilian vehicle. Parker was from Lake Elsinore, California and he is survived by his parents also of Lake Elsinore, California.
#20--15 September 2003—Spc. Alyssa R. Peterson, 27, of Flagstaff, Arizona died in Telafar, Iraq of a non-combat weapons discharge. She was assigned to C Company, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion. Peterson was single and is survived by her parents both from Flagstaff, Arizona.
#21--22 September 2003—Spc. Paul J. Sturino, 21, of Rice Lake, Wisconsin died near Quest, Iraq as a result of a non-combat gunshot wound. Sturino was a 13H (Cannon Crew Member) assigned to B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. He was single and is survived by his parents both of Wisconsin. t
#22--16 October 2003-- Lt. Col. Kim S. Orlando, 43, of Nashville, Tennessee. Orlando was commander of the 716th Military Police Battalion here. He entered the Army in July 1982 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2002. He is survived by his wife and two sons who reside at Fort Campbell. Orlando died after attempting to negotiate with armed men that were congregating near a mosque after curfew in Karbala, Iraq. The Iraqis opened fire killing three soldiers and wounding seven.
#23--16 October 2003--Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Bellavia, 28, of Wakefield, Massachusetts. Bellavia was a military police team leader assigned to the 194th Military Police Company, 716th Military Police Battalion here. He entered the Army in February 1995 and arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2002. He is survived by his wife who resides in Clarksville, Tennessee. Bellavia died after attempting to negotiate with armed men that were congregating near a mosque after curfew in Karbala, Iraq. The Iraqis opened fire killing three soldiers and wounding seven died after trying to disarm some Iraqis carrying illegal weapons in the city of Karbala, Iraq
#24--16 October 2003--Cpl. Sean R. Grilley, 24, of San Bernardino, California. Gilley was a military police team leader with the 194th Military Police Company, 716th Military Police Battalion here. Gilley entered the Army in January 2001 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2002. He is survived by his wife who resides at Fort Campbell. Gilley died after attempting to negotiate with armed men that were congregating near a mosque after curfew in Karbala, Iraq. The Iraqis opened fire killing three soldiers and wounding seven after trying to disarm some Iraqis carrying illegal weapons in the city of Karbala, Iraq
#25--24 October 2003—Sgt. Michael S. Hancock, 29, of Yreka, California. Hancock was a cannon crewmember assigned to C Battery, 1st battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in July 1993 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 22003. While performing guard duty in Mosul, Iraq, Hancock’s position was approached by 5-10 armed Iraqis who opened fire on his position. He was shot during the exchange of gun fire. He is survived by his wife of Clarksville, Tennessee and four children.
#26--2 November 2003—1st Lt. Joshua C. Hurley, 24, of C Company, 326th Engineer Battalion. He entered the U.S. Army in June 2001 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2003. He was a native of Virginia and is survived by his wife, also an officer assigned to Fort Campbell. He died in Mosul, Iraq when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded near the HMMWV he was traveling in.
#27--2 November 2003—Spc. Maurice J. Johnson, 21, of C Company, 501st Signal Battalion. He entered the U.S. Army in July 2000 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2002. He was a native of Levittown, Pennsylvania and he is survived by his sister also of Levittown, Pa. He died in Mosul, Iraq when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded near the HMMWV he was traveling in.
#28—7 November 2003—Capt. Benedict J. Smith, 29, of 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Brigade died when a helicopter ferrying passengers went down on the east side of the Tigris River near Tikrit, Iraq. Smith, a native of Monroe City, Missouri, entered the U.S. Army in June 1997 and arrived at Fort Campbell in May 2001.
#29—7 November 2003—Chief Warrant Officer Kyran E. Kennedy, 43, of Boston, Massachusetts. Kennedy entered the U.S. Army in March 1991 and arrived at Fort Campbell in October 2001. Kennedy died a helicopter ferrying passengers went down on the east side of the Tigris River near Tikrit, Iraq. He is survived by his wife Kaitlyn and three children. Kennedy was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment.
#30—7 November 2003—Staff Sgt. Paul M. Neff II, 30, a native of Fort Mill, South Carolina. He entered the U.S. Army in October 1991 ands arrived at Fort Campbell in November 1999. He is survived by his son, Christopher. Neff died a helicopter ferrying passengers went down on the east side of the Tigris River near Tikrit, Iraq. Neff was assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment.
