Garnet Robert Derby, age 44, from Missoula, Montana, Missoula county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Hht, 3D Battalion, 8Th Cavalry Regiment, 3 Bct, Fort Hood, Tx
Date of death: Monday, February 9, 2009
Death details: Hostile; Mosul, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Andrew Dennis Bedard, age 19, from Missoula, Montana, Missoula county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: L Co, 3D Bn, 7Th Mar, (2-28 Bct, 2D Mardiv), 1St Mardiv, Twentynine Palms, Ca
Date of death: Tuesday, October 4, 2005
Death details: Hostile; Ar Ramadi, Iraq
Source: Department of Defense, Legacy
Joshua Michael Hyland, age 31, from Missoula, Montana, Missoula county.
Service era: Afghanistan
Spouse: Lanie Hyland
Child: Dylan, 5
School: Loyola Sacred Heart High (1992)
Military history: Company B, 2D Battalion, 503D Infantry, (Cjtf-76) Camp Ederle, Italy
Date of death: Sunday, August 21, 2005
Death details: Killed near Baylough, Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device strapped under a bridge detonated as his Humvee crossed.
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times, The Missoulian (2011)
Kristofor Tif Stonesifer, age 28, from Missoula, Montana, Missoula county.
Service era: Iraq
Military history: Company B, 3D Battalion, 75Th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga 31905
Date of death: Saturday, October 20, 2001
Death details: Killed in Pakistan in a crash of a UH-60 Black Hawk during a training mission
Source: Department of Defense, Military Times
Joseph John Jr. Slifka, age 23, from Missoula County Montana.
Spouse: Cindy (Johnson)
Children: Michael and Jennifer
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, January 21, 1972
Death details: Killed in an aircraft crash in Vietnam
Cemetery: Arlington National
Source: National Archives, Missoulian (1972)
Dennis Leroy Ziebarth, age 20, from Missoula, Montana, Missoula county.
Parents: Ed Jette
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Missoula Hellgate High (1969)
Military history: Company B, 173rd Battalion, 3-503 Infantry
Date of death: Friday, November 20, 1970
Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1970)
Ronald Russell Tanner, age 20, from Missoula, Montana, Missoula county.
Parents: R.A. Tanner
Service era: Vietnam
Military history: 196th American Division
Date of death: Sunday, May 31, 1970
Death details: Killed in Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1970)
Gary David Thatcher, age 20, from Missoula, Montana, Missoula county.
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Sentinel High (1966), University of Montana
Date of death: Friday, February 6, 1970
Death details: Died in Vietnam
Source: National Archives, Missoulian (1970)
James D. Hunt from Montana, Missoula county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Sunday, October 13, 1968
Death details: On October 13, 1968, an A-6A Intruder (bureau number 154141) with two crew members conducted an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. While returning from the mission, the Intruder’s crew radioed that they were being tracked by enemy missile control radar. The electronic warfare officer aboard another aircraft immediately jammed the radar, and the Intruder’s crew reported that they were no longer being tracked. This was the last communication made with the Intruder, which never returned from the mission. Search efforts for the Intruder failed to locate any sign of the aircraft or its crew.
Lieutenant James D. Hunt, who joined the U.S. Navy from Montana, was a member of Attack Squadron 52. He was the copilot aboard the Intruder when it went missing, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains were never recovered, and he is still unaccounted for. After the incident, the Navy promoted LT Hunt to the rank of Lieutenant Commander (LCDR). Today, Lieutenant Commander Hunt is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Harvey Ferris Avery, age 24, from Missoula, Montana, Missoula county.
Service era: World War II
Date of death: Sunday, November 21, 1943
Death details: From November 20 through 23, 1943, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy conducted a large-scale amphibious assault on the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa as part of Operation Galvanic, the Allied capture of the Gilbert Islands. Located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, Tarawa was a crucial stepping stone in the planned U.S. offensive across the central Pacific toward Japan. The Japanese garrison on Tarawa’s main island of Betio was well-entrenched with hundreds of bunkers and gun positions behind formidable beach obstacles. The first wave of Marines approaching the shore encountered lower-than-expected tides, forcing them to leave their landing craft on the reef and wade the hundreds of yards to the beach under intense enemy fire. The heaviest number of U.S. casualties were suffered during this phase of the landing. Eventually, rising tides allowed U.S. warships to maneuver closer to shore and support the troops with effective naval gunfire. More Marines landed on the second day, launching attacks inland from the beaches and seizing the Japanese airfield on the island. However, the enemy launched vicious counterattacks and two more days of intense fighting were needed to secure Betio. The last enemy strongpoints were taken on the morning of November 23. The fighting on Betio cost the Marines nearly 3,000 casualties but enabled U.S. forces to press further across the Pacific and yielded valuable tactical lessons that reduced U.S. losses in future amphibious landings. Gunnery Sergeant Harvey F. Avery, who entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Montana, served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He was killed in action during the Battle of Tarawa on November 21 and his remains could not be located or identified following the battle. Today, Gunnery Sergeant Avery is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Cemetery: Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial
Source: National Archives, American Battle Monuments Commission, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency