Friday, May 04, 2007 4:07 AM - MNF- Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Marne soldier south of Baghdad when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb on Friday, May 4th. Two other soldiers were wounded in the attack.

Friday, May 04, 2007 12:13 PM - MNF-
	(1) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a roadside bomb attack in an eastern neighborhood of Baghdad on Thursday, May 3rd. Six other soldiers were wounded in the incident.
	(2) CENTCOM is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a roadside bomb attack in a western neighborhood of Baghdad on Thursday, May 3rd. Three other soldiers were wounded in the attack.
	(3) Lastly, CENTCOM is reporting the deaths of two Multi-National Force - West soldiers from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Thursday, May 3rd.

Friday, May 04, 2007 1:16 PM -
Colby J. Umbrell, 26, Of Doylestown, Pennsylvania	(1) On May 4th, CENTCOM issued a press release stating that a Task Force Marne soldier had died "today" in a roadside bomg attack south of Baghdad. However, this is likely a case where the release was written while "today" was still May 3rd ... but not published until the 4th. The DoD has identified this soldier as 1st Lieutenant Colby J. Umbrell, 26, Of Doylestown, Pennsylvania ... and have confirmed that he died on Thursday, the 3rd, in a roadside bomb attack. His place of death was given as Musayyib in Babil Province south of Baghdad. The Wheeling (West Virginia) Intelligencer describes Umbrell as the oldest of four children ... and a natural born leader. He had dreamed of joining the military since attending a football camp at West Point during high school. But he elected to earn a degree in political science at John Hopkins University in 2004. He enlisted in the army some time after graduation and was on his first deployment to Iraq. Umbrell had just been home on leave at the end of March.
Johnathan E. Kirk, 25, of Belhaven, North Carolina	(2) The DoD has announced a new death, one not previously reported by CENTCOM. Marine Lance Corporal Johnathan E. Kirk, 25, of Belhaven, North Carolina, had been wounded by enemy action in Al Anbar Province on April 23rd. He died of those wounds on Tuesday, May 1st, although the DoD did not say where. However, an article appeared in the Washington (North Carolina) Daily News that described how his step-brother, Ben Hopkins, successfully competed in a high school championship event after learning the night before that Kirk had been injured. Hopkins stated that his step-brother had been critically wounded in a roadside bomb blast and was at that point in a hospital in Germany. We do not know if he was still there when he died. Kirk had been with the Marines for about a year and a half ... and had served in Iraq for about a month.

Sunday, May 06, 2007 1:17 PM - MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier on Sunday, May 6th, of a non-hostile, unspecified cause. The soldier's place of death was not given.

Sunday, May 6, 2007 3:12 PM - The British Ministry of Defense has announced the death of one of their troops on Sunday, May 6th. The soldier, a member of the Royal Logistics Corps, was very seriously injured by a roadside bomb in the vicinity of Basra on May 3rd. He was flown back to the United Kingdom where, despite extensive treatment, the soldier succumbed to his injuries.

Monday, May 07, 2007 8:26 AM - CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a small arms fire attack in western Baghdad on Sunday, May 6th. This will make the 11th coalition death for the 6th.

Monday, May 07, 2007 3:22 PM -
	(1) The DoD has confirmed the death of Army Private 1st Class Jerome J. Potter, 24, of Tacoma, Washington, in a roadside bomb blast in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, May 3rd.
	(2) The Associated Press is reporting that officials at Fort Lewis, WA, have confirmed that all six soldiers who died in a roadside bomb attack in Diyala Province on Sunday, May 6th, were assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division based at Fort Lewis. The names of the dead have not yet been officially released, but El Paso (Texas) station KVIA-TV has identified one of them as Specialist Anthony Bradshaw, 21, of El Paso. On March 16, 2007, the Associated Press published a harrowing account of the 3rd Stryker Brigade's first foray into Diyala Province in the vicinity of Ba'qubah. One 21-year-old Specialist Anthony Bradshaw from "San Antonio" is quoted in the article, commenting on the casualties they were taking ... likely the same soldier who would perish himself less than two months later. Bradshaw has a twin brother and an older brother currently serving with the Army.