#31—7 November 2003—Sgt. Scott C. Rose, 30, a native of Massachusetts, entered the U.S. Army in April 1997 and arrived at Fort Campbell on October 1997. He is survived by his wife Michelle. Rose died a helicopter ferrying passengers went down on the east side of the Tigris River near Tikrit, Iraq. Rose was assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment.
#32—7 November 2003—Staff Sgt. Morgan D. Kennon, 23, a native of Memphis, Tennessee entered the U.S. Army in August 1998 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2003. He was assigned to C Company, 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment. Kennon was guarding a bank in downtown Mosul, Iraq when his position came under rocket-propelled grenade attack.
NOTE 1: The following soldiers died when two Black Hawks collided in Mosul, Iraq on 15 November 2003.
#33 – 15 November 2003 – Sgt. Michael D. Acklin II, 25, from Louisville, Kentucky, was assigned to C Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in January 1999 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2000.
#34 – 15 November 2003 - Spc. Ryan T. Baker, 24, of Brown Mills, New Jersey, was assigned to A Company, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in November 1998 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 1999.
#35 – 15 November 2003 - Spc. Jeremiah J. Digiovanni, 21, of Tylertown, Mississippi, was assigned to A Company, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in November 2001 and arrived at Fort Campbell in July 2002.
#36- 15 November 2003 - Spc. William D. Dusenbery, 30, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, was assigned to C Company, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in January 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2002.
#37 – 15 November 2003 - Spc. Richard W. Hafer, 21, of Cross Lanes, West Virginia, was assigned to C Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in August 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in December 2002.
#38 – 15 November 2003 - Sgt. Warren S. Hansen, 36, of Clintonville, Wisconsin, was assigned to C Company, 9th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in August 1986 and arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2001.
#39 – 15 November 2003 - Pfc. Sheldon R. Hawk Eagle, 21, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, was assigned to C Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in July 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2002.
#40 – 15 November 2003 - Spc. Damian L. Heidelberg, 21, of Shubuta, Mississippi, was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in September 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2003.
#41 – 15 November 2003 - Warrant Officer (WO1) Erik C. Kesterson, 29, of Independence, Oregon, was assigned to B Company, 9th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in December 1993 and arrived at Fort Campbell in October 2003.
#42 – 15 November 2003 - Capt. Pierre E. Piche, 29, of Vermont, was assigned to Headquarters/A Company, 626th Forward Support Battalion, Division Support Command. He entered the U.S. Army in December 1996 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2001.
#43 – 15 November 2003 - Sgt. John W. Russell, 26, of Portland, Texas, was assigned to C Company, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in November 1996 and arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2003.
#44 – 15 November 2003 - Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) Scott A. Saboe, 33, of Willow Lake, South Dakota, was assigned to A Company, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in September 1989 and arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2002.
#45 – 15 November 2003 - Spc. John R. Sullivan, 26, of Countryside, Illinois, was assigned to B Company, 626th Forward Support Battalion, Division Support Command. He entered the U.S. Army in May 1998 and arrived at Fort Campbell in May 2003.
#46 – 15 November 2003 - Spc. Eugene A. Uhl III, 21, of Amherst, Wisconsin, was assigned to C Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in March 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in July 2002.
#47 – 15 November 2003 - Pfc. Joey D. Whitener, 19, of Nebo, North Carolina, was assigned to C Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in August 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2003.
#48 – 15 November 2003 - 2nd Lt. Jeremy L. Wolfe, 27, of Menomonie, Wisconsin, was assigned to A Company, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in January 1999 and arrived at Fort Campbell in October 2003.
* One additional soldier (Sgt. 1st Class Bolar) was killed in the crash with the 16 listed above. He is listed as #58 below. He was attached to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at the time of his death.
#49—23 November 2003—Command Sgt. Maj. Jerry L. Wilson, 45, of Thomson, Georgia. Wilson was the 2nd Brigade’s (502nd Infantry Regiment) CSM. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 502nd Infantry Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in June 1976 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2000. He was killed when hostile forces attacked the vehicle he was riding in Mosul, Iraq.
#50—23 November 2003—Spc. Rel A. Ravago IV, 21, of Glendale, California. He was assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. He was an infantryman. He entered the U.S. Army in September 2000 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2001. . He was killed when hostile forces attacked the vehicle he was riding in Mosul, Iraq.
