Fallen Heroes

Operation Iraqi Freedom

March 2003 - August 2010

Hover over a picture to learn more about the servicewoman.

 

Specialist Lori A. Piestewa, USA (Tuba City, AZ, 24 years)

507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas
Died: 23 Mar 03
Specialist Piestewa's convoy was ambushed on 23 Mar during the ground war. She was taken prisoner and later died of her wounds in an Iraqi hospital. She was the first woman to die in this conflict and the first known Native American woman to die in combat. SPC Piestewa was a Native American Hopi Indian from Tuba City, Arizona. Her Hopi name was Kocha-Hon-Mana, or White Bear Girl.

Sergeant Melissa Valles, USA (Eagle Pass, TX, 26 years)

B Company, 64th Forward Support Battalion, Fort Carson, CO
Died: 9 Jul 03, Balad, Iraq.
SSG Valles died of non-combat injuries after a gunshot wound to the abdomen. She graduated from Eagle Pass High School in 1999 where she played basketball. She was a petite, but tough, girl with two older brothers. Valles was the second woman to die in Iraq.

 

Specialist Tamarra J. Ramos, USA (Haycock Township, PA, 24 years)

3rd Armor Medical Company, Medical Troop Regimental Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, CO
Died: 1 Oct 03
SPC Ramos died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), Washington D.C., as a result of non- combat related injuries.

Seaman Jakia S. Cannon, USN (Baltimore, MD, 20 years)

USS Enterprise
Died: 25 Oct 03, aboard the USS ENTERPRISE which was underway in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
Seaman Cannon died of natural causes.

 

Specialist Frances M. Vega, USA (Ft Buchanan, PR, 20 years)

151st Adjutant General Postal Detachment 3, Fort Hood, TX
Died: 2 Nov 03, Fallujah, Iraq
SPC Vega died when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter in which she was riding was hit by a surface-to-air missile and crashed.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Sharon T. Swartworth, USA

(Alexandria, VA/Warwick, RI, 44 years)
HQDA, Office of the Judge Advocate General
Died: 7 Nov 03, Tikrit, Iraq
Warrant Officer of the JAG Corps, serving as the primary advisor to the Judge Advocate General of the Army, in all matters concerning Legal Administrators in the United States Army. CWO5 Swartworth was killed when the helicopter she was riding in was hit by a surface-to-air missile.

 

Captain Kimberly N. Hampton, USA (Easley, SC, 27 years)

1st Battalion, 82nd Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC
Died: 2 Jan 04, Fallujah, Iraq
CPT Hampton was piloting a Kiowa, OH-58, Observation Helicopter when it was shot down by enemy ground fire and crashed. She died as a result of her injuries. She was the first female military pilot in history to be shot down and killed by enemy fire. CPT Hampton’s alma mater, Presbyterian College, now awards a scholarship in her name. The high school NJROTC program in her hometown of Easley, SC named an annual award after her. The Pickens County public library and a section of S.C. Highway 88 are named after CPT Hampton.

Sergeant Keicia M. Hines, USA (Citrus Heights, CA, 27 years)

108th Military Police, Combat Support Co., Fort Bragg, NC
Died: 14 Jan 04, Mosul, Iraq
Sergeant Hines died when she was struck by a vehicle on Mosul Airfield in Mosul, Iraq. She was an only child and married a fellow solider, Sean Hines, on Christmas Eve 2001. They stayed in contact through emails and phone calls during her deployment.

 

Captain Gussie M. Jones, USA (Shreveport, LA, 41 years)

31st Combat Support Hospital, Fort Bliss, TX
Died: 7 Mar 04, Baghdad, Iraq
CPT Jones was serving as a medical surgical nurse in Baghdad. Her death was as a result of an illness. “She was a very dedicated person and was always smiling,” said a co-worker and friend, Capt. Susan Gilbert. “If anyone asked her to do something, she would do it. And she was very kind and gentle and patient with the patients.” Jones was active volunteer and participant in the women’s group at her church.

Specialist Tyanna S. Avery-Felder, USA (Bridgeport, CT, 22 years)

296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA
Died: 7 Apr 04, Balad, Iraq
SPC Felder died as a result of injuries sustained on April 4 in Mosul when her convoy vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device. She graduated from Kolbe Catholic High School in Bridgeport, CT where she played basketball and sang in the choir. She took classes at Southern Connecticut State University towards a degree in early childhood education before deciding to join the Army. Avery married Army SPC Adrian Felder in 2002. She deployed less than a year after they married.

 

Private First Class Leslie D. Jackson, USA (Richmond, VA, 18 years)

A Company, 115th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, TX
Died: 20 May 04, Baghdad, Iraq
PFC Jackson died when her military vehicle hit an improvised explosive device as it was returning to Camp Eagle. She had been the Battalion Commander in her JROTC unit in high school. The army was a path to a higher education for Jackson. Her death at age 18 was very difficult for her high school.

Private First Class Melissa J. Hobart, USA (Ladson, SC, 22 years)

E Company, 215th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX
Died: 6 June 04, Baghdad, Iraq
PFC Hobart died after collapsing while on guard duty. She dropped out of high school and then earned a GED. She joined the army to give her daughter a better life and finished at the top of her class as an Army medic. Hobart played soccer, basketball, baseball and the flute and loved to dance and read. She is survived by her parents and daughter, Alexis.

 

Sergeant Shawna M. Morrison, IL ARNG (Champaign, IL, 26 years)

1544th Transportation Company, Paris, IL
Died: 5 Sep 04, Baghdad, Iraq
SGT Morrison died as a result of a mortar attack.

Staff Sergeant Gina R. Sparks, USA (Drury, MO 35 years)

115th Field Hospital, Warrior Brigade, Fort Polk, LA
Died: 4 Oct 04, Fort Polk, LA
SSG Sparks died after being medically evacuated from Iraq as a result of a non-combat related incident.

 

Sergeant Cari A. Gasiewicz, USA (Depew, NY, 28 years)

202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, GA
Died: 4 Dec 04, Baqubah, Iraq
SGT Gasiewicz was an interpreter. She died when two improvised explosive devices detonated near her convoy, one month before she was scheduled to redeploy to the US. She left behind her parents and a brother.

Sergeant Tina S. Time, USAR (Tucson, AZ, 22 years)

208th Transportation Company, Tucson, AZ
Died: 13 Dec 04, near Cedar, Iraq
SGT Time, a vehicle mechanic, died when the supply truck she was in collided with another vehicle during a dust storm. She was two months away from completing her tour in Iraq. She left behind her mother and three siblings, all serving in the military.

 

Specialist Lizbeth Robles, USA (Vega Baja, PR, 31 years)

360th Transportation Company, 68th Corps Support Battalion, Fort Carson, CO
Died: 1 Mar 05 at the 228th Command Support Hospital in Tikirt, Iraq
SPC Robles died from injuries sustained in a military vehicle accident that occurred Feb. 28 in Bayji, Iraq. This was her second tour in Iraq where she served as a fuel provider. She enjoyed driving trucks and tankers. Robles, like so many others, joined the Armed Forces of the United States as a result of the events on September 11, 2001.

Specialist Adriana N. Salem, USA (Elk Grove Village, IL, 21 years)

3rd Forward Support Battalion, Division Support Command, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA Died: 4 Mar 05 in Remagen, Iraq
SPC Salem died when her military vehicle rolled over near Tikrit, Iraq. She graduated from Elk Grove High School and enlisted in the army after September 11. She was a dedicated athlete in high school, known to be at the gym to run and workout before school

 

Specialist Carrie L. French, ID ARNG (Caldwell, ID, 19 years)

145th Support Battalion, Boise, Idaho.
Died: 5 Jun 05 in Kirkuk, Iraq.
SPC French died when an improvised explosive device hit the front of her convoy vehicle and
detonated. French was the first woman from Idaho to die in Iraq. She was a varsity cheerleader at Caldwell High School. She planned to go to college and law school and joined the National Guard to help pay for college.

Lance Corporal Holly A. Charette, USMC (Cranston, RI, 21 years)

Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC
Died: 23 Jun 05 in Fallujah, Iraq.
Lance Cpl Charette died from wounds sustained when a suicide bomber drove his car into the side of the vehicle she was travelling in with several other female servicewomen in Fallujah. She was involved in searching Iraqi women for weapons which was creating tension in the local area.

 

Sgt. 1st Class. Tricia L. Jameson, NE ARNG (Omaha, NE, 34 years)

313th Medical Company, Lincoln, NE
Died: 14 Jul 05 in Trebil, Iraq.
SFC Jameson, a combat medic, was responding to a casualty incident when a secondary improvised explosive device detonated near her location. She had been in Iraq for just three weeks. She is survived by her mother, brother and fiancé.

Private First Class Lavena Lynn Johnson, USA (Florissant, MO, 19 years)

129th Corps Support Battalion, Fort Campbell, KY
Died: 19 Jul 05 in Balad, Iraq
PFC Johnson died of non-combat related injuries. She was one of five children, born to an Army veteran father. Johnson took after her father in many ways and sent him a Father’s Day card just before she died saying “Like father, like daughter.” Johnson died just before her 20th birthday.

 

First Lieutenant Debra A. Banaszak, MO ARNG (Bloomington, IL, 35 years)

1035th Maintenance Company, Jefferson Barracks, MO Died: 28 Oct 05 at Camp Victory, Kuwait
1LT Banaszak died of noncombat related injuries.

Sergeant Julia V. Atkins, USA (Bossier City, LA, 22 years)

64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Ft. Hood, TX Died: 10 Dec 05 in Baghdad, Iraq
SGT Atkins died when an improvised explosive device detonated near her HMMWV during patrol operations in Baghdad.

 

First Lieutenant Jaime L. Campbell, AK ARNG (Ephrata, WA, 25 years)

1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment, Anchorage, AK
Died: 7 Jan 06 near Tal Afar, Iraq
1LT Campbell died when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting crashed in Northern Iraq. In 1998, Campbell graduated from high school as student body president and was the state rodeo queen. Her husband, Army Captain Sam Campbell was Iraq at the time she was killed and accompanied her home. Campbell’s father, an Army Command Sergeant Major, had just returned from a tour in Iraq and had spent five days with Campbell while on a break just two months prior to her death.

Private First Class Tina M. Priest, USA (Austin, TX, 20 years)

4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX Died: 1 Mar 06 in Taji, Iraq
PFC Priest died from a non-combat related injury.

 

Lance Corporal Juana Navarro Arellano, USMC (Ceres, CA, 24 years)

9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan
Died: 8 Apr 06 in Al Anbar province, Iraq
LCpl Navaro Arellano, a bulk fuel specialist, died from wounds received while supporting combat operations. She was born in Mexico, but grew up in California and became a citizen at age 13. She was one of six children raised by a single mother. Navarro Arellano attended Peter Johansen High School in Modesto.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaime S. Jaenke, USN (Bay City, WI, 29 years)

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25, Fort McCoy, WI
Died: 5 Jun 06 in Al Anbar province, Iraq
PO2 Jaenke died when an improvised explosive device struck her HMMWV in Al Anbar province. Jaenke was a corpsman in the Navy Reserve who planned to become a nurse. She had recently moved to Iowa Falls to run the family’s horse training facility. Jaenke left behind a 9 year old daughter. A barracks at the Navy Medicine Training Center in Fort Sam Houston has been named after Jaenke.

 

Sergeant Jennifer M. Hartman, USA (New Ringgold, PA, 21 years)

4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX
Died: 14 Sep 06, Baghdad, Iraq
SGT Hartman died of injuries suffered when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated in the vicinity of a West Baghdad Substation where she was located.

First Lieutenant Ashley L. (Henderson) Huff, USA (Belle Mead, NJ, 23 years)

549th Military Police Company, 385th Military Police Battalion, Fort Stewart, GA
Died: 19 Sep 06, Mosul, Iraq
1LT Huff died when a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near her mounted patrol during combat operations.

 

Major Megan M. McClung, USMC (Coupeville, WA, 34 years)

I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, I MEF, Camp Pendleton, CA
Died: 6 Dec 06, Al Anbar province, Iraq
Maj McClung was serving as a Public Affairs Officer and combat correspondent. She was killed by a roadside bomb near Ramadi in the last month of her deployment. Megan was an accomplished marathoner and triathlete. She left behind her parents and brother.

Major Gloria D. Davis, USA (St. Louis, MO, 47 years)

Defense Security Assistance Agency, Washington, DC Died: 12 Dec 06, Baghdad, Iraq
MAJ Davis died from a non-combat related incident.

 

Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer A. Valdivia, USN (Cambridge, IL, 27 years)

Naval Support Activity, Bahrain (part of the designated hostile fire zone)
Died: 16 Jan 07, Bahrain
PO1 Valdivia died as a result of a non-combat related incident in Bahrain. She was the Kennel Master for the Navy’s largest dog-handling unit. In 2005, she was the Sailor of the Year in 2005 in Bahrain. Her death came just shortly before she was to return home where she was planning to resign from the Navy.

Command Sergeant Major Marilyn L. Gabbard, IA ARNG (Polk City, IA, 46 years)

Joint Forces Headquarters, Iowa Army National Guard, Camp Dodge, Johnston, IA
Died: 20 Jan 07, Baghdad, Iraq
CSM Gabbard died when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was in crashed. Gabbard was the highest ranking enlisted women in the history of the IANG. She was also the first women from the IANG to be killed in combat. Her husband of 18 years, Ed, was also in the Guard. She called him shortly before boarding the helicopter and promised to call when she arrived back at base. Gabbard was a grandmother who left behind two grandchildren.

 

Captain Jennifer J. Harris, USMC (Swampscott, MA, 28 years)

Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing,
I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA
Died: 7 Feb 07, Al Anbar province, Iraq
Capt. Harris died when the helicopter she was piloting was shot down. She was a Naval Academy graduate who piloted a CH-46 helicopter flying Casualty Evacuation missions, moving injured U.S. soldiers and Iraqi citizens out of combat zones. She was the first female pilot assigned to HMM-364, the Purple Foxes, a squadron that has been around since the Vietnam War. She focused much of her time on serving others, participating in many charitable events and fundraisers.

Sergeant Ashly L. Moyer, USA (Emmaus, PA, 21 years)

630th Military Police Company, Bamberg, Germany
Died: 3 Mar 07, Baghdad, Iraq
SGT Moyer died when an improvised explosive device detonated near her vehicle. Her sister Karissa remembers Ashly as “strong and ambitious, had an amazing personality, and was bright in so many ways.” She left behind her parents, two brothers and two sisters.