Monday, May 07, 2007 4:29 PM -
	(1) In a press release dated May 6th, CENTCOM had reported on the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier from a roadside bomb attack in western Baghdad on May 4th, adding also that 4 soldiers had been wounded in the attack. That was the only death reported for Friday, May 4th. Today, the DoD has announced the names of two soldiers who died as a result of that blast:
		Staff Sergeant Christopher N. Hamlin, 24, of London, Kentucky
		Private 1st Class Larry I. Guyton, 22, of Brenham, Texas
		Hamlin died at the scene. Guyton died the next day, May 5th, at a medical facility in Balad and has thus been added to our database as a new death. Both were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment ... a unit known to be operating in western Baghdad. In fact, that very unit lost a man on May 3rd in western Baghdad, Spc. Andrew Weiss.
	(2) The DoD has also released the identity of the Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier who died in a small arms fire attack in western Baghdad on Sunday, May 6th: Staff Sergeant Christopher S. Kiernan, 37, of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kiernan is from the same unit, the 1st Battalion of the 5th Cavalry, that Hamlin, Guyton and Weiss belonged to, marking the fourth death from that unit in as many days.
	(3) Lastly, the DoD has identified the two Marines who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Saturday, May 5th:
		Master Sergeant Kenneth N. Mack, 42, of Fort Worth, Texas
		Corporal Charles O. Palmer II, 36, of Manteca, California
		Master Sergeant Mack was featured in an article that appeared in the Des Moines (Iowa) Register on September 30th, 2005, describing a night when he commanded a 50-vehicle convoy over the perilous 45 miles that separate Fallujah from Ramadi. It is not known at this time if Mack and Palmer died in the same incident. But an article in California's Tri-Valley Herald is saying that Palmer died acting as a gunner in the top turret of a vehicle that hit an improvised explosive device near the town of Khalidiyah, about half way between Fallujah and Ramadi.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007 12:29 PM - The Associated Press is reporting the deaths of two Task Force Marne soldiers in a roadside bombing southeast of Baghdad on Tuesday, May 8th.

Thursday, May 10, 2007 7:35 PM - UPDATE
Walter K. O'Haire, 20, of Lynn, Massachusetts	The DoD has identified the Marine who died in enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Wednesday, May 9th: Lance Corporal Walter K. O'Haire, 20, of Lynn, Massachusetts.

Friday, May 11, 2007 5:40 PM - UPDATE -
Jason Walter Vaughn, 29, of Iuka, Mississippi	The DoD has identified the Multi-National Division - North soldier who died in an "explosion" in Diyala Province on Thursday, May 10th: Sergeant Jason W. Vaughn, 29, of Iuka, Mississippi. He was killed in a roadside bomb blast in the city of Ba'qubah. Vaughn is from the same unit ... the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, that lost six soldiers on May 6th, also in a roadside bombing.

Friday, May 11, 2007 6:15 PM - UPDATE - The DoD has identified the Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldier who was killed by gunfire in Diwaniyah, Qadisiyah Province, on Thursday, May 10th: Private 1st Class Roy L. Jones III, 21, of Houston, Texas. Jones was a military policeman from a Fort Carson, CO, based unit.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 8:24 AM - UPDATE - The blog the Washington Note is reporting that 1st Lieutenant Andrew J. Bacevich Jr., 27, who died in Balad, according to the DoD, from wounds he received in an IED attack on Sunday, May 13th, was the son of noted Boston University Professor Andrew J. Bacevich Sr., who for years has challenged the legitimacy of the Iraq war in "reserved, serious" terms. In fact, he is the author of the book The New American Militarism: How Americans are Seduced by War. According to a story from Boston's WBUR, Bacevich Jr. himself graduated from Boston University with a major in Communications in 2003. His captain e-mailed Bacevich Sr. to tell him that his son died on a main highway south of Samarra. "His unit had orders to look out for white sedans, and one came down the road. The soldiers stopped the car, and Bacevich was killed instantly when one of the passengers detonated himself." Bacevich Sr. is a West Point graduate who once taught there, as well, according to an article in the Boston Globe. One of Bacevich Jr.'s three sisters explained that her brother was a born leader who believed, as his father did, in service to his country regardless of what particular war is being fought at the time.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007 4:02 PM - The DoD has released the identity of the Marine who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Monday, May 14th: Lance Corporal Jeffrey D. Walker, 21, of Macon, Georgia.

Thursday, May 17, 2007 1:15 PM - INCOMINGS - MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of three Multi-National Division - Center soldiers in a roadside bomb blast south of Baghdad on Thursday, May 17th. One other soldier was wounded in the attack.

Monday, May 14th: Thursday, May 17, 2007 2:56 PM - UPDATES -
	The DoD has identified the two Task Force Marne soldiers who died in a small arms fire (and an IED as it turns out) attack southeast of Baghdad in the vicinity of Salman Pak on:
		Sergeant Allen James Dunckley, 25, of Yardley, Pennsylvania
		Sergeant Christopher Neil Gonzalez, 25, of Winslow, Arizona
	There is nothing in the media yet on Dunckley. However, a blog entry on the Internet states that he leaves behind a wife and two young children, ages 2 and 3.
	The Associated Press is reporting that Gonzalez was a member of the Navajo Nation. He was on his second tour of Iraq ... and is survived by a wife and child.