#51—28 November 2003—Sgt. Ariel Rico, 25, of El Paso, died of injuries sustained during an enemy mortar attack in Mosul, Iraq. Rico was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. He was a cannon crewmember. He entered the U.S. Army in September 1998 and arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2003.. He is survived by his wife and son, both of Fort Campbell.,
#52—7 December 2003—Pfc. Ray J. Hutchinson, 20, of League City, Texas, died of injuries he received when his vehicle was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) near Mosul, Iraq. He was assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in August 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2003. He is survived by his parents, also of League City, Texas.
#53—8 December 2003—Pfc. Jason G. Wright, 19, of Luzerne, Michigan, was killed when his vehicle came under fire while he was pulling security duties at a gas station in Mosul, Iraq. Wright was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. He entered the U.S. Army in June 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in December 2002. He is survived by his parents.
#54—10 December 2003—Pfc. Jerrick M. Petty, 25, of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment died he was shot while pulling guard duty in Mosul, Iraq. Petty entered the U.S. Army in April 2003 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2003. He is survived by his wife and two children of Springfield, Missouri and his parents of Meridan, Idaho.
#55—10 December 2003—Staff Sgt. Richard A. Burdick, 24, of C Company, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. Burdick, a native of National City, Calif., died when his vehicle was hit by an Improvised Explosive device in Mosul, Iraq. He entered the U.S. Army in February 1997 and he arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2000. He is survived by his wife and two children of Lancaster, Calif.
#56—23 January 2004—Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) Michael T. Blaise, 29, of Tennessee, was killed when his OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter crashed on its way back from a combat mission near Mosul in northern Iraq. Blaise was assigned to B Troop, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment. He is survived by his wife, also a Fort Campbell soldier who is deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
NOTE 2: The following soldiers/Airmen died while attached to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
#57--25 March 2003—Maj. Gregory Stone, 40, died as a result of wounds received in a 23 March 2003 grenade attack at Camp Pennsylvania. Major Stone was attached to the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron from Fort Campbell, but he was assigned to the 124th Air Support Operations Squadron, Idaho Air National Guard.
#58 – 15 November 2003 - Sgt. 1st Class Kelly Bolor, 37, of Whittier, California, died in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash. Bolor was attached to the101st Corps Support Group and Division Support Command from Fort Campbell, but he was assigned to 137th Quartermaster Company, U.S. Army Reserve, based in South El Monte, California.
Note 3: The following Special Operations soldiers are assigned to units which are stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky:
#59--12 September 2003—Master Sgt. Kevin N. Morehead, 33, of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) died while conducting a raid near the Iraqi city of Ar Ramadi. Morehead is from Little Rock, Arkansas, and he is survived by his wife of Adams, Tennessee.
#60--12 September 2003—Sgt. 1st Class William M. Bennett, 35, of C Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Group (Airborne) died while conducting a raid near the Iraqi city of Ar Ramadi. He was from Seymour, Tennessee, and he is survived by his wife and son—both from Clarksville, Tennessee.
#61—11 April 2004—Sgt. Maj. Michael B. Stack, 48, of A company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) died when his convoy was ambushed in Iraq. He was from Lake City, South Carolina and is survived by his wife and three children of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
#62 – 16 June 2004 -- Maj. Paul Roland Syverson III, 32, of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) died when rockets impacted the building he was entering. He was from Illinois and is survived by his wife and two children of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
#63 – 15 July 2004 – SSG Paul Charles Mardis, Jr., 25, of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center of post-operative complications due to repair of injuries to head and face caused by a blast injury in Iraq. He was from Palmetto, Florida and survived by his wife Kacey, a resident of Clarksville, Tennessee.
#64 – 12 August 2004 – CPT Michael Y. Tarlavsky, 30, of A Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), died while fighting near Najaf, Iraq. He was from Passaic, New Jersey but his wife Tracia and son Joseph resided in Clarksville, Tennessee. He entered the U.S. Army on July 14, 1996 and arrived at Fort Campbell on August 12, 2001.
#65 – 30 August 2004—SSG Aaron N. Holleyman, 26, of C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), died when his Armored M1114 hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the vicinity of Khutayiah, Iraq. He was from Glasgow, Montana. He entered the U.S. Army on 12 June 1996 and arrived at Fort Campbell on 27 August 2003. He was divorced but is survived by his daughters Erin (age 5) and Shelby (age 2) and his son Zachary (age 1) of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
The above information was provided by the Public Affairs Office at Ft. Campbell, KY. after the first tour. We will update these names in the future when we can get reliable information from such a source like this. We are not trying to be disrespectful by ignoring current or recent casualties, but want accurate information.
L. Frazier 12-28-04