 

Sergeant Trista L. Moretti, USA (South Plainfield, NJ, 27 years)

425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, AK
Died 25 Jun 07, Nasir Lafitah, Iraq
SGT Moretti died when her unit was attacked by insurgents using indirect fire. She graduated high school in 1998, earning 9 varsity letters in field hockey, winter and spring track. She is survived by her parents.

Specialist Michelle R. Ring, USA (Martin, TN, 24 years)

92d Military Police Battalion, Fort Benning, GA
Died: 5 Jul 07, Baghdad, Iraq
SPC Ring died of wounds sustained from enemy mortar fire on her camp. She was the youngest of three sisters who joined the army to provide a better life for her children. Her goal was to become a military police officer and complete a college degree and eventually become a U.S. Marshall. Ring reenlisted just two weeks prior to her death. She was the mother of two boys, ages 7 and 5.

 

Sergeant Princess C. Samuels, USA (Mitchellville, MD, 22 years)

Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX Died: 15 Aug 07, Taji, Iraq
SGT Samuels died when the enemy attacked using indirect fire.

Specialist Zandra T. Walker, USA (Greenville, SC, 28 years)

4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Aviation Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX Died: 15 Aug 07, Taji, Iraq
SPC Walker died when the enemy attacked using indirect fire.

 

Captain (Dr.) Roselle M. Hoffmaster, USA (Cleveland, OH, 32 years)

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, NY
Died: 20 Sep 07, Kirkuk, Iraq
CPT Hoffmaster died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.

Seaman Apprentice Shayna Ann Schnell, USN (Tell City, IN, 19 years)

Naval Security Force Bahrain, Jebel Ali Detachment, United Arab Emirates
Died: 1 Oct 07

Seaman Schnell died as a result of injuries suffered from a vehicle accident that occurred on 25 Sep. She was serving as a master-at-arms.Died 5 Oct 07, Bayji, Iraq
SPC Hugo died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked her unit using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.

 

Seaman Anamarie Sannicolas Camacho, USN (Panama City, FL, 20 years)

U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain
Died: 22 Oct 07, Bahrain
SN Camacho died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident.

Seaman Genesia Mattril Gresham, USN (Lithonia, GA, 19 years)

U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain
Died: 22 Oct 07, Bahrain
SN Gresham died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident.

 

Specialist Christine M. Ndururi, USA (Dracut, MA, 21 years)

4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, TX Died: 6 Nov 07, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
SPC Ndururi died from a non-combat related illness.

Specialist Ashley Sietsema, IL ARNG (Melrose Park, IL, 20 years)

708th Medical Company, 108th Medical Battalion, 108th Sustainment Brigade, IL National Guard, North Riverside, IL
Died: 12 Nov 07, Kuwait City, Kuwait
SPC Sietsema died of injuries suffered in a vehicle accident.

 

Petty Officer 1st Class Cherie L. Morton, USN (Bakersfield, CA, 40 years)

Naval Security Force, Naval Support Activity Bahrain
Died: 20 Apr 08, Galali, Muharraq, Bahrain
PO1 Morton died of a non-combat related cause. She was a career counselor who helped many sailors. Morton was known as “Ree” by her friends and was survived by her son.

Lance Corporal Casey L. Casanova, USMC (McComb, MS, 22 years)

Combat Logistics Battalion 1, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA
Died: 2 May 08. Al Anbar Province, Iraq
LCpl Casey was among four marines killed by a roadside bomb while supporting combat operations outside of Fallujah. She was a radio operator on her first deployment and was scheduled to promote to Corporal in a few months. Casanova was engaged to marry another marine from Camp Pendleton and talked of studying to be a nurse after her enlistment ended. She had spoken with her father just hours before her death.

 

Technical Sergeant Jackie L. Larsen, USAF (Tacoma, WA, 37 years)

9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base, CA
Died: 17 Jul 08, Balad Air Base, Iraq
TSgt Larsen was a paralegal who died of natural causes. She had served in the Air Force for 18 years. She loved deep sea diving and was very protective of her family. Larsen left behind her parents and husband of eight years.

Private First Class Jennifer L. Cole, USA (American Canyon, CA, 34 years)

426th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY
Died: 2 Aug 08, Bayji, Iraq
PFC Cole died of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident.

 

Lance Corporal Stacy A. Dryden, USMC (North Canton, OH, 22 years)

1st Supply Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, Camp Pendleton, CA Died: 19 Oct 08, Anbar province, Iraq
LCpl. Dryden died from injuries sustained in a non-hostile incident.

Staff Sergeant Amy C. Tirador, USA (Albany, NY, 29 years)

209th Military Intelligence Company, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA
Died: 4 Nov 09, Kirkush, Iraq
SSG Tirador died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.

