Tad T. Hervas, age 48, from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Anoka county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: 34th Infantry Regiment, Rosemont, Minnesota.
Date of death: Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Death details: Died at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq of injuries sustained from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Source: Department of Defense, Minneapolist Star Tribune
William Joseph Beardsley, age 25, from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Anoka county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hhc, 260Th Quartermaster Petroleum Support Battalion, Hunter Aaf, Georgia
Date of death: Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Death details: Hostile; Diwaniyah, Iraq. Died of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detanated near his vehicle.
Source: Department of Defense, Associated Press, Facebook
Thomas G. Lamb, age 20, from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Anoka county.
Parents: Beatrice Emerson and Loren Lamb
Service era: Beirut bombings
Schools: Coon Rapids High
Date of death: Sunday, October 23, 1983
Death details: Among more than 200 military personnel killed in the terrorist bombing of Marine headquarters in Beirut.
Cemetery: Fort Snelling National
Source: White House Commission on Remembrance, findagrave.com
Stephen Joseph Kaster, age 23, from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Anoka county.
Parents: Donald J. Kaster
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Edina High (1965), Saint John’s Univeristy in Collegeville, Minnesota (1969)
Date of death: Monday, November 2, 1970
Death details: Hostile, South Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Minneapolis Star Tibune (1970), Associated Press (1970)
Roger Lee Verwers, age 24, from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Anoka county.
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment
Date of death: Saturday, April 22, 1967
Death details: Bronze Star citation: For heroism in connection with military operations against an armed hostile force on 22 April 1967. On this date, Private First Class Verwers was serving as a Radio-Telephone Operator for the 1st Platoon of Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry, which was conducting a search and destroy operation near Duc Pho, Republic of Vietnam. Shortly after the mission was under way, the point squad came upon a bridge which had to be crossed in order to continue the mission. A fire team from the point squad, along with the Platoon Leader, was crossing the bridge when heavy automatic weapons fire pinned them down and prevented Private First Class Verwers from crossing the bridge with his radio. The Platoon Leader was in a location where he could still call in effective artillery fire on the enemy position; however he was without communications and was pinned-down by intense automatic weapons fire. Seeing that the Platoon Leader had a good view of the target, Private First Class Verwers, with complete disregard for his personal safety, ran with his radio across the bridge under intense automatic weapons fire. Private First Class Verwers was mortally wounded during his heroic attempt, but he successfully reached the Platoon Leader with the radio and artillery fire was called in on the enemy position, eliminating seven of the enemy and destroying a bunker position. Private First Class Verwers’ heroic action was an inspiration to all the men in his platoon and aided greatly in the accomplishment of the company’s mission. His outstanding display of aggressiveness, devotion to duty, and personal bravery is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Cemetery: Forest Hill in Anoka, Minnesota
Source: National Archives, 35th Infantry Regiment Association
Eugene Merlyn Rick, age 32, from Anoka County Coon Rapids, Minnesota .
Parents: Alfred A. Rick
Spouse: Roswitha Rick
Children: Donald, 9
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Sunday, October 10, 1965
Death details: Hostile, South Vietnam
Cemetery: For Snelling National
Source: National Archives, Minneapolis Star (1965)
Marvin Lyle Whitehead, age 18, from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Anoka county.
Service era: Korea
Date of death: Sunday, July 30, 1950
Death details: On July 30, 1950, the 24th Infantry Division’s undermanned and ill-equipped 19th Infantry Regiment, which had been rushed to Korea from garrison duty in Japan, established defensive lines around the South Korean city of Chinju. The soldiers of the 19th Infantry faced the North Korean People’s Army (NKPA), which was moving inexorably south down the Korean peninsula. The unit lacked heavy artillery and anti-tank weaponry, and the Americans were ultimately unable to stop the NKPA and were forced to withdraw further south to prevent being surrounded. Corporal Marvin Lyle Whitehead joined the U.S. Army from Minnesota and was a member of M Company, 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing in action against the NKPA near Chinju on July 30, 1950. CPL Whitehead was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he remains unaccounted-for following the incident. Today, Corporal Whitehead is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency