Category: Iraq

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Gomez, Joel
Army Sergeant

Joel Gomez, age 42, from Wheaton, Illinois, DuPage county.

Service era: Iraq

Date of death: Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Death details: Died after developing pneumonia and kidney problems. He lived with quadriplegia since breaking his spine in two places while on a combat mission in 2004. His armored vehicle on March 17, 2004 toppled into the Tigris River. It was unknown whether an explosive device or the weight of the vehicle caused the road to collapse.
Cemetery: Abraham Lincoln National

Source: Chicago Tribune (2022)

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Curry, Christopher Wesley
Army Sergeant

Christopher Wesley Curry, age 23, from Terre Haute, Indiana, Vigo county.

Service era: Iraq
Military history: 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combate Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

Date of death: Monday, May 4, 2020
Death details: Died in Erbil, Iraq from a non-combat related incident

Source: Department of Defense

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Hilty, John David Randolph
Army Sergeant 1st class

John David Randolph Hilty, age 44, from Bowie , Maryland.

Service era: Iraq
Military history: 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division

Date of death: Monday, March 30, 2020
Death details: Died during a non-combat incident in Erbil, Iraq

Source: WUSA9, KCENTV,, Army Times

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Mendez, Juan Miguel
Army Specialist

Juan Miguel Mendez, age 27, from California, Hanford county.

Service era: Iraq

Date of death: Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Death details: Died when his unit was engaged by enemy indirect fire at Camp Taji, Iraq

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

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Roberts, Marshal D.
Air Force Sergeant

Marshal D. Roberts, age 28, from Oklahoma, Owasso county.

Service era: Iraq

Date of death: Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Death details: Died when his unit was engaged by enemy indirect fire at Camp Taji, Iraq

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

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Pongo, Diego D.
Marines Gunnery sergeant

Diego D. Pongo, age 34, from California, Simi Valley county.

Service era: Iraq

Child: Daughter

Schools: Simi Valley High (2003), Moorpark College

Date of death: Sunday, March 8, 2020
Death details: Died while clearing a tunnel complex of Islamic State fighters in the Makhmur Mountains of southern Iraq.

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times, VC Star

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Navas, Moises A.
Marines Captain

Moises A. Navas, age 34, from Maryland, Germantown county.

Service era: Iraq

Date of death: Sunday, March 8, 2020
Death details: Died while supporting Iraqi security forces in north central Iraq

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

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Lewark, Walter
Army Private 1st class

Walter Lewark, age 26, from New Mexico, Mountainair county.

Service era: Iraq

Spouse: Married

Children:  Three children
Schools: Socorro High (2009)
Military history: Company A, 1st Battalion, 200th Infantry Regiment, 93rd Troop Command, New Mexico Army National Guard based in Rio Rancho

Date of death: Thursday, February 13, 2020
Death details: Died at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Africa from a non-combat related incident.

Source: Department of Defense; Stars and Stripes, Military Times, Albuquerque Journal, KRQE

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Irish, Nathaneil G.
Army Sergeant

Nathaneil G. Irish, age 23, from Billings, Montana.

Military history: 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

Date of death: Sunday, October 27, 2019
Death details: Died of a non-combat related incident at Camp Taji, Iraq

Source: Department of Defense, Military Times

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Koppenhafer, Scott A.
Marines Gunnery sergeant

Scott A. Koppenhafer, age 35, from Mancos, Colorado.

Spouse: Married
Children: Two children

Service era: Iraq
Schools: Adams State University graduate; Mancos High
Military history: 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Date of death: Saturday, August 10, 2019
Death details: Died in Iraq after suffering fatal wounds while supporting Iraqi Security Forces

Source: Department of Defense, Stars and Stripes, Military Times