 

Specialist Lakeshia M. Bailey, USA (Columbus, GA, 23 years)

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, GA
Died: 8 Mar 2010, Al Kut, Iraq
SPC Bailey died from injuries sustained in a vehicle roll-over. Her father served in the Army and their travels fueled Bailey’s desire to serve. In 2006, she enlisted. She loved the U.S. Army and advanced quickly. Her family remembers her infectious smile. She left behind a husband and many other family members.

Private First Class Erin L. McLyman, USA (Federal Way, WA, 26 years)

296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Died: 13 Mar 2010, Balad, Iraq
PFC McLyman died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked her base with mortar fire. After high school graduation, she enlisted in the Air Force, then reenlisted in the Guard and later served on active duty in the Army. She left behind her parents, two sisters and her husband. Her father remembers her as making a statement just by her presence.

 
 
 

Specialist Alyssa R. Peterson, USA (Flagstaff, AZ, 27 years)

C Company, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY Died: 15 Sep 03, Telafar, Iraq
SPC Peterson died from a non-combat weapons discharge. She was a translator and interrogator, speaking Iraqi and Dutch.

Private First Class Analaura Esparza-Gutierrez, USA (Houston, TX, 22 years)

A Company, 4th Forward Support Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.
Died: 1 Oct 03, Tikrit, Iraq.
PFC Esparza-Gutierrez died when her convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device and rocket propelled grenades.

 

PFC Rachel Kristen Heather Bosveld, USA (Waupun, WI, 20 years)

527th Military Police Company, V Corps, Giessen, Germany
Died: 26 Oct 03, Abu Ghraib, Iraq
PFC Bosveld was fatally injured during a mortar attack on the Abu Ghraib Police Station.

Private First Class Karina S. Lau, USA (Livingston, CA, 20 years)

16th Signal Battalion, Fort Hood, TX
Died: 2 Nov 03, Fallujah, Iraq
PFC Lau died when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter in which she was riding was hit by a surface-to-air missile and crashed.

 

Sergeant Linda C. Jimenez, USA (Brooklyn, NY, 39 years)

2nd Squadron Combat Support Aviation (Maintenance), 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, LA Died: 8 Nov 03
Sergeant Jimenez died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), Washington D.C., as a result of non-combat related injuries.

Staff Sergeant Kimberly Voelz, USA (Carlisle, PA, 26 years)

703rd Explosive Ordnance Detachment, Fort Knox, KY
Died: 14 Dec 03, Iskandariyah, Iraq
SSG Voelz, a bomb disposal specialist, was responding to an explosive ordnance disposal call when one of the devices detonated. She was the only woman in her unit of 17. Her husband, also a bomb disposal specialist, was at her side when she died in a hospital in Baghdad.

 

Private First Class Holly J. McGeogh, USA (Taylor, MI, 20 years)

Company A, 4th Forward Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Division (Mech), Fort Hood, TX
Died: 31 Jan 04, Kirkuk, Iraq
PFC McGeogh died when her vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device during convoy operations in Kirkuk, Iraq. She was a 2002 graduate of Truman High School where she was in the ROTC program for four years, joining the army immediately upon graduation. McGeogh volunteered for combat patrols and was known to sneak into the patrols when not selected for them. She was the first female soldier from MI killed in Iraq.

Private First Class Nichole M. Frye, USAR (Lena, WI, 20 years)

Company A, 415th Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, Kalamazoo, MI
Died: 16 Feb 04, Baqubah, Iraq
PFC Frye died when her convoy encountered an improvised explosive device. She was a civil affairs specialist who worked as a waitress in her civilian life. She planned to train to become a firefighter upon her return from deployment.

 

Specialist Michelle M. Witmer, WI ARNG (New Berlin, WI, 20 years)

32nd Military Police Company, Wisconsin Army National Guard
Died: 9 Apr 04, Baghdad, Iraq
SPC Witmer died when the vehicle in which she was riding came under attack by small arms fire and an improvised explosive device. She had two sisters and two brothers. Witmer’s twin sister Charity and older sister were all serving in Iraq at the time of her death. Charity remembers Witmer as a “klutz who loved candy.”

Specialist Isela Rubalcava, USA (El Paso, TX, 26 years)

296th Combat Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, WA
Died: 8 May 04, Mosul, Iraq
SPC Rubalcava died when a mortar round hit near her. She was a graduate of Canutillo High School in El Paso where she grew up with two younger brothers.

 

Sergeant First Class Linda Ann Tarango-Griess, NE ARNG (Sutton, NE, 33 years)

267th Ordnance Company, Nebraska National Guard, Lincoln, NE
Died: 11 July 04, Samarra, Iraq
SFC Tarango-Griess was killed when an improvised explosive device had a direct hit on her convoy vehicle. She was traveling in a 16 vehicle convoy through Samarra, a dangerous area. Her husband was an Army National Guard Staff Sgt Douglas Greiss who deployed to Iraq not long after Tarango-Greiss was killed.

