Tuesday, April 10, 2007 1:43 PM - The DoD has confirmed the death of Navy Commander Philip A. Murphy-Sweet, 42, from enemy action in Baghdad on Saturday, April 7th. The release lists his hometown as Caldwell, Idaho. According to an Associated Press article, Murphy-Sweet was born in Phoenix, Arizona. It is not clear at this time where he was raised, but at some point his family did move to Idaho. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1991, after which he became a commissioned officer and began what would become a 16 year career in the Navy. An article published by Idaho station KTVB states that his parents still live in Idaho ... in Treasure Valley. Since December of 2004, Murphy-Sweet had lived in Pennsylvania where he was permanently assigned to the Navy's Naval Inventory Control Point facility at Mechanicsburg. He was in Iraq on a 6-month temporary assignment that involved working with contractors to procure material and services for the troops. A funeral is scheduled for Monday, April 16th, at Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 4:07 PM -
	The DoD has identified the four soldiers who died in Diyala Province on Saturday, April 7th, when an improvised explosive device detonated near them:
		Captain Jonathan D. Grassbaugh, 25, of East Hampstead, New Hampshire
		Specialist Ebe F. Emolo, 33, of Greensboro, North Carolina
		Specialist Levi K. Hoover, 23, of Midland, Michigan
		Private 1st Class Rodney L. McCandless, 21, of Camden, Arkansas
	They were killed in the vicinity of the village of Zaganiyah (also called Qaryat Zaghiniyat al Kabir) just north of Ba'qubah in the Diyala River Valley.
	According to an article from the Associated Press, Grassbaugh earned his high school degree at Phillips Exeter Academy ... then went on to Johns Hopkins University where he participated in ROTC and was commissioned an Army officer upon graduation. He later successfully completed training as a Ranger, following in his father's footsteps. This was Grassbaugh's second deployment to Iraq. He had married for the first time last summer. The Manchester (New Hampshire) Union-Leader wrote a piece wherein family members described him 'as an incredibly bright but reserved young man, and described him as "the epitome of an officer and a gentleman." '
	Levi Hoover wanted to be a police officer according to his mother, who was quoted in an article that appeared in the Midland (Michigan) Daily News. In fact, he worked for several businesses to earn enough money to complete a criminal justice degree from Delta College in 2004. He also was an avid outdoorsman, and had spent time in Alaska working as a ranger's assistant before enlisting in the army in 2005. In August 2006 Hoover was sent to Iraq. His mother said, "I think he was worried. It was a dangerous place to be."

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 4:25 PM - Earlier media reports had stated that Staff Sergeant Jesse L. Williams, 25, of Santa Rosa, California, had died on April 7th in Iraq. However, the DoD has now confirmed his death ... and are reporting that he died in a Balad medical facility on Easter Sunday, April 8th, after having been wounded in a small arms fire attack in the vicinity of Ba'qubah in Diyala Province. That would make Williams the death described in this CENTCOM release that was separately posted to our database on the 8th. Both death entries will now be merged, thus reducing the death count by one.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 5:48 PM -
	The DoD has identified two soldiers who reportedly died "in Baghdad" on Easter Sunday, April 8th, when their unit was attacked by insurgents "using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire":
		Staff Sergeant Harrison Brown, 31, of Prichard, Alabama
		Private 1st Class David N. Simmons, 20, of Kokomo, Indiana
	Both men were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division which has only just deployed to Iraq. A recently discovered Stars and Stripes article discusses the recent deployment of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division's headquarters to Iraq and reports that they "will be referred to as Multi-National Division - Center and take up responsibilities in an operational area just south of Baghdad." This would lead us to believe that both men were involved in the IED attack described in this CENTCOM release. However, that release stated that three men died, not two.
	We could not help but notice another DoD release that was issued yesterday describing the death of Sergeant Todd A. Singleton on April 8th "in Baghdad" when his unit was attacked by insurgents "using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire". No separate CENTCOM release was issued for his death. Singleton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
	More research turned up this article in the Columbus (Georgia) Ledger-Enquirer that described the way the 4 companies of 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor have been split up and attached to other units upon arrival. In particular, B Company was attached to 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division operating out of Yusufiyah southwest of Baghdad. Another article published by Multi-National Corps - Iraq shows that at least at one point, elements of Singleton's 2-5 Cavalry unit were also attached to the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. This is certainly not definitive proof that Singleton was the third death in that Multi-National Division - Center incident. But in the interest of not inflating the death count, and based on his having no CENTCOM release of his own, we feel it is prudent to place him with Brown and Simmons, at least until further information is forthcoming. This will drop our death count by one.
	Incidentally, the Mobile (Alabama) Press-Register has an article out on Staff Sergeant Harrison "Duck" Brown that describes him as an outstanding football player. In fact, he played a year of college football at Tuskegee on scholarship but was forced to drop out to support his wife and three children by joining the army. He had served in the army for 13 years and, according to friends, was on his "third or fourth" deployment to Iraq.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 8:42 PM -

The DoD has identified the soldier who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Monday, April 9th: Specialist Clifford Adam Spohn III, 21, of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Spohn was killed in a mortar attack while his unit was working at a police station in Karmah just north of Fallujah. Albuquerque station KOB-TV has learned that three other paratroopers were injured in the attack, two of them seriously. Spohn, who went by the name "Adam", was married and had a child.

Sunday, April 15, 2007 5:05 AM - Reuters is now reporting that the two helicopters described in this CENTCOM release that crashed north of Baghdad were British choppers with British crews. Two British personnel are dead and one is seriously injured. The British Ministry of Defense statement can be found here.