Friday, May 18, 2007 6:43 AM - UPDATE -
Anthony J. Schober, 23, of Reno, Nevada	Relatives have now informed CNN of the identity of the fourth soldier who died on Saturday, May 12th, in an ambush near Mahmudiyah: Sergeant Anthony J. Schober, 23, of Reno, Nevada. Schober was on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq at the time of his death.
	This news firmly establishes the identities of the three missing soldiers:
		Specialist Alex R. Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts
		Private 1st Class Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, California
		Private Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Michigan

Friday, May 18, 2007 11:48 AM - UPDATE & INCOMINGS -
	(1) The Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News has learned that the three soldiers who died south of Baghdad on Thursday, May 17th, (see this CENTCOM release) were from the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Richardson, Alaska. They died at Iskandariyah in Babil Province.
	(2) CENTCOM is reporting the deaths of two Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers ... and the wounding of nine others ... "in separate attacks" in the southern part of Baghdad on Thursday, May 17th.

Saturday, May 19, 2007 4:38 AM - UPDATE -

Anselmo Martinez III, of Robstown, Texas

The Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller Times is reporting the death of Staff Sergeant Anselmo Martinez III of the Corpus Christi suburb of Robstown when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb near Ba'qubah in Diyala Province on Friday, May 18th. Martinez graduated from high school in 1998 and joined the army in 2002 for the economic stability it afforded himself, his wife and two daughters. He was with the 1st Cavalry Division based out of Fort Hood, TX. Although scheduled to come home on leave by Mother's Day from this, his first, tour of Iraq, that leave kept getting pushed back. His mother said, "Now he's coming home in a box ... if he had come back when he was supposed to, this wouldn't have happened."

Saturday, May 19, 2007 6:22 AM - INCOMINGS -
	(1) CENTCOM is reporting the deaths of two Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers when their patrol was attacked with an IED and small arms fire in a northwestern part of Baghdad on Friday, May 18th. Two soldiers were wounded in the attack.
	(2) CENTCOM is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Force - West soldier from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Friday, May 18th.
	(3) CENTCOM is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Center soldier when he was attacked with small arms fire south of Baghdad on Friday, May 18th.
	(4) CENTCOM is also reporting the death of another Multi-National Division - Center soldier in a roadside bomb blast south of Baghdad "today" in a release dated Saturday, May 19th. Three U.S. soldiers and two Iraqi soldiers were injured in the blast.

Saturday, May 19, 2007 7:16 AM - INCOMINGS -
Aaron Daniel Gautier, 19, of Hampton, Virginia	(1) Last night the DoD released the identity of a soldier killed "in Baghdad" on Thursday, May 17th, after his unit struck a roadside bomb and was attacked with small arms fire: Private 1st Class Aaron Daniel Gautier, 19, of Hampton, Virginia. His unit, the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, a Stryker unit out of Fort Lewis, WA, has supposedly been based recently out of Camp Taji, northwest of Baghdad, according to the latest from Wikipedia's Current Order of Battle. This does not fit very well the description of any death we know about so far on the 17th, so we are recording him as a new death for the time being. The Hampton Roads Daily Press out of Newport News (Virginia) has interviewed Gautier's father and learned that his son had only been in the army for a year ... and had only been in Iraq for four weeks. Gautier was actually wounded in the attack and transported to a nearby medical facility in Baghdad, but could not be saved. According to his father, the younger Gautier had been on patrol "searching for three missing soldiers". Gautier had been married for four months at the time of his passing.
Jonathan V. Hamm, 20, of Baltimore, Maryland	(2) The DoD has announced another apparent new death on Thursday, May 17th, not previously reported by CENTCOM ... that of Private 1st Class Jonathan V. Hamm, 20, of Baltimore, Maryland. He died in Baghdad when his forward operating base was hit with indirect fire, likely mortar rounds. As it happens, he was assigned to the same battalion that Pfc. Aaron Gautier was assigned to.

Sunday, May 20, 2007 6:22 AM - CORRECTION & INCOMING -
	(1) In a review of deaths from last week, we have noted that this CENTCOM release, describing the deaths of two soldiers in two separate incidents in the southern part of Baghdad, is vaguely enough written that it could indeed be describing the deaths of Private 1st Class Aaron D. Gautier and Private 1st Class Jonathan V. Hamm, both of whom were from the same battalion, same regiment. In the interest of not inflating the death count unnecessarily, we have merged what we'd posted previously as four separate deaths, thus reducing the death count by two.
	(2) The Korea Times is reporting the death of a South Korean officer in Iraq. Apparently the 1st Lieutenant, who was identified only by his family name "Oh", was found dead at the South Korean base at Irbil in northern Iraq, a gunshot wound under his jaw. His rifle and one empty cartridge were found nearby. Although stopping short of calling the death a suicide, officials at the site noted that there were no signs of an attack from the outside or a struggle of any kind. The man is the first South Korean death to occur in Iraq.

Sunday, May 20, 2007 6:56 AM - UPDATE -

Joshua Romero, 19, of Crowley, Texas

The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram is reporting the death of Fort Worth native Army Private 1st Class Joshua Romero, 19, in Iraq. The family was informed on Friday, May 18th. Romero was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, which is known to be patrolling the area around Ba'qubah in Diyala Province. This would likely make him one of the three roadside bomb deaths in Diyala on May 18th. Romero enlisted in the army in 2005 shortly after graduating from high school. For him, it was a way to earn money for college ... to "help open doors for his future." He leaves behind a wife and a 1-year-old son.

Sunday, May 20, 2007 8:16 AM - MULTIPLE INCOMINGS -
	(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of six Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers and an interpreter in a roadside bomb blast in a western neighborhood of Baghdad on Saturday, May 19th.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a 13th Sustainment Command soldier when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device near the city of Ad Diwaniyah in Qadisiyah Province south of Baghdad. Two soldiers were wounded in the incident.

Monday, May 21, 2007 9:37 AM - UPDATES -
Coty Phelps, 22, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona	(1) The Associated Press is reporting that the Army has released the name of one of the three soldiers who died in a roadside bomb attack near Iskandariyah on Thursday, May 17th: Specialist Coty Phelps, 22, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Phelps had joined the army through its Delayed Entry Program in February, 2004, graduating from high school four months later. Apparently, Phelps had training as a paralegal ... which is likely why his identity was released on the Army's Judge Advocate General Corps website.
Victor Michael Fontanilla, 23, of Tinian, Northern Marianas	(2) The Saipan (Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands) Tribune is reporting the death in Iraq of a young soldier who, although born in California, graduated from high school on the island of Tinian in the Northern Marianas: Private 1st Class Victor Michael Fontanilla, 23. Although the article doesn't specify an exact death date, it does state that his parents in the Northern Marianas were notified of the death on Friday, May 18th. It goes on to say that he was killed by a roadside bomb blast ... and that he was a graduate of the Army's Airborne School, as was Specialist Coty Phelps (above). For these reasons, we are guessing he is one of the three Iskandariyah IED deaths on Thursday, May 17th. The nightly rosary for the dead is being said at the home of his aunt in Stockton, CA. A special memorial service, which his parents are flying in to attend, will be held in Sacramento.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 5:52 AM - UPDATES -
	(1) The DoD has released the names of the six soldiers who died when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in western Baghdad on Saturday, May 19th:
		Staff Sergeant Christopher Moore, 28, of Alpaugh, California
		Sergeant Jean P. Medlin, 27, of Pelham, Alabama
		Specialist David W. Behrle, 20, of Tipton, Iowa
		Specialist Joseph A. Gilmore, 26, of Webster, Florida
		Private 1st Class Travis F. Haslip, 20, of Ooltewah, Tennessee
		Private 1st Class Alexander R. Varela, 19, of Fernley, Nevada
		Pfc. Alex Varela will now be moved for the third time ... this time to his proper place with the six western Baghdad deaths.
	(2) The British Ministry of Defense has released the unit of the British soldier who died from enemy action in Basra on Monday, May 21st: 4th Battalion, The Rifles ... a regiment based out of Bulford on the Salisbury Plain in England that has just been posted on its first deployment to Iraq.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 11:02 AM - UPDATE -

Jeremy Brookes, 28, of Birmingham, England

The British Ministry of Defense has identified the 4th Battalion, The Rifles, soldier who was killed by small arms fire in Basra on Monday May 21st: Corporal Jeremy Brookes, 28, of Birmingham, England. Brookes had served in the British Army since February 2001 and had just arrived in Iraq for the current rotation. From all accounts, he was a natural leader, an exceptional sportsman and marathon runner, and "incapable of doing anything by half-measures". He had recently achieved a lifetime ambition of running in the "notoriously demanding" Marathon des Sables in North Africa ... and was actually planning to run the 300 km Arctic Marathon as his next challenge. His commanding officer said of him, "I never saw him admit defeat in anything ..."