Sergeant Tatjana Reed, USA (Fort Campbell, KY, 34 years)

66th Transportation Company, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Died: 22 July 04, Samarra, Iraq
SGT Reed was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near her convoy vehicle. She was a heavy wheeled vehicle operator who left behind a 12 year old daughter. Reed was considered a morale booster in her unit.

 

Specialist Jessica L. Cawvey, IL ARNG (Normal, IL, 21 years)

1544th Transportation Company, Paris, IL
Died: 6 Oct 04, Fallujah, Iraq
SPC Cawvey died when an improvised explosive device detonated near her convoy vehicle.

Sergeant Pamela G. Osbourne, USA (Hollywood, FL, 38 years)

Division Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX
Died: 11 Oct 04, Baghdad, Iraq
SGT Osbourne died as a result of a rocket attack on her camp.

 

Sergeant Jessica M. Housby, IL ARNG (Rock Island, IL, 23 years)

1644th Transportation Company, Rock Falls, IL
Died: 9 Feb 05, in Route Golden, Iraq
SGT Housby died when an improvised explosive device detonated near her supply convoy outside of Baghdad. She loved serving in the military and wanted to do so since high school where she was recognized as the top cadet out of nearly 200 participants in a training exercise at the local armory. She was still in high school when she enlisted in the National Guard.

Specialist Katrina L. Bell-Johnson, USA (Orangeburg, SC, 32 years)

418th Transportation Company, 180th Transportation Battalion, Fort Hood, TX
Died: 16 Feb 05 in Ba'qubah, Iraq
SPC Bell-Johnson died when she was involved in a vehicle accident. She was known as “Buttercup”. She left for Iraq two months after giving birth to a daughter.

 

Specialist Aleina RamirezGonzalez, USA (Hormigueros, PR, 33 years)

3rd Brigade Troop Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA
Died: 15 Apr 05 in Tikrit, Iraq
SPC Ramirez Gonzalez, originally from Puerto Rico, died when a mortar struck her forward operating base.

Private First Class Sam W. Huff, USA (Tucson, AZ, 18 years)

170th Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Fort Lewis, WA
Died: 18 Apr 05 in Baghdad, Iraq
PFC Huff died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near her

HMMWV. She was a petite soldier, barely 5 feet tall. In high school, Huff was the drum major and conductor. Before joining the Army, she had signed a contract to model and often joked about what she could have been doing instead of wearing a combat uniform in the desert.

 

Corporal Ramona M. Valdez, USMC (Bronx, NY, 20 years)

Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC
Died: 23 Jun 05 in Fallujah, Iraq.
Cpl Valdez died from wounds sustained when a suicide bomber drove his car into the side of the vehicle she was travelling in with several other female servicewomen in Fallujah. She was involved in searching Iraqi women for weapons which was creating tension in the local area.

Petty Officer 1st Class Regina R. Clark, USN (Centralia, WA, 43 years)

Naval Construction Regiment Detachment 30, Port Hueneme, CA., and was temporarily assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Died: 23 Jun 05 in Fallujah, Iraq.
PO1 Clark died from wounds sustained when a suicide bomber drove his car into the side of the vehicle she was travelling in with several other female servicewomen in Fallujah. She was involved in searching Iraqi women for weapons which was creating tension in the local area.

 

Specialist Toccara R. Green, USA (Rosedale, MD, 23 years)

57th Transportation Company, 548th Corps Support Battalion, Fort Drum, NY
Died: 14 Aug 05 in Al Asad, Iraq
SPC Green died when multiple improvised explosive devices detonated near her unit during convoy operations.

Airman First Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson, USAF (Riviera Beach, FL, 21 years)

17th Security Forces Squadron, Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX
Died: 28 Sep 05 near Camp Bucca, Iraq
A1C Jacobson died when an improvised explosive device detonated near her convoy vehicle.

 

Sergeant Regina C. Reali, USAR (Fresno, CA, 25 years)

351st Civil Affairs Command, Mountain View, CA
Died: 23 Dec 05 in Baghdad, Iraq
SGT Reali, a civil affairs specialist, died one week after her 25th birthday when an improvised explosive device detonated near her HMMWV. She is survived by her father and a brother who served in the Navy.

Sergeant Myla L. Maravillosa, USAR (Wahiawa, HI, 24 years)

C Company, 301st Military Intelligence Battalion, Honolulu, HI
Died: 24 Dec 05 in Kirkuk, Iraq
SGT Maravillosa died of injuries sustained earlier that day in Al Hawijah, Iraq, when her HMMWV was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades. She was an only child.

 

Private First Class Amy A. Duerksen, USA (Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, 19 years)

4th Combat Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX
Died: 11 Mar 06 in Baghdad, Iraq
PFC Duerksen died from a non-combat related injury. She was the third generation of a military family. Her father served as a Chaplain and her sister also served in the army. Duerksen is also survived by her mother Michelle.

Sergeant Amanda N. Pinson, USA (St. Louis, MO, 21 years)

101st Military Intelligence Detachment, 501st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY
Died: 16 Mar 06 in Tikrit, Iraq
SGT Pinson died when a mortar round detonated. She was a graduate of Hancock High School where she won several scholarships and was on the basketball and softball teams. She planned to attend college after her military service and become an FBI or CIA agent. She joined the army in 2002 and served as a signals intelligence analyst.

 

Private First Class Hannah L. Gunterman McKinney, USA (Redlands, CA, 20 years)

542nd Maintenance Company, 44th Corps Support Battalion, Fort Lewis, WA
Died: 4 Sep 06 in Taji, Iraq
PFC Gunterman McKinney died from injuries suffered when she was struck by a vehicle.

Second Lieutenant Emily J.T. Perez, USA (Fort Washington, MD, 23 years)

204th Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX
Died: 12 Sep 06 in Al Kifl, Iraq
2LT Perez died when an improvised explosive device detonated near her HMMWV during combat operations.

 

Sergeant Denise A. Lannaman, NY ARNG (Bayside, NY, 46 years)

1569th Transportation Company, Newburgh, NY
Died 1 Oct 06, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
SGT Lannaman died from a non-combat related incident.

Sergeant Jeannette T. Dunn, USA (Bronx, NY, 44 years)

15th Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX
Died 26 Nov 06, Taji, Iraq
SGT Dunn died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related injury.

 

Seaman Sandra S. (Grant) Fry, USN (Linwood, NC, 23 years)

USS Eisenhower
Died: 31 Dec 06, Arabian Sea
Seaman Grant died from natural causes. She left behind her parents, husband and an 8 month old son.

Senior Airman Elizabeth A. Loncki, USAF (New Castle, DE, 23 years)

775th Civil Engineer Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, UT
Died: 7 Jan 07, Baghdad, Iraq
SrA Loncki died near Baghdad when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated while she was attempting to disarm the bomb. Loncki was two weeks shy of completing her deployment. She planned to marry her boyfriend and live in the house they had purchased in Utah. Her father wears Loncki’s watch, still set to wake her up at 0530 Iraq time. A classroom at Dover Air Force Base is dedicated to SrA Loncki.

 

Specialist Carla J. Stewart, CA ARNG (Sun Valley, CA, 37 years)

250th Transportation Company, El Monte, CA
Died: 28 Jan 07, Tallil, Iraq
SPC Stewart died as a result of injuries suffered when her convoy vehicle rolled over. Just five feet tall, she was known as “Stuart Little” among her fellow soldiers. She joined the Guard at age 35, fulfilling her high school dream. Her father served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Corporal Jennifer M. Parcell, USMC (Bel Air, MD, 20 years)

Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan
Died: 7 Feb 07, Al Anbar province, Iraq
Cpl. Parcell died while supporting combat operations in Iraq just a few weeks before she was scheduled to redeploy. Known as “Boo” to family, she joined the Marine Corps to see the world, following in the footsteps of her older brother, a corporal. Parcell was part of the Marine Corps’ Lioness program and was killed when an Iraqi she was searching detonated a suicide vest.

 

Private First Class Katie M. Soenksen, USA (Davenport, IA, 19 years)

410th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, TX Died 2 May 07, Baghdad, Iraq
PFC Soenksen died of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near her vehicle. She had graduated only two years prior from North High School, where she had been a leader in the ROTC program. She was strong willed and impulsive, marrying Spc Benjamin Rowella, 30 six days before her deployment and two weeks after they met.

Specialist Karen N. Clifton, USA (Lehigh Acres, FL,, 22 years)

554th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Died 21 Jun 07, Baghdad, Iraq
SPC Clifton died of wounds suffered when her vehicle was hit by a rocket propelled grenade in northern Baghdad. She was a military police officer just a few weeks from completing her one year deployment. Clifton graduated from high school in 2003 and then signed up to serve five years in the army. She was an avid Indy car racing fan and loved to eat out.

 

Captain Maria I. Ortiz, USA (Bayamon, PR, 40 years)

Kirk US Army Health Clinic, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
Died: 10 Jul 07, Baghdad, Iraq
CPT Ortiz died of wounds suffered from enemy indirect fire in the green zone in Baghdad. She was the first Army nurse killed in combat since the Vietnam War. Ortiz began as an enlisted soldier in the Army and was commissioned as an officer in1999. She was engaged to be married upon her return from Iraq.

Staff Sergeant Alicia A. Birchett, USA (Mashpee, MA, 29 years)

887th Engineer Company, 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY
Died: 8 Aug 07, Baghdad, Iraq
SSG Birchett died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related accident.

 

Specialist Marisol Heredia, USA (El Monte, CA, 19 years)

15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX Died: 7 Sep 07, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX
SPC Heredia died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related injury that occurred on 18 Jul 07 in Baghdad, Iraq.