Monday, April 16, 2007 3:52 AM - CENTCOM is reporting the death of a 13th Sustainment Command soldier from a non-hostile, unspecified cause while on R&R leave in Qatar on Saturday, April 14th.

Monday, April 16, 2007 12:58 PM -
	(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a roadside bomb attack in a southern neighborhood of Baghdad on Monday, April 16th.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier from a small arms fire attack in a southwestern neighborhood of Baghdad on Monday, April 16th.
Larry R. Bowman, 29, of Granite Falls, North Carolina	(3) The DoD has announced a death that occurred on Friday, April 13th, that does not appear to have been previously reported by CENTCOM. We had heard of it through a brief article from Associated Press that merely stated that there had been a roadside bomb death in "southern Iraq". The DoD is identifying the soldier as Sergeant Larry R. Bowman, 29, of Granite Falls, North Carolina, and says that he died in Baghdad.
	(4) Until now, we had placed a different death in the above April 13th slot ... that of Sergeant Joshua Schmit, 26, of Willmar, Minnesota, who was reported in the media to have been hit with an improvised explosive device while riding in a Humvee. A fresh review of media articles currently available shows they are unanimous that he died on Saturday, April 14th. A newer article that has appeared in the Willmar (Minnesota) West Central Tribune cites Schmit's father as saying that the bomb hit at 2:30 AM Iraq time Saturday. At this point, we are going to enter him into the database as a new death. Schmit enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard right out of high school in 1999. After two years, however, he enlisted in the regular army and was stationed in Germany where part of the time he served in a unit that trained soldiers. During that time, he married. Then when his tour of duty was up, he left the service, but remained in Germany to pursue educational opportunities there. Unfortunately, he was reactivated from his status in the Individual Ready Reserve, and posted to a North Carolina National Guard unit that had come up short of volunteers for Iraq. Three times Schmit had been hit with IEDs on this latest posting to Iraq ... and walked away from each unhurt. The fourth bomb on April 14th ended his lucky streak.
	(5) The DoD has announced another death that does not appear to have been previously reported by CENTCOM. According to the release, Marine Lance Corporal Daniel J. Santee, 21, of Mission Viejo, California, died Saturday, April 14th, in an non-hostile vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province.
Brandon Wallace, 27, of Festus, Missouri	(6) Several media articles have now appeared on the death of Army Staff Sergeant Brandon Wallace, 27, of Festus, Missouri, although the DoD has not yet confirmed his death. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Wallace died Saturday, April 14th, in a roadside bomb attack in Fallujah. CENTCOM has issued a report of a roadside bomb attack south of Baghdad involving a Task Force Marne soldier on that day. It is by no means certain that Wallace was that death. But we will place him there for the time being in the interest of not unnecessarily inflating the death count. Wallace was another soldier who had served his time in the regular army, but then was unexpectedly reactivated from the Individual Ready Reserve to be sent to Iraq. He had been deployed in May of 2006 ... and was scheduled to return home in two weeks for good to marry his sweetheart.

Monday, April 16, 2007 3:44 PM - CENTCOM has just reported the deaths of two 13th Containment Command soldiers in an improvised explosive device attack in Fallujah at 2:20 AM on Saturday, April 14th. This information jives exactly with information we have found in media articles for the deaths of Sergeant Joshua Andrew Schmit, 26, of Willmar, Minnesota, and Staff Sergeant Brandon Wallace, 27, of Festus, Missouri. Hence, Wallace has been moved out of the slot for the Task Force Marne death and into a slot of his own beneath Schmit, who was added as a new death previously.

Monday, April 16, 2007 4:13 PM -
	(1) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in an IED strike involving an explosively formed projectile (EFP) in a southern neighborhood of Baghdad on Monday, April 16th. Two other soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were also wounded in the attack.
	(2) The DoD has confirmed the deaths of the two soldiers who died in a bomb attack south of Baghdad on Thursday, April 12th (reportedly the one where a car bomb detonated, collapsing surrounding buildings onto the troops):
		Corporal Cody A. Putnam, 22, of Lafayette, Indiana
		Private 1st Class John G. Borbonus, 19, of Boise, Idaho
Ryan A. Bishop, 32, of Euless, Texas	(3) The DoD has identified the Task Force Marne soldier who died in an improvised explosive device attack south of Baghdad on Saturday, April 14th: Specialist Ryan A. Bishop, 32, of Euless, Texas. Bishop's unit, the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, was stationed out of Yusufiyah south of Baghdad.

Monday, April 16, 2007 6:05 PM -

The British Ministry of Defense has identified one of the two British troops who died when two Puma helicopters accidentally collided north of Baghdad on Sunday, April 15th: Colour Sergeant Mark Lawrence Powell, 37, of South Wales, who was assigned to the Parachute Regiment with the British Army. Identification of the other death is on temporary hold because of difficulties notifying all next of kin. However, the MoD is saying that this person was with the British Royal Air Force based out of RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, England, and was the crew's loadmaster.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 6:59 AM - CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Marine from a non-hostile, unspecified cause in Al Anbar Province on Monday, April 16th.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 10:31 AM -