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 12:33 PM - UPDATE -

Jason A. Schumann, 23, of Hawley, Minnesota

The DoD has identified the soldier who died in a roadside bomb attack in Ad Diwaniyah in Qadisiyah Province on Saturday, May 19th: Sergeant Jason A. Schumann, 23, of Hawley, Minnesota. The Fargo (North Dakota) Forum is reporting that he was a 2002 graduate of the high school in Hawley ... and known affectionately as "Tuba" for the instrument he chose to play in the high school band. The school principal was quoted as saying, "He was an extremely happy student, kind of a free spirit of sorts, but in a very good sort of way." His family is turning down requests for interviews at this time.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 8:13 PM - UPDATE -

Ryan D. Collins, 20, of Vernon, Texas

The DoD has released the identity of the soldier who was wounded by small arms fire south of Baghdad on Friday, May 18th, but who apparently did not die until the following day, May 19th: Corporal Ryan D. Collins, 20, of Vernon, Texas. The DoD states that he died in Hamiyah, a town south of Baghdad. His unit, the 1st Battalion of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment is thought to be based out of Iskandariyah in Babil Province. The Wichita Falls (Texas) Times Record News describes Collins as a "compassionate" young man who was due to come home on leave, but who gave up his slot so a fellow soldier could go home to see his new baby. Collins graduated from high school in 2005 and joined the military the following fall. He had been in Iraq for about 7 months.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007 5:15 AM - 9 INCOMINGS -
	(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of two Task Force Lightning soldiers in "an explosion" in Baghdad Province on Tuesday, May 22nd.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of three Multi-National Division - Center soldiers when multiple explosive devices struck their patrol on Tuesday, May 22nd. A location for the attack was not given. However, MND-C soldiers are located generally in southern Baghdad or areas south of there. In addition to the deaths, two soldiers and an interpreter were wounded.
	(3) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier when his patrol was attacked by small arms fire in western Baghdad on Tuesday, May 22nd.
	(4) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of another Multi-National Division - Center soldier when his patrol was struck by an IED southwest of Baghdad on Tuesday, May 22nd. One soldier was also wounded in the attack.
	(5) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of two Marines from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Tuesday, May 22nd.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007 6:36 AM - UPDATES -
	The DoD has identified the two Marines who died from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Tuesday, May 22nd:
		Lance Corporal Benjamin D. Desilets, 21, of Elmwood, Illinois
		Corporal Julian M. Woodall, 21, of Tallahassee, Florida
	Creve Coeur (Illinois) station HOI-19 has published an article in which Desilet's mother says her son was killed when a bomb exploded near his Humvee. He graduated from high school in 2004 and was currently serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. According to a piece from Peoria (Illinois) station WMBD/WYZZ-TV, he is survived by a three year old daughter.
	The Tallahassee Democrat is reporting that Woodall was also on his second deployment to Iraq. He graduated from high school in 2004 from the SAIL campus in Tallahassee ... and frequently returned to keep teachers informed of his doings in the Marine Corps. In fact, the school principal had only just sent out his new e-mail address in Iraq to the school's staff on Monday. Tuesday morning, Woodall's family called the school to inform them of his death.

Thursday, May 24, 2007 5:59 AM - UPDATE -
	The DoD has identfied the three Fort Richardson, AK, soldiers who died when their vehicle was hit with multiple IEDs in south Baghdad on Monday, May 21st:
		Staff Sergeant Shannon V. Weaver, 28, of Urich, Missouri
		Sergeant Brian D. Ardron, 32, of Acworth, Georgia
		Specialist Michael W. Davis, 22, of San Marcos, Texas
	Very little on the three men has appeared yet in the media, although the Atlanta (Georgia) Journal-Constitution is reporting that Ardron was a married father of one child.

Thursday, May 24, 2007 11:09 AM - UPDATE -

Robert J. Montgomery Jr., 29, of Scottsburg, Indiana

The DoD has released the identity of the Multi-National Division - Center soldier who died in an IED attack southwest of Baghdad on Tuesday, May 22nd: Sergeant Robert J. Montgomery Jr., 29, of Scottsburg, Indiana. Montgomery's unit, the 1st Squadron of the 40th Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Richardson, AK, has been operating southwest of Baghdad in the area between FOB Falcon and Mahmudiyah. The DoD's reference to "Al Jabour" as the place of death may be a place called "Arab al Jabour" in the vicinity of Mahmudiyah and Yusufiyah. Anchorage (Alaska) station KTUU is reporting that Montgomery was searching for buried explosives on foot in the dark when he hit a small wire that activated a booby trap, killing him. He leaves behind a wife and three small children.

