Ferndale Michigan

Leach, Matthew J.
Army Staff sergeant

Matthew J. Leach, age 29, from Ferndale, Michigan, Oakland county.

Spouse: Sarah Leach (married in 2005)
Children: Jack Leach

Service era: Afghanistan
Military history: 1/334th Regiment, 1st Brigade, 104th Training Division (Leader Training), Fraser, Michigan. Joined the Army in 2003.

Date of death: Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Death details: Died in Kandahar, Afghanistan in a non-combat situation. Military said he was found unresponsive on the ground.

Source: Department of Defense, Associated Press

Watson, Joseph Pearce
Navy electronic warfare specialist

Joseph Pearce Watson, age 25, from Ferndale, Michigan, Oakland county.

Parents: Harold
Spouse: Kristin

Service era: Cold War

Date of death: Sunday, May 17, 1987
Death details: Died aboard the USS Stark. While in the Persian Gulf on May 17, 1987, she was struck by two Iraqi Exocet missiles, killing 37 sailors and wounding 21. Brought under control, the frigate sailed to Bahrain and was successfully repaired at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi. Following repairs and subsequent tours in the Atlantic and Middle East, Stark was decommissioned on May 7, 1999, and was scrapped in 2006.

Source: Associated Press, National Museum of the U.S. Navy

Lane, Albert Leroy Jr.
Army Specialist 4

Albert Leroy Jr. Lane, age 19, from Ferndale, Michigan, Oakland county.

Spouse: Brenda R. Lane

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, July 16, 1970
Death details: Hostile, died of wounds, South Vietnam

Source: National Archives, Ironwood Daily Globe (1970)

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