The British Ministry of Defense has now released the identity of the Royal Air Force death in the Puma helicopter crash north of Baghdad on Sunday, April 15th: Sergeant Mark J. McLaren, 27, of Ashington in Northumberland, England. McLaren joined the Royal Air Force in 1999 and subsequently completed the Air Loadmaster Specialist Training Course in 2001. He has apparently been stationed at RAF Aldergrove outside of Belfast, Northern Ireland, since 2004. McLaren was married and had two sons.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 12:32 PM -
Daniel R. Scherry, 20, of Rocky River, Ohio	(1) The DoD has identified the Marine who died in a non-hostile accident in Al Anbar Province on Monday, April 16th: Lance Corporal Daniel R. Scherry, 20, of Rocky River, Ohio.
Shaun M. Blue, 25, of Munster, Indiana	(2) The DoD is announcing a new death, one not previously announced by CENTCOM: 1st Lieutenant Shaun M. Blue, 25, of Munster, Indiana. Blue died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Monday, April 16th.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 1:46 PM -
	The DoD has announced another new death, not previously reported by CENTCOM: Lance Corporal Jesse D. Delatorre, 29, of Aurora, Illinois. Delatorre belonged to the same unit as 1st Lieutenant Shaun M. Blue ... the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, based out of Hit in Al Anbar Province. He died in enemy action on the same day, Monday, April 16th.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 4:14 AM -
	(1) The DoD has confirmed the deaths of two soldiers from an IED attack in Fallujah on Saturday, April 14th:
		Sergeant Joshua A. Schmit, 26, of Willmar, Minnesota
		Sergeant Brandon L. Wallace, 27, of St. Louis, Missouri
Steven J. Walberg, 18, of Paradise, California	(2) The DoD has released the identity of the small arms fire death in a southern part of Baghdad on Sunday, April 15th: Private 1st Class Steven J. Walberg, 18, of Paradise, California.
Mario Kawika De Leon, 26, of San Francisco, California	(3) The DoD has identified the small arms fire death in a southwestern part of Baghdad on Monday, April 16th: Sergeant Mario K. De Leon, 26, of San Francisco, California.
Lucas V. Starcevich, 25, of Canton, Illinois	(4) The DoD has also identified one of the two separate IED deaths in Baghdad on Monday, April 16th: Private 1st Class Lucas V. Starcevich, 25, of Canton, Illinois. Starcevich belonged to the same Germany-based unit, the 1st Battalion of the 18th Infantry Regiment, that Sgt. Mario K. De Leon did.
Aaron M. Genevie, 22, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania	(5) Lastly, the DoD has identified the second separate IED death in southern Baghdad on Monday, April 16th: Private 1st Class Aaron M. Genevie, 22, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Genevie belonged to the same Fort Riley, KS, based unit, the 1st Squadron of the 4th Cavalnry Regiment, as Pfc. Steven J. Walberg, who died the day before.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 11:47 AM - MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Marne soldier in the Baghdad area from a non-hostile, unspecified cause on Tuesday, April 17th.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 3:46 PM -

The DoD has released the name of the soldier who died from a non-hostile cause while on leave in Qatar: Wisconsin Army National Guardsman Staff Sergeant Robert J. Basham, 22, of Kenosha, Wisconsin. According to a statement issued by the Wisconsin National Guard, Basham had completed a deployment in Iraq with his Wisconsin unit last November, but had volunteered to stay on to serve with a Kansas unit just arriving in Iraq. Apparently, Qatar is used by the military as a place to send soldiers on "mini-vacations" for a few days to unwind after long missions.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 4:05 PM -

The DoD has identified the soldier who died of a non-hostile, unspecified injury in Baghdad on Tuesday, April 17th: Private 1st Class Richard P. Langenbrunner, 19, of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The DoD reported that the death occurred in "Rustamiyah". This is a neighborhood in southeast Baghdad. In fact, Langenbrunner's unit, the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, was based in there. According to a notice posted here, Langenbrunner had graduated from high school in 2006 ... and judging from the date on the notice, had only just graduated from boot camp in late 2006.

Thursday, April 19, 2007 7:57 AM -
	(1) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a small arms fire attack in a southwestern neighborhood of Baghdad on Wednesday, April 18th.
	(2) CENTCOM is also reporting the deaths of two Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers in a roadside bomb attack north of Baghdad on Wednesday, April 18th.

Thursday, April 19, 2007 12:05 PM - The British Ministry of Defense has announced the deaths of two of its soldiers from the Queen's Royal Lancers Regiment in a roadside bomb blast in Maysan Province on Thursday, April 19th. Three soldiers were wounded in the attack, one very seriously. The incident occurred one day after the British turned security control in Maysan Province over to Iraqi forces.

Friday, April 20, 2007 5:32 AM - CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Task Force Marne soldier in a rocket attack on Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah about 20 miles south of Baghdad on Thursday night, April 19th.

Friday, April 20, 2007 10:27 AM -
	The British Ministry of Defense has identified the two soldiers who died in a roadside bomb attack in Maysan Province on Thursday, April 19th:
		Corporal Ben Leaning, 24, of Scunthorpe in northern Lincolnshire, England
		Trooper Kristen Turton, 27, of Grimsby in northern Lincolnshire, England

Friday, April 20, 2007 6:58 PM -
Jason M. Morales, 20, of La Puente, California	The DoD has identified the soldier who died in a small arms fire attack in southwest Baghdad on Wednesday, April 18th: Private 1st Class Jason M. Morales, 20, of La Puente, California.

Saturday, April 21, 2007 6:37 AM -
	(1) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Task Force Marne soldier in a roadside bomb attack 15 miles southwest of Baghdad "today" ... which we will presume for now is the date of the report, Saturday, April 21st.
	(2) The Associated Press is reporting the death of a Polish soldier in Iraq on Friday, April 20th. 25-year-old Tomasz Jura was killed and four other soldiers wounded when their patrol hit an improvised explosive device in Diwaniyah south of Baghdad.

Saturday, April 21, 2007 7:51 AM -
	The Polish Ministry of Defense has issued a statement on the death of a Polish soldier in Diwaniyah, Iraq, on April 20th. A rough translation follows:
		Death of polish soldier in iraq
		A Polish patrol was attacked on 20 April at 22.40 hours Iraqi time (20.40 hours Polish time) in Diwaniyah.
		As a result of the detonation of an improvised explosive device, one Polish soldier has died, 25-year-old starszy szeregowy [Lance Corporal] Tomasz Jura, ndt.**. In addition, four Polish soldiers were lightly wounded.
		The wounded were immediately evacuated to the Polish Base at Camp Echo. Their lives are not in danger. The soldiers’ families have been informed of their situation.
		The attack happened in the northeastern Nahda District of Diwaniyah, several kilometers from Camp Echo, where a joint unit of Iraqi army and police and coalition soldiers were patrolling the city as part of Multi-National Division – Center’s Operation Black Eagle.
		The dead and wounded Polish soldiers were assigned to the 25 Brygada Kawalerii Powietrznej [25th Air Cavalry Brigade] based at Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland.
		(** ndt. = nadterminowy ... he had served over a year in the army and was thus a candidate to be a professional soldier)

Saturday, April 21, 2007 2:24 PM -
	(1) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Marine from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Friday, April 20th.
	(2) CENTCOM is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a small arms fire attack in an eastern neighborhood of Baghdad on Saturday, April 21st. One other soldier was wounded in the incident.
	(3) Lastly, CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in an attack involving an improvised explosive device and small arms fire in a southwestern part of Baghdad on Saturday, April 21st. Three other soldier were wounded.

Sunday, April 22, 2007 12:34 PM -
	(1) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Task Force Marne soldier when his forward operating base southwest of Baghdad came under an indirect fire attack on Saturday, April 21st. Two other soldiers were wounded in the attack.
	(2) CENTCOM is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier from a non-hostile, unspecified cause on Saturday, April 21st.
	(3) Lastly, CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier when his patrol was attacked with small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades in a western neighborhood of Baghdad. Three other soldiers were injured in the incident.

Monday, April 23, 2007 8:03 AM -
	The Polish Ministry of Defense has announced funeral arrangements for Starszy Szeregowy (Lance Corporal) Tomasz Jura, 25. The press release is roughly translated in part as follows:
		On 24 April 2007 at about 16.00 hours at the Nowy Glinnik military airport at Tomaszów Mazowiecki, a ceremony will be conducted at the return to Poland of the remains of Starszy Szeregowy ndt. Tomasz Jura who died on 20 April while in performance of his mission in Iraq.
		A solemn funeral will be held the next day, 25 April 2007, at Studzianna in the commune of Poswietne in the Lodz administrative district. At 13.00 hours, a mass will be conducted in honor of the fallen at the church, Sanktuarium Matki Bożej Świętorodzinnej, in Studzianna, after which a funeral cortege will proceed to the nearby parish cemetery.
	Because Jura will be buried at Studzianna, we are assuming this to be his hometown. Also, an article that appears at this Polish website would appear to inicate that Jura was with the 7th Battalion of the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade.

Monday, April 23, 2007 11:14 AM - The British Ministry of Defense is announcing the death of a soldier assigned to the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment in a small arms fire attack that took place in Al Ashar District of Basra City on Monday, April 23rd. This is the eleventh British soldier to die in Iraq in April, 2007, alone.

Monday, April 23, 2007 11:40 AM -
Jeffery A. Bishop, 23, of Dickson, Tennessee	(1) The DoD has identified the Marine who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Friday, April 20th: Lance Corporal Jeffery A. Bishop, 23, of Dickson, Tennessee.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldier in an improvised explosive device attack in Muqdadiyah in Diyala Province on Monday, April 23rd.

Monday, April 23, 2007 12:55 PM -
	(1) The DoD has identified the two soldiers who died north of Baghdad in a roadside bomb attack on Wednesday, April 18th:
		Corporal Wade J. Oglesby, 27, of Grand Junction, Colorado
		Corporal Michael M. Rojas, 21, of Fresno, California
		The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel has a lengthy, well-done piece on Oglesby, describing him as a tall, skinny and often painfully shy young man, who at one point had to drop out of high school to care for his terminally ill mother who died in September 2003. This setback didn't stop him from earning his GED with flying colors. In 2004 he enlisted in the army with an eye toward eventually enrolling in a police academy and training to be a cop.
		An article in the Fresno Bee describes Rojas as having played football throughout high school, including two seasons on the varsity team. He had enlisted in the army right after graduation in 2004 and was due to return from Iraq this summer. Rojas was the only boy in a family of five siblings.
Dwayne L. Moore, 31, of Williamsburg, Virginia	(2) The DoD has also identified the soldier who died in a rocket attack on his forward operating base in Mahmudiyah south of Baghdad on Thursday, April 19th: Army Chief Warrant Officer Dwayne L. Moore, 31, of Williamsburg, Virginia.