Friday, May 25, 2007 6:36 AM - 7 INCOMINGS -
	(1) On Wednesday, MNF-Iraq issued a press release stating that two Task Force Lightning soldiers died and three were injured in "an explosion" in Baghdad Province on Tuesday, May 22nd. Now today, they have issued another stating that apparently there was another separate "explosion" that day in Baghdad Province in which one Task Force Lightning soldier died and two were injured.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a 13th Sustainment Command soldier in an IED attack in Salah ad Din Province on Thursday, May 24th. In addition, one soldier was wounded in the blast.
	(3) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier when his patrol was attacked with small arms fire in a western section of Baghdad on Thursday, May 24th.
	(4) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier from a small arms fire attack in Diyala Province on Thursday, May 24th.
	(5) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier from "an explosion" in Ninawa Province on Thursday, May 24th ... an explosion that also wounded two other soldiers.
	(6) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the deaths of two Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers when their patrol hit a roadside bomb in a western neighborhood of Baghdad on Thursday, May 24th. An Iraqi interpreter also died in the attack ... and one other American soldier was wounded.

Friday, May 25, 2007 7:31 AM - UPDATES -
	(1) The DoD has identified the two Task Force Lightning soldiers who died in Baghdad Province in "an explosion" on Tuesday, May 22nd:
		Staff Sergeant Kristopher A. Higdon, 25, of Odessa, Texas
		Private 1st Class Robert Adrian Worthington, 19, of Jackson, Georgia
		They died in the vicinity of Taji just northwest of Baghdad when their unit was hit by an improvised explosive device.
		The Midland (Texas) Reporter-Telegram has published interviews with Higdon's family members. Higdon grew up with his mother and stepfather in Odessa where he graduated from high school in 1999. But he spent much time with his father and other siblings who lived in Midland, Texas. His father was quoted as saying that Higdon had served in the army for the past seven years and was on his second deployment to Iraq ... in fact, had only been there since April of this year. Higdon is survived by his wife and a 4-year-old daughter.
		The Atlanta (Georgia) Journal-Constitution is carrying a brief interview with Worthington's father who said that his son had only been in the army since last June. He was able to come home on leave at Christmas, and then deployed to Iraq in the spring. Worthington apparently went by his middle name, "Adrian".
	(2) The DoD has also released the identity of the soldier who died in the same area on the same day as Higdon and Worthington above ... but in a separate roadside bomb blast: Staff Sergeant David C. Kuehl, 27, of Wahpeton, North Dakota. The Fargo (North Dakota) Forum is carrying an interview with Kuehl's wife and sister, who said that he enlisted in the army right out of high school in 1999. He had just begun his second tour of duty in Iraq ... a stay which was to have lasted for 15 months, but instead only lasted three weeks. Kuehl doted on his two little girls, a 7-year-old and a 9-month-old baby.

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Friday, May 25, 2007 12:43 PM - 1 INCOMING & UPDATE -
Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, California	(1) The DoD has now formally confirmed the death of one of the three soldiers missing since their unit was attacked west of Mahmudiyah in Babil Province on May 12th: Private 1st Class Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, California. The news release did not give a date of death. Therefore, we will enter Anzack in the database on the date his body was found floating in the Euphrates River, May 23rd. The circumstances of his capture and death remain under investigation.
Benjamin J. Ashley, 22, of Independence, Missouri	(2) The DoD has identified a soldier who died in Balad in Salah ad Din Province in a roadside bomb attack on Thursday, May 24th: Specialist Benjamin J. Ashley, 22, of Independence, Missouri. We do have evidence that at least one battery of Ashley's unit, the 1st Battalion of the 5th Field Artillery Regiment, was stationed in Salah ad Din Province, split between Camp Anaconda at Balad and Camp Speicher at Tikrit. The only CENTCOM-issued release that would seem to match this death is the one involving a 13th Sustainment Command soldier who was on a combat logistics patrol. 13th SC is headquartered at Camp Anaconda in Balad. Based on this admittedly flimsy evidence, we will put Ashley into the 13th SC slot ... at least until better information becomes available. According to an article in the Kansas City (Missouri) Star, Ashley graduated from high school in 2002 where he was a member of the band for all four years, playing baritone saxophone ... and participating in a parade in Hawaii in 1999 in that capacity. He enlisted in the service in March of 2004, joining the 5th Field Artillery in September 2005. Ashley was a tactical data systems specialist. He was married and had a 2 and a half year old son.

