March 2004

Wednesday

Mar 31

Five Soldiers Killed in IED Attack

Five soldiers died on March 31, in Habbaniyah, Iraq, when their M-113 armored personnel carrier hit an improvised explosive device.  All of the soldiers were assigned to the Army's 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.  Killed were:

1st Lt. Doyle M. Hufstedler, 25, of Abilene, Texas

Spc. Sean R. Mitchell, 24, of Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Spc. Michael G. Karr, Jr., 23, of San Antonio, Texas

Pfc. Cleston C. Raney, 20, of Rupert, Idaho

Pvt. Brandon L. Davis, 20, of Cumberland, Maryland

Tuesday

Mar 30

Marine Killed in Al Anbar Province Iraq

Lance Cpl. William J. Wiscowiche, 20, of Victorville, California, died March 30, due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.  He was assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Soldier Killed in Vehicle Rollover

Master Sgt. Richard L. Ferguson, 45, of Conway, New Hampshire, died March 30, in Somara, Iraq, when the military vehicle he was riding in rolled over.  Ferguson was assigned to the Army's 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Monday

Mar 29

Soldier Killed in Vehicle by an IED

Spc. Jeremiah J. Holmes, 27, of North Berwick, Maine, died March 29, near Balad, Iraq, when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) and fell off a bridge.  Holmes was assigned to the Army National Guard's 744th Transportation Company, Hillsboro, New Hampshire.

Soldier Killed in Vehicle Accident

Pfc. Sean M. Schneider, 22, of Janesville, Wisconsin, died March 29 as the result of a vehicle accident near Baghdad.  Schneider was assigned to the 115th Forward Support Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.

Sunday

Mar 28

Afghanistan

Marine Killed by Hostile Fire

Command Sgt. Major Dennis Jallah, Jr., 49, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died due to a non-combat cause on March 28, in Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC. He was medically evacuated from Afghanistan to Washington, DC via Landstuhl on February 16.  Jallah was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York.

Saturday

Mar 27

Kuwait

Marine Died in Kuwait of Non-Combat Incident

Master Sgt. Timothy Toney, 21, of Manhattan, New York, died March 27 due to a non-combat related incident at Camp Wolverine, Kuwait.  He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Friday

Mar 26

Marine Killed by Hostile Fire

Pfc. Leroy Sandoval, Jr., 21, of Houston, Texas, died March 26, due to hostile fire in the Al Anbar Province, Iraq.  He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Thursday

Mar 25

Marine Dies from Hostile Fire Near Fallujah

Lance Cpl. Jeffery C. Burgess, 20, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, died March 25, due to hostile fire near Al Fallujah, Iraq.  Burgess was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.

Marine Dies From a Non-Combat Related Incident

Lance Cpl. James A. Casper, 20, of Coolidge, Texas, died March 25 due to a non-combat related incident at Al Asad, Iraq.  Casper was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Soldier Dies From Injuries Sustained in IED Attack

Spc. Adam D. Froehlich, 21, of Pine Hill, New Jersey, died March 25 in Baqubah, Iraq, from injuries sustained when his patrol came under attack involving an improvised explosive device (IED).  According to a Combined Joint Task Force 7 news release, the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps had called for U.S. soldiers to investigate a reported IED.  As the soldiers investigated, the IED exploded killing Froehlich and wounding two other solders who were reported to be in stable condition at a nearby military hospital.  Froehlich was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery, from Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany.

Wednesday

Mar 24

Soldier Killed Investigating Vehicle

SSgt. Wentz Jerome Henry Shanaberger III, 33, of Naples, Florida, died March 24, in Iraq. He came under attack by individuals using small arms and an improvised explosive device (IED) while investigating a suspicious vehicle.  Shanaberger was assigned to the Army's 21st Military Police Company, 16th Military Police Brigade, 18th Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Monday

Mar 22

Marine Dies from Hostile Fire

Lance Cpl. Andrew S. Dang, 20, of Foster City, California, died March 22, due to hostile fire near Ar Ramady, Iraq.  Dang was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineering Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Soldier Dies of Non-Combat Related Injuries

Pfc. Bruce Miller, Jr., 23, of Orange, New Jersey, died March 22, in Mosul, Iraq, of non-combat related injuries.  He was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Washington.