Monday, April 23, 2007 1:23 PM -
Christopher M. North, 21, of Sarasota, Florida	(1) The DoD has identified the soldier who died in a southwestern part of Baghdad on Saturday, April 21st, when his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device and small arms fire: Private 1st Class Christopher M. North, 21, of Sarasota, Florida. His unit, the 1st Squadron of the 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, has been based in a place called Al Mekanik to the south of Baghdad's southern Dora neighborhood.
Michael J. Slater, 19, of Scott Depot, West Virginia	(2) The DoD has also announced the death of a soldier who died when his vehicle rolled over "during combat operations" in Taji just northwest of Baghdad on Saturday, April 21st: Private Michael J. Slater, 19, of Scott Depot, West Virginia. The only death we know of on the 21st that might be this one is described in this CENTCOM release as a death "due to a non-battle-related cause". We will put him in this slot for now unless and until further information comes to light.

Monday, April 23, 2007 4:44 PM -
William W. Bushnell, 24, of Jasper, Arkansas	(1) Earlier, CENTCOM had issued a press release for the death of a soldier in a western neighborhood of Baghdad when his unit was attacked with small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades on Saturday, April 21st. Today, the DoD has identified a soldier who died that day "in Baghdad" when his vehicle was struck by an RPG: Sergeant William W. Bushnell, 24, of Jasper, Arkansas. A check of the latest Order of Battle in Iraq shows that Bushnell's unit, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment (1st Cavalry Division) has indeed been operating in western Baghdad ... in the Ghazaliya neighborhood. A brief Associated Press article reports that Bushnell had enlisted in the army in late 2002 and had done a stint in Afghanistan before deploying to Iraq. He was his parents' only son.
Marlon B. Harper, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland	(2) The DoD has identified a soldier who died when his unit was attacked by enemy forces "using a rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire" in Baghdad on Saturday, April 21st: Staff Sergeant Marlon B. Harper, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland. Harper's unit, the 1st Battalion of the 8th Cavalry Regiment (1st Cavalry Division) has been operating in the New Baghdad district out on the eastern side of Baghdad. We believe that this corresponds to the "small arms fire" death in eastern Baghdad described in this CENTCOM release. This was not Harper's first Iraq deployment. An article appeared on the DoD's website back in February of 2004 in which Harper is pictured and also quoted on his job training Iraqis for their Civil Defense Corps.

Monday, April 23, 2007 5:54 PM - MNF-Iraq has just reported the deaths of nine U.S. soldiers in Diyala Province on Monday, April 23rd, when their patrol base was hit with a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. In addition 20 Task Force Lightning soldiers and an Iraqi civilian were injured in the blast.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 4:23 AM -

Daniel J. Santee, 21, of Mission Viejo, California

CORRECTION: Earlier this month, CENTCOM issued a press release announcing that a Marine had died "April 14 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province." Shortly thereafter, the DoD did identify a Marine death for that day ... Lance Corporal Daniel J. Santee, 21, of Mission Viejo, California. But they described that death as a "non-hostile vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province". At the time, we listed both incidents separately. However, after 10 days and no further identifications from the DoD, it seems likely that CENTCOM just erred in their description of events, and that the two documents describe the same death. These two slots in the database have now been merged, thus reducing the death count by one.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 5:04 AM - CNN is reporting that all nine soldiers who died in a suicide car bomb attack on their patrol base in Diyala Province on Monday, April 23rd, were members of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, NC. According to a base spokesman, it was the single greatest loss of life the unit has suffered in over five years of overseas deployments.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 7:46 AM -
Tomasz Jura, 25, of Studzianna (Łódż), Poland	(1) The Polish Ministry of Defense has announced that Tomasz Jura, the 25-year-old Polish soldier who was killed in a roadside bomb blast on April 20th in Iraq, has been posthumously promoted to Kapral (Corporal).
	(2) The Liverpool (England) Echo has identified the British soldier who died in a small arms fire attack in Basra City on Monday, April 23rd: Alan Jones, 20, from Liverpool.
	(3) The Associated Press is reporting more details of the attack on April 23rd that left nine 82nd Airborne Division soldiers dead. According to a military spokesperson, all nine were from the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne ... a unit which lately has been stationed in the vicinity of Ba'qubah about 35 miles north of Baghdad. Apparently, a suicide truck bomb detonated just outside the building they were in.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 8:37 AM - Watertown (New York) station WWTI is reporting the death of Staff Sergeant Steven Tudor, 36, in Iraq. It cites the Watertown Daily Times and "media in Pennsylvania" as saying that he was killed in a mortar attack on his base near Baghdad on Saturday, April 21st. This would make him the death described in this CENTCOM release. Although born in Ohio, Tudor graduated in 1989 from Dunmore High in Lackawanna County in northeastern Pennsylvania, this last from an article filed by Moosic (Pennsylvania) station WNEP. Recently, he had lived in Watertown, New York, near Fort Drum, his home base. He was a career soldier who had served several overseas deployments.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 9:42 AM -
	The British Ministry of Defense has now confirmed the identity of the British soldier killed in Basra City on April 23rd: Kingsman Alan Joseph Jones, 20, of Liverpool, England. Jones had joined the army in mid-2003 and was deployed to Iraq in November of 2006. He is survived by his mother and younger brother.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 12:28 PM -
Kevin Gaspers, 25, of Hastings, Nebraska	(1) The Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald is reporting the death of a Hastings, Nebraska, native in Iraq. Lieutenant Kevin Gaspers, 25, was apparently one of the nine 82nd Airborne soldiers who died in a suicide truck bombing near Ba'qubah on Monday, April 23rd. After graduating from high school in Hastings, Gaspers enrolled in the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, joining the ROTC program at the same time. He earned his army officer's commission about two years ago, his mother said. This was his first tour of duty in Iraq ... he had been home on leave recently. Gaspers is survived by his parents and two sisters.
Garrett Knoll, 23, of Bad Axe, Michigan	(2) The Associated Press is reporting the death of a Michigan man in Iraq. 23-year-old Garrett Knoll, from the small town of Verona in the thumb area of Michigan near Bad Axe, was among the nine 82nd Airborne soldiers who died in the suicide truck bombing near Ba'qubah on April 23rd. According to his grandmother, he had been serving as a medic in Iraq for two months.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 12:40 PM - CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Marine from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Monday, April 23rd.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 2:25 PM -

The DoD has identified the Task Force Marne soldier who died in a roadside bomb blast 15 miles southwest of Baghdad on Saturday, April 21st: Corporal Ray Michael Bevel, 22, of Andrews, Texas. He died in the vicinity of Yusufiyah in Babil Province. Interviews with family members have begun to appear in the media ... one from the Midland (Texas) Reporter-Telegram and another from the Shreveport (Louisiana) Times. Bevel had joined the army shortly after high school graduation in 2003, and had married a little less than two years ago. Both of his brothers are serving in the army. His stepmother recalled her last conversation with him before his death: "He didn't understand exactly why they were over there and nobody explained it to them why we were over there." Bevel was promoted posthumously from Private 1st Class to Corporal.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 5:30 PM -
Steven R. Tudor, 36, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania	(1) The DoD has confirmed the death of Staff Sergeant Steven R. Tudor, 36, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, in an indirect fire attack on his unit southwest of Baghdad on Saturday, April 21st.
Jeffrey A. Avery, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colorado	(2) The DoD has identified the Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldier who died in an improvised explosive device attack in the vicinity of Muqdadiyah in Diyala Province on Monday, April 23rd: Private 1st Class Jeffrey A. Avery, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Avery was a military policeman based out of Fort Lewis, WA.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:50 AM -
Dale Peterson, 20, of Burns, Oregon	(1) The Oregonian is reporting the death of a young Oregon Marine in Iraq on Monday, April 23rd. According to his father, Lance Corporal Dale Peterson, 20, of Burns, Oregon, was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Al Anbar Province. He had been in the country for less than a month and was assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion for the 2nd Marine Division. Peterson was married to a fellow Marine.
Mike Vaughan, 20, of Otis, Oregon	(2) The Associated Press has identified another of the nine victims of a suicide truck bombing of an 82nd Airborne Division unit on Monday, April 23rd: Mike Vaughan, 20, of Otis, Oregon. Vaughan had signed up for the army even before graduating from high school in 2004. He had been home on leave just last month. His father said, "He had seen enough."

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 8:21 AM -

Michael Rodriguez, 20, of Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville (Tennessee) station WATE is reporting the name of yet another of the nine 82nd Airborne Division soldiers who died in the suicide truck bombing near Ba'qubah on Monday, April 23rd: Private 1st Class Michael Rodriguez, 20. Rodriguez had spent his early high school years in Knoxville, but had graduated from a school in Sanford, North Carolina, after his family moved there. However, he had returned to Knoxville while on leave in January and had proposed to his girlfriend.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 11:24 AM -
	(1) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldier from a non-hostile, unspecified cause on Tuesday, April 24th, presumably in Baghdad (although that is not specifically stated).
William "Clint" Moore, 27, of Benson, North Carolina	(2) The Dunn (North Carolina) Daily Record has identified another of the 82nd Airborne Division suicide truck bombing victims from April 23rd: Staff Sergeant Clint Moore, 27, of Benson, North Carolina. A career military man, Moore knew even in high school that he wanted to enlist in the army. His sister describes him as "a sociable, outgoing guy ... He loved music, he loved life. He lived his life to the fullest." This was Moore's second deployment to Iraq.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 11:42 AM - Relative to Monday's suicide truck bombing that killed nine soldiers, the Fayetteville (North Carolina) Observer has added a few more details on the soldiers whose identities are currently known. Kevin Gaspers, 26, of Hastings, Nebraska, was a 1st Lieutenant. Army medic Knoll's full name was Garrett Charles Knoll ... he was 23, and from Verona, Michigan. And Clint Moore's full name was William "Clint" Moore.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 12:43 PM - The DoD has confirmed the death of Marine Lance Corporal Dale G. Peterson, 20, of Redmond, Oregon, from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Monday, April 23rd.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 6:23 PM -
Ken Locker Jr. of Burwell, Nebraska	The Associated Press has a brief article out reporting the death of 28-year-old Army Sergeant Ken Locker Jr. of Burwell, Nebraska, in Iraq on Monday, April 23rd. He was with the 82nd Airborne Division, and thus is likely one of the nine dead in the suicide truck bombing near Ba'qubah on that day.

Thursday, April 26, 2007 6:44 AM -

Ryen King, 19, of Carnesville, Georgia

The Associated Press has published a brief article on the death of Private 1st Class Ryen King, 19, of Carnesville, Georgia, in Iraq. He was apparently yet another victim of the suicide truck bomber who struck an 82nd Airborne Division unit near Ba'qubah on April 23rd. King was a two sport athlete while in high school and also a member of the Young Democrats. He has five sisters ranging in age from 2 to 20.

Thursday, April 26, 2007 2:11 PM - The DoD has released the names of all nine soldiers who died on Monday, April 23rd, in a suicide truck bombing in As Sadah, a northeast suburb of Ba'qubah:
Kevin Gaspers, 25, of Hastings, Nebraska	1st Lieutenant Kevin J. Gaspers, 26, of Hastings, Nebraska
Ryen King, 19, of Carnesville, Georgia	Specialist Jerry R. King, 19, of Browersville, Georgia
Garrett Knoll, 23, of Bad Axe, Michigan	Private 1st Class Garrett C. Knoll, 23, of Bad Axe, Michigan
Ken Locker Jr. of Burwell, Nebraska	Staff Sergeant Kenneth E. Locker Jr., 28, of Wakefield, Nebraska
	Sergeant Randell T. Marshall, 22, of Fitzgerald, Georgia
William "Clint" Moore, 27, of Benson, North Carolina	Staff Sergeant William C. Moore, 27, of Benson, North Carolina
	Sergeant Brice A. Pearson, 32, of Phoenix, Arizona
Michael Rodriguez, 20, of Knoxville, Tennessee	Specialist Michael J. Rodriguez, 20, of Sanford, North Carolina
Mike Vaughan, 20, of Otis, Oregon	Sergeant Michael L. Vaughan, 20, of Otis, Oregon

Thursday, April 26, 2007 7:09 PM -

Jeremy E. Maresh, 24, of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

The DoD has identified the soldier who died in a non-hostile, unspecified incident in Baghdad on Tuesday, April 24th: Pennsylvania Army National Guardsman Specialist Jeremy E. Maresh, 24, of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. The Allentown (Pennsylvania) Morning Call is reporting that Maresh was an apparent suicide. He had been a Guardsman for 6 years ... in fact, had re-enlisted for another 6 last January. He leaves behind an 18-month-old son and a fiancee.

Friday, April 27, 2007 6:15 AM -
Willie P. Celestine Jr., 22, of Lafayette, Louisiana	(1) The Lafayette (Louisiana) Daily Advertiser is reporting the death of a local Marine in Iraq on Thursday, April 26th: Willie Celestine Jr., 22, of Lafayette. According to his mother-in-law, he died in Fallujah. Celestine was married and had a young daughter.
Adam Loggins, 23, of Huntsville, Alabama	(2) The Huntville (Alabama) Times is reporting the death of another Marine on Thursday, April 26th: Lance Corporal Adam Loggins, 23, son of Huntsville's new fire chief Danny Loggins. According to the article, Loggins was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, which are reportedly stationed out of Habbaniyah to the west of Fallujah.

Friday, April 27, 2007 8:37 AM - CENTCOM is now reporting the deaths of THREE Marines from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Thursday, April 26th. We have already learned the names of two from the news media ... Celestine and Loggins. Therefore, we are now adding one more death to the database.

Friday, April 27, 2007 5:10 PM - The DoD has confirmed the death of Marine Corporal Willie P. Celestine Jr., 21, of Lafayette, Louisiana, from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Thursday, April 26th.

Saturday, April 28, 2007 5:08 AM - The DoD has confirmed the death of Marine Lance Corporal Adam E. Loggins, 27, of Athens, Alabama, from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Thursday, April 26th.

Saturday, April 28, 2007 6:03 PM - 9 NEW INCOMING, AGAIN!
	(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of three soldiers and two Marines assigned to Multi-National Force - West from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Friday, April 27th.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of three Task Force Marne soldiers in a roadside bomb attack southeast of Baghdad on Saturday, April 28th. One soldier was also wounded in the blast.
	(3) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of one Task Force Marne soldier in a roadside bomb attack south of Baghdad on Saturday, April 28th. Two soldiers were also wounded in the attack.

Sunday, April 29, 2007 9:12 AM - The British Ministry of Defense has announced the death of a 2nd Battalion, The Rifles Regiment, soldier in a small arms fire attack east of central Basra in the Al Ashar District on Sunday, April 29th. This is the twelfth death of a British soldier this month alone.

Monday, April 30, 2007 4:31 AM -
	(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a small arms fire attack in an eastern neighborhood of Baghdad on Saturday, April 28th.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Marine from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Sunday, April 29th.

Monday, April 30, 2007 4:45 AM - The Associated Press and CBS News are reporting the deaths of three more Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers in a roadside bomb attack in an eastern section of Baghdad on Sunday, April 29th.

Monday, April 30, 2007 5:09 AM -

David Austin Kirkpatrick, 20, Matthews, Indiana

The Marion (Indiana) Chronicle-Tribune has published a good article on the death of Private 1st Class David Austin Kirkpatrick, 20, in Iraq on Friday, April 27th. The article mentions that he was part of the "57th Cavalry" out of Fort Stewart, Georgia. We believe the reporter meant the 5th Squadron of the 7th Cavalry, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, which is based at Fort Stewart. That unit is currently a part of Multi-National Force-West operating in the vicinity of Ramadi in Al Anbar Province, thus making it likely that he was one of the 5 deaths described in this CENTCOM release. Kirkpatrick was killed when his Humvee struck a roadside bomb. Raised in the little town of Marion, Indiana, his family described him as interested in all things military from a very young age. So it was no surprise to anyone when he joined the army last year. He was a talented mechanic who had taken vocational automotive classes in high school ... and then continued using those skills in the army.

Monday, April 30, 2007 7:18 AM - The Anchorage (Alaska) Daily news is reporting that a paratrooper with the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division based out of Fort Richardson, AK, was killed by a roadside bomb attack at Iskandariyah in Babil Province on Saturday, April 28th. This corresponds with the "south of Baghdad" roadside bomb death that killed one and wounded two as described in this CENTCOM release. The 4th Brigade of the 25th Infantry is part of Task Force Marne. The name of the deceased soldier has not been released yet.