Specialist Marisol Heredia, USA (El Monte, CA, 19 years)

15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX Died: 7 Sep 07, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX
SPC Heredia died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related injury that occurred on 18 Jul 07 in Baghdad, Iraq.

 

Specialist Rachael L. Hugo, USAR (Madison, WI, 24 years)

303rd Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, U.S. Army Reserve, Jackson, MI
Died 5 Oct 07, Bayji, Iraq
SPC Hugo died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked her unit using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.

Staff Sergeant Lillian Clamens, USAR (Lawton, OK, 35 years)

1st Postal Platoon, 834th Adjutant General Company, Miami, FL
Died: 10 Oct 07, Baghdad, Iraq
SSG Clamens died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit with rockets.

 

Second Lieutenant Tracy Lynn Alger, USA (New Auburn, WI, 30 years)

3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY
Died: 1 Nov 07, Shubayshen, Iraq
2LT Alger died of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near her vehicle.

Staff Sergeant Carletta S. Davis, USA (Anchorage, AK, 34 years)

10th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, NY
Died: 5 Nov 07, Tal Al-Dahab, Iraq
SSG Davis died of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near her Humvee during combat operations.

 

Sergeant Tracy R. Birkman, USA (New Castle, VA, 41 years)

626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY
Died: 25 Jan 08, Owesat, Iraq
SGT Birkman died from non-combat related injuries. She was a vehicle mechanic on her third deployment to Iraq. She was a mother of three sons.

Specialist Keisha M. Morgan, USA (Washington, DC, 25 years)

Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX Died: 22 Feb 08, Baghdad, Iraq
SPC Morgan died of a non-combat related cause.

 

Specialist Mary J. Jaenichen, USA (Temecula, CA, 20 years)

Brigade Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA
Died: 9 May 08, Iskandariyah, Iraq
SPC Jaenichen died of a non-combat related injury south of Baghdad. She served in ROTC in El Camino High School and loved being on the drill team. She joined the Army Reserve at age 17 to help pay for college. She kept a stuffed Elmo doll with her during her deployment. Jaenichen is survived by her parents as well as two half-brothers and two half-sisters.

Corporal Jessica A. Ellis, USA (Bend, OR, 24 years)

2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY
Died: 11 May 08, Baghdad, Iraq
CPL Ellis died after her vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. A few weeks earlier she had escaped with cuts and bruises after her vehicle had been hit by a roadside bomb. Ellis was a medic who graduated from Lakeview High School where she lettered in track and country. She lived with her parents, an older brother and a younger sister. This was her second deployment to Iraq.

 

Private Janelle F. King, USA (Merced, CA, 23 years)

115th Combat Support Hospital, Fort Polk, LA
Died: 14 Aug 08, Baghdad, Iraq
PVT King died of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident.

Staff Sergeant Renee Antoinette Deville, USAR (Glendale, MD, 44 years)

401st Civil Affairs Battalion, Webster, NY
Died: 1 Sep 08, Walter Reed Army Medical Center
SSG Deville died from wounds received in an Aug 2006 mortar attack.

 

Private First Class Adriana Alvarez, USA (San Benito, TX, 20 years)

504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Died: 10 Feb 2010, Baghdad, IraqPFC “Dee” Alvarez died as a result of a gunshot wound while supporting combat operations. She joined the military to help with long term goal of a career in criminal justice. She left behind her parents and three sisters.

Chief Warrant Officer Billie Jean Grinder, TN ARNG (Gallatin, TN, 25 years)

1st Squadron, 230th Cavalry Regiment, Louisville, TN
Died: 21 Feb 2010, Qayyarah, Iraq
CW2 Grinder died from injuries suffered when her OH-58 Kiowa helicopter experienced a hard landing just two weeks before she was scheduled to return home. She enlisted in the National Guard as a senior in high school. Her sister, father and husband all served in the Tennessee National Guard. Grinder was the first female casualty for the TN ARNG and was a stepmother to two daughters.

 

Specialist Morganne M. McBeth, USA (Fredricksburg, VA, 19 years)

1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC Died: 2 July 2010 Al Asad, Iraq
SPC McBeth died of wounds sustained July 1 in a non-combat related incident in Khan Al
Baghdadi, Iraq. She was a paratrooper, who lived to jump out of C-130s, serving as a combat medic. From a military family, McBeth had a brother in the Army who served two tours in Iraq.

Specialist Morganne M. McBeth, USA (Fredricksburg, VA, 19 years)

1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC Died: 2 July 2010 Al Asad, Iraq
SPC McBeth died of wounds sustained July 1 in a non-combat related incident in Khan Al
Baghdadi, Iraq. She was a paratrooper, who lived to jump out of C-130s, serving as a combat medic. From a military family, McBeth had a brother in the Army who served two tours in Iraq.