Sunday

Mar 21

Marine Dies From Enemy Action

Pvt. Dustin L. Kreider, 19, of Riverton, Kansas, died March 21 near Samarra, Iraq during an unit weapon test-firing incident.  Kreider was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, based in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Soldier Killed by IED

Pfc. Christopher E. Hudson, 21, of Carmel, Indiana, died March 21 in Baghdad, Iraq when his military vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device (IED).  Hudson was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 12th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.

Saturday

Mar 20

Two Soldiers from Fort Bragg Killed in Rocket Attack

Two soldiers died on March 20, in Fallaujah, Iraq, when their living area came under rocket attack.  Killed were:

Maj. Mark D. Taylor, 41, of Stockton, California.  Taylor was assigned to the 782nd Main Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Spc. Matthew J. Sandri, 24, of Shamokin, Pennsylvania.  Sandri was assigned to the 82nd Forward Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Soldier Injured in Vehicle Rollover Dies

1st Lt. Michael W. Vega, 41, of Lathrop, California, died March 20 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC from injuries sustained when his military vehicle rolled over in Diwaniyah, Iraq on March 11.  Vega was assigned to the 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Army National Guard, based in Sacramento, California.

Friday

Mar 19

Marine Dies From Enemy Action

Cpl. David M. Vicente, 25, of Methuen, Massachusetts, died March 19, due to enemy action near Hit, Iraq.  He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, California.

Soldier Electrocuted While Laying Phone Wire

Pfc. Jason C. Ludlam, 22, of Arlington, Texas, died March 19 in Ba'qubah, Iraq, from electrocution while he was laying telephone wire.  Ludlam was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, based in Vilseck, Germany.

Soldier Dies from Injuries in Vehicle Incident

Spc. Clint Richard Matthews, 31, of Bedford, Pennsylvania, died March 19, in Baji, Iraq, from injuries sustained when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle went over a 60-foot embankment and flipped over on March 17.  He was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, from Schweinfurt, Germany.

Thursday

Mar 18

Two U.S. Marines Killed by Enemy Action

Two Marines assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, California were killed on March 18 as a result of enemy action in Al Qaim, Iraq.  Killed were:

Pfc. Brandon C. Smith, 20, of Washington, Arkansas

Pfc. Ricky A. Morris, Jr., 20, of Lubbock, Texas

Enemy Mortar Attack Claims Another Marine

Cpl. Andrew D. Brownfield, 24, of Summit, Ohio, died March 18, from wounds received during an enemy mortar attack at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.  He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, California.

Soldier Dies from Injuries Sustained in Vehicle Incident

Pfc. Ernest Harold Sutphin, 21, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, died March 18 in Landstuhl, Germany, from injuries sustained in a vehicle incident in Kirkuk, Iraq, on March 11.  Sutphin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Army Reservist Killed in Vehicle Incident

Spec. Doron Chan, 20, of Highland, New York, died March 18, near Balad, Iraq, when his convoy vehicle was cut off by a civilian vehicle.  The military vehicle swerved, crossed into oncoming traffic, and flipped over.  Chan was assigned to the Army Reserve's 411th Engineer Brigade, New Windsor, New York.

Afghanistan

Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan

U.S. Central Command announced that two U.S. soldiers were killed and two were wounded during a firefight in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province on March 18, when anti-coalition militia engaged coalition and Afghan National Army soldiers on patrol in a village northwest of Tarin Kowt.  The soldiers were reportedly clearing the village when their team came under small arms fire.  The soldiers returned fire, killing at least five terrorists and wounding others. The wounded soldiers were evacuated to the Kandahar Air Field for treatment.  A later report stated that the attack occurred in Dehrawood, Afghanistan.  The two soldiers killed were both assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Anthony S. Lagman, 26, of Yonkers, New York

Sgt. Michael J. Esposito, Jr., 22, of Brentwood, New York.

Wednesday

Mar 17

Soldier Dies in Vehicle Accident

Spc. Tracy L. Laramore, 30, of Okaloosa, Florida, died March 17, in Baji, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle went over an embankment and flipped over into a river.  Laramore was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, Schweinfurt, Germany.

IL Guard Member Killed in Mortar Attack

Sgt. Ivory L. Phipps, 44, of Chicago, Illinois, died March 17, in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a mortar attack.  Phipps was assigned to the 1544th Transportation Company, Illinois Army National Guard, Paris, Illinois.

Tuesday

Mar 16

Soldier Dies of Non-Combat Related Injuries

First Lieutenant Michael R. Adams, 24, of Seattle, Washington, died March 16, in Al Asad, Iraq, when the barrel of the .50 caliber weapon mounted on his tank struck him.  Lt. Adams was a member of the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado.

SC Guard Member Dies of Non-Combat Related Injuries

Master Sgt. Thomas R. Thigpen, Sr., 52, of Augusta, Georgia, died March 16, in Camp Virginia, Kuwait (north of Kuwait City), of non-combat related injuries.  Master Sgt. Thigpen was assigned to the Army National Guard, 151st Signal Battalion, from Greenville, South Carolina.

Monday

Mar 15

Soldier Dies of Non-Combat Related Injuries

Sgt. William J. Normandy, 42, of Augusta, Georgia, died March 15, in Camp Virginia, Iraq (north of Kuwait City), of non-combat related injuries.  Sgt. Normandy was assigned to the Army National Guard, 1st Battalion, 89th Field Artillery, from Montpelier, Vermont.

Saturday

Mar 13

Roadside Attack Kills Three Soldiers

Three soldiers were killed March 13 when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, Iraq.  A fourth soldier injured in that attack died of his wounds on March 14.  All three soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Clint D. Ferrin, 31, of Picayune, Mississippi.

Sgt. Daniel J. Londono, 22, of Boston, Massachusetts.

Pfc. Joel K. Brattain, 21 of Santa Anna, California.

Early Morning Attack Kills Two Soldiers

Two members of the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, based in Schweinfurt, Germany, were killed March 13 in an early morning attack in Tikrit, which involved an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.  Three other soldiers were reportedly wounded during the attack which occurred while the soldiers were on patrol about 4:55 a.m.  The soldiers were traveling in three humvees near Forward Operating Base Ironhorse in Tikrit when the attack occurred.  Killed were:

Capt. John F. Kurth, 31, of Wisconsin.

Spc. Jason C. Ford, 21 of Bowie, Maryland.

IED Attack Kills NC Guard Member

Thursday

Mar 11

Two Soldiers Killed in IED Attack

Two solders were died March 11, in Fallujah, Iraq, when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED).  Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, based at Fort Riley, Kansas. Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Joe L. Dunigan, Jr., 37, Belton, Texas. 

Spc. Christopher K. Hill, 26, of Ventura, California. 

Wednesday

Mar 10

Reservist Killed in IED Attack

Pfc. Bert E. Hoyer, 23, of Ellsworth, Wisconsin, died March 10, in Baqubah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device hit his convoy.  Hoyer was assigned to the 652nd Engineer Company, U.S. Army Reserve, Ellsworth, Wisconsin. 

Tuesday

Mar 9

Soldier Killed in IED Attack

Sgt. 1st Class Richard S. Gottfried, 42, of Lake Ozark, Missouri, died March 9 in Tampa, Iraq, when struck by an improvised explosive device.  Gottfried was assigned to the 1st Division Support Command, 1st Infantry Division, Kitzengen, Germany.

Soldier Dies from Non-Hostile Gunshot Wound

Spc. Edward W. Brabazon, 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvanie, died March 9 in Baghdad, Iraq, of non-hostile gunshot wound.  Brabazon was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Monday

Mar 8

Kuwait

Marine Dies in Kuwait

Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark, 18, of Kettle River, Minnesota, died March 8 due to a non-combat related incident at Camp Victory, Kuwait.  He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

Sunday

Mar 7

Surgical Nurse Dies in Baghdad

Capt. Gussie M. Jones, 41, of Louisiana, died March 7 in Baghdad, Iraq, as a result of a non-combat cause.  As a medical surgical nurse in support of area operations.  Jones was assigned to the 31st Combat Support Hospital, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Friday

Mar 5

Kuwait

Sailor Dies in Kuwait

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael J. Gray, 32, of Richmond, Virginia, died March 5 in Kuwait.  Gray was traveling to the Kuwait Navy Base when his vehicle was struck from the rear by a civilian vehicle.  Gray was assigned to Navy Detachment Kuwait Navy Base in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Tuesday

Mar 2

Soldier Dies in IED Attack

Spc. Michael R. Woodliff, 22 of Port Charlotte, Florida, died March 2 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device (IED) struck his convoy.  Woodliff was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armor Division, Friedberg, Germany.