Monday, April 30, 2007 10:16 AM -
Paul Donnachie of Reading in Berkshire, England	(1) The British Ministry of Defense has identified the British soldier who died in a sniper attack in Basra City on Sunday, April 29th: Rifleman Paul Donnachie of Reading in Berkshire, England. Only 18-years-old, Donnachie had just completed basic training in December, arriving in Iraq in January. Yet he seemed to fit in well with military life ... in fact, he had already volunteered for a stint in Afghanistan later this year. He was on foot, investigating the route ahead for the patrol vehicles, when he was hit.
	(2) CENTCOM has confirmed the deaths of three Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers in a roadside bomb strike on their vehicle in an eastern section of Baghdad on Sunday, April 29th.
Peter Woodall, 25, of Sarasota, Florida	(3) The DoD has identified one of the two Marines who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Friday, April 27th: Sergeant Peter Woodall, 25, of Sarasota, Florida. He was with the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.

Monday, April 30, 2007 11:26 AM -

Nicholas E. Riehl, 21, of Shiocton, Wisconsin

The DoD has identified one of the three soldiers who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Friday, April 27th: Private 1st Class Nicholas E. Riehl, 21, of Shiocton, Wisconsin. The release says that he died in a roadside bomb blast in Fallujah. Riehl's unit, the 5th Squadron of the 7th Cavalry, just so happens to be the same unit that Pfc. David Kirkpatrick is in ... which leads us to wonder if both men died in the same incident. Our information had suggested that this unit was operating in the vicinity of Ramadi ... but perhaps not.

Monday, April 30, 2007 2:59 PM -
Christopher Degiovine, 25, Essex Junction, Vermont, and his spouse, Rachel Young	(1) The DoD has identified the last of three Marines who died in enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Thursday, April 26th: Corporal Christopher Degiovine, 25. His unit, the 2nd Marine Division's 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, matches that of another Marine death from the same day, Corporal Willie Celestine. Because media reports are indicating that Celestine died in the vicinity of Fallujah, it is likely that Degiovine did so as well. The DoD lists Degiovine's hometown as Lone Tree, Colorado. However, an Associated Press article is saying that he grew up in Essex Junction, Vermont, graduating from high school there in 2000, then going on to earn a college degree in criminal justice in 2005 from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.  His family apparently still resides in Essex Junction.
	(2) The DoD is also identifying the last two of three soldiers who died when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle in Fallujah on Friday, April 27th:
Eddie D. Tamez, 21, of Galveston, Texas		Specialist Eddie D. Tamez, 21, of Galveston, Texas
		Private 1st Class David A. Kirkpatrick, 20, of Upland, Indiana
		(The third soldier was identified earlier today as Pfc. Nicholas Riehl.)

Monday, April 30, 2007 4:26 PM -
William J. Callahan, 28, of South Easton, Massachusetts	(1) The DoD has identified the second of two Marines who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Friday, April 27th: Sergeant William J. Callahan, 28, of South Easton, Massachusetts. He belonged to the same unit as Sergeant Peter Woodall who died on the same day in Al Anbar.
Michael R. Hullender, 29, of Little Falls, New Jersey	(2) The DoD has also identified the soldier who died south of Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in the vicinity of Iskandariyah in Babil Province on Saturday, April 28th: Sergeant Michael R. Hullender, 29, of Little Falls, New Jersey. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Richardson, AK.
Travis L. Manion, 26, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania	(3) Lastly, the DoD has identified the Marine who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Sunday, April 29th: 1st Lieutenant Travis L. Manion, 26, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Manion was assigned to the 1st Marine Division's 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and may have been stationed at Rawah near the Syrian border.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007 5:25 AM -
	(1) The DoD has released the identities of the three Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers who were killed in a roadside bomb attack in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, April 29th:
		Staff Sergeant Jay E. Martin, 29, of Baltimore, Maryland
		Sergeant Alexander J. Funcheon, 21, of Bel Aire, Kansas
		Private 1st Class Brian A. Botello, 19, of Alta, Iowa

Tuesday, May 01, 2007 12:48 PM -
Norman Lane Tollett, 30, of Columbus, Ohio	(1) The DoD has identified the Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier who died in a small arms fire attack in eastern Baghdad on Saturday, April 28th: Sergeant Norman Lane Tollett, 30, of Columbus, Ohio. According to an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Tollett was actually from Elyria, Ohio, and worked for years in the family vending machine business. He joined the army in 2005 after hearing the story of Pat Tillman's decision to volunteer for the service ... and his subsequent death in 2004. A born leader, Tollett excelled in boot camp and rose rapidly in rank. He had already served a tour of duty in Iraq within a year of enlisting. In early January of this year, he returned for his second deployment there.
Cole Spencer, 21, of Gays, Illinois	(2) Champaign (Illinois) station WCIA-TV is reporting the death of Army soldier Cole Spencer, 21, of Gays, Illinois, in Iraq on Saturday, April 28th. By process of elimination, it is likely that he is one of the three soldiers who died in a roadside bombing southeast of Baghdad on that day as described in this CENTCOM release. Spencer had only just been deployed to Iraq a month ago. He was planning to marry when he returned home. He is survived by his parents and a younger brother.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007 5:12 PM -
	The DoD has released the identities of the three Task Force Marne soldiers who were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the vicinity of Salman Pak southeast of Baghdad on Saturday, April 28th:
		Sergeant Glenn D. Hicks Jr., 24, of College Station, Texas
		Private 1st Class Jay-D H. Ornsby-Adkins, 21, of Ione, California
		Private Cole E. Spencer, 21, of Gays, Illinois