Friday, May 25, 2007 6:05 PM - UPDATES -
	(1) The DoD has released the identities of the two soldiers who died as a result of an improvised explosive device attack in Ramadi, Al Anbar Province, on Wednesday, May 23rd:
		Staff Sergeant Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Penfield, New York
		Private 1st Class Daniel P. Cagle, 22, of Carson, California
		Butcher died at Ramadi, while Cagle died later in a medical facility in Balad while awaiting transport to Germany.
		The Rochester (New York) Democrat and Chronicle has an article out on Butcher, stating that he lived in Penfield until he joined the army about 5 years ago. He was a wrestler in high school, graduating in 1997. Butcher was currently on his third deployment to Iraq. He is survived by a 6-year-old daughter, his parents, and three sisters.
		The Torrance (California) Daily Breeze has an article out that indicates Cagle grew up just outside Hawthorne, California, in the unincorporated Del Aire area.
Robert H. Dembowski, 20, of Ivyland, Pennsylvania	(2) The DoD has also identified the soldier who died in Baghdad of wounds he received in a small arms fire attack on Thursday, May 24th: Private 1st Class Robert H. Dembowski, 20, of Ivyland, Pennsylvania. The Associated Press has a brief article out on Dembowski which reveals that he was a company radio transmitter with the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, NC. He enlisted in the Army in January 2006. According to the report, he had been awarded a Purple Heart already. Dembowski is survived by his parents and a sister.

Friday, May 25, 2007 6:34 PM - 3 INCOMINGS -
	(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldier in an improvised explosive device attack in the vicinity of Muqdadiyah in Diyala Province on Friday, May 25th.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier in a small arms fire attack in Baghdad Province on Friday, May 25th. One other soldier was wounded in the incident.
	(3) Lastly, MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Marine from a non-hostile, unspecified cause in Al Anbar Province on Friday, May 25th.

Saturday, May 26, 2007 12:31 PM - UPDATES -
Iosiwo Uruo, 27, of Agana Heights, Guam	(1) The DoD has confirmed the identity of the Task Force Lightning soldier who died in a small arms fire attack in Buhriz near Ba'qubah in Diyala Province northeast of Baghdad on Thursday, May 24th: Sergeant Iosiwo Uruo, 27, of Agana Heights, Guam. According to an article published in Guam's Pacific Daily News, the family was so distraught when representatives from the military came to their home to break the news of Uruo's death that they had to send the soldiers away without learning of the details ... his father couldn't bear to hear them at that point. Uruo had joined the army shortly after graduating from high school on Guam and had not been home for a visit for about two years. The nightly rosary for Uruo is being said at the home of Agana Heights's mayor, a long time friend of the family.
Casey P. Zylman, 22, of Coleman, Michigan	(2) The DoD has also confirmed the identity of the Task Force Lightning soldier who was seriously injured in a roadside bomb blast in the vicinity of Tal Afar west of Mosul in Ninawa Province in the north of Iraq on Thursday, May 24th: Private 1st Class Casey P. Zylman, 22, of Coleman, Michigan. Apparently, Zylman died on May 25th in a medical facility in Mosul. According to an article in the Detroit News, the Zylman family did not wish to be interviewed yet. But his teachers at Coleman High School described him as "kind, caring, polite". He was an all-conference offensive lineman on the high school football team his senior year, graduating with a class of less than 100 students. Zylman briefly attended Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, but then joined the army in hopes of earning a college education and pursuing a career in accounting.

Saturday, May 26, 2007 12:31 PM - 8 INCOMINGS -
	(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of two Multi-National Division - Center soldiers in a roadside bomb attack east of Baghdad on Wednesday, May 23rd. Another three soldiers were wounded in the incident.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Corps - Iraq soldier in a "complex attack" on their vehicle near Taji northwest of Baghdad on Friday, May 25th. Three soldiers were also wounded.
	(3) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of three Task Force Lightning soldiers in "an explosion" near their patrol in Salah ad Din Province on Saturday, May 26th.
	(4) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Marine from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Saturday, May 26th.
	(5) Lastly, MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in an IED attack in a southern neighborhood of Baghdad on Saturday, May 26th. In addition, two soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were wounded.

Sunday, May 27, 2007 6:19 AM - UPDATES -
David Paul Lindsey, 20, of Spartanburg, South Carolina	(1) The Associated Press is reporting the death of a young Marine from Spartanburg, South Carolina, in Iraq. Lance Corporal David Paul Lindsey, 20, apparently died from a gunshot wound to the head, possibly while on guard duty ... and may be the non-hostile Marine death described in this CENTCOM release. Lindsey had a rough start in life when his biological parents proved unable to take care of him. But he was taken in by the Mike Bishop family and spent the rest of his youth with them, calling Mr. and Mrs. Bishop "Mom" and "Dad" from the moment he stepped in the door. He graduated from high school in 2005 and enlisted with the Marines in October of that year. The family said that they received a phone call from him about 12 hours before his death.
Robert Dunham, 36, of Baltimore, Maryland	(2) The Baltimore (Maryland) Sun is reporting the death in Iraq of Sergeant 1st Class Robert Dunham, 36, originally from the Park Heights area of Baltimore. He was killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle "near Baghdad", reportedly on Thursday, May 24th. Dunham graduated with honors in 1988 from a vocational-technical high school in Baltimore where he studied industrial electronics. That very same year, he enlisted in the army where he was trained to work with communications equipment. Over his nearly 19 years in the service, he had been stationed in Germany, Kansas and Arkansas before settling in to his latest station at Fort Gordon, GA, which houses the U.S. Army Signal Center and a roster of signals battalions. As such, he could have found himself assigned virtually anywhere in Iraq. For now, we will assume he is one of the two western Baghdad IED deaths on the 24th described in this CENTCOM release, although this is likely incorrect. We'll know where his proper place is when the DoD confirms his death. Dunham and his wife have five boys ranging in age from 2 to 14. Wherever he was stationed, he served as a minister of music for churches. He was a skilled piano and organ player and director of church choirs.

Sunday, May 27, 2007 6:51 AM - UPDATE -

William Lee Bailey III, 29, of Bellevue, Nebraska

The Omaha World-Herald is reporting the death of a Nebraska National Guardsman in Iraq: Specialist William Lee Bailey III, 29, of Bellevue, Nebraska. According to the article, he died on Saturday, May 26th, in an attack that involved an improvised explosive device. The location of the attack was not given, but the article stated that three other soldiers were injured. Right now, we are guessing that Bailey was one of the three Task Force Lightning soldiers who died in an explosion in Salah ad Din Province on the 26th (described in this CENTCOM release). We will not know for sure until the DoD confirms his death. In civilian life, Bailey had worked as a volunteer firefighter and as a medical helicopter dispatcher. His guard unit, the 755th Chemical Company, usually would be assigned to enter areas that had been chemically contaminated and perform a clean-up. However, his unit was retrained to perform convoy guard duty before being deployed to Iraq last November. Bailey and his wife have a blended family of 5 children. He was due home on leave in three weeks.

Sunday, May 27, 2007 10:28 AM - 2 INCOMINGS -
	(1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Task Force Lightning soldier in "an explosion" in Diyala Province on Saturday, May 26th. Two other soldiers were wounded in the incident.
	(2) MNF-Iraq is also reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier when an improvised explosive device detonated in a western neighborhood of Baghdad on Saturday, May 26th. In addition, four soldiers were wounded.

Sunday, May 27, 2007 7:20 PM - UPDATE -
	The DoD has identified the two Multi-National Division - Center soldiers who died in a roadside bomb attack about 10 miles east of Baghdad in the Al Nahrawan District on Wednesday, May 23rd:
		Corporal Victor H. Toledo Pulido, 22, of Hanford, California
		Corporal Jonathan D. Winterbottom, 21, of Falls Church, Virginia

Monday, May 28, 2007 7:36 AM - UPDATE -
	The DoD has released the identities of the two Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldiers who died in a roadside bomb blast in western Baghdad on Thursday, May 24th:
		Sergeant 1st Class Robert E. Dunham, 36, of Baltimore, Maryland
		Staff Sergeant Russell K. Shoemaker, 31, of Sweet Springs, Missouri

Monday, May 28, 2007 9:06 AM - UPDATE -

Nicholas Walsh, 26, of Fort Collins, Colorado

The Associated Press is reporting the death of a Marine who appears to have been from Fort Collins, Colorado: Sergeant Nicholas Walsh, 26. According to the article, he was killed by enemy fire in Fallujah in Al Anbar Province on Saturday, May 26th. Another lengthier article that appeared in the Coloradoan elaborates, stating that he was with a patrol convoy when he was shot in the neck by a sniper. His gunnery sergeant who tried to save Walsh by shoving him back into the vehicle was himself shot in his arm and leg. Walsh had enlisted in the Marine Corps for a four year hitch right out of high school, had gotten out for two years, but then re-enlisted, finishing his first Iraq deployment in March of 2006. He was able to call his wife and talk to her for 20 minutes on the morning of his death. Walsh and his wife have two sons, a 4-year-old and one 7-month-old.

The current time in Iraq is..

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