Some South Carolinian soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice while deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations. This gallery is intended to honor their lives and preserve their memory. Shown below is each names and additional information of these soldiers.
Click on the letters below to locate a soldier by last name:
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
Army National Guard PVT Algernon Adams, 36, of North Augusta/Aiken, SC, died on October 28, 2003. Adams died due to non-combat related injures at Forward Operating Base St. Mere, Iraq. He was assigned to the 122nd Engineer Battalion, Army National Guard, Edgefield, SC. Adams was a 1985 graduate of Butler High School in Augusta, GA, and he had served in the Guard for 17 years. While in Iraq, Adams was hit by shrapnel and wounded, earning him a Purple Heart.
Army PFC Michael S. Adams, 20, of Spartanburg, SC, died on August 21, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq. He died from smoke inhalation while participating in a small-arms fire exercise on the range when a bullet ricocheted causing the building to ignite fire. Adams was assigned to 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany. In 2001, Adams graduated from Dorman High School and joined the Army immediately thereafter.
Airman FC Carl L. Anderson, Jr., 21, of Georgetown, SC, was killed near Mosul, Iraq on August 29, 2004. Anderson was deployed with the 732nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group, and he died as a result of enemy action, after his convoy hit a roadside bomb. He was assigned to the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, where he served as a transportation operator. Anderson was a 2001 graduate of Georgetown High School.
Army Sgt. Aaron M. Arthur, 25, of Lake City, S.C., died March 8, 2010 while on a mission north of Al Kut, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. He was assigned to the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga. Arthur played football in high school, sang in the church choir, and also was in Junior ROTC.
Army SPC Katrina L. Bell-Johnson, 32, of Orangeburg, SC, died on February 16, 2005. Bell was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, when a convoy delivering goods overturned and landed on her. She was assigned to 418th Transportation Company, 180th Transportation Battalion, Ft. Hood, Texas. Bell, originally from Columbia, South Carolina, was a 1989 graduate of Airport High School and a 1992 graduate of Midlands Technical College.
Lance Corporal Mills Palmer Bigham, 23, of Columbia, SC, died October 19, 2009. He served with the United States Marine Corps, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He completed two tours of duty in Iraq and completed his enlistment in October 2008. Bigham was a graduate of A.C. Flora High School and a member of Bethel United Methodist Church in Forest Acres. Following his death, Bigham’s family founded Hidden Wounds in an effort to help other soldiers suffering with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Army SGT George E. Buggs, 31, of Barnwell, SC, was one of the eight soldiers confirmed dead on April 5, 2003, during the rescue raid for PVT Jessica Lynch at a hospital in Nasiriyah. Buggs was missing in action since March 23, 2003, after being taking captive when his convoy was ambushed. He was assigned to 3rd Division Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Ft. Steward, GA. Buggs graduated from Barnwell High School in 1990, and joined the Army in 1992.
SC Army National Guard SSG James David Bullard, 28, of Marion, SC, died in Spearwan Ghar, Afghanistan on October 30, 2007. Bullard died of wounds from enemy fire suffered during combat operations. He was assigned to SCNG 1st Battalion, 263rd Armor Battalion, Marion, SC. Bullard graduated from Marion High School and Florence-Darlington Technical College. Prior to deployment, he worked as a grocery store manager at Food Lion in Dillon, SC and assisted the ROTC at Marion High School.
Army Captain Joshua T. Byers, 29, a native of Anderson, SC, died on July 23, 2003, east of Baghdad, Iraq. Byers was killed when his convoy was hit by an explosive device. He was assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Troop, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, in Fort Carson, CO. Byers relocated to Sparks, Nevada with his family in 1989, where he graduated from Reed High School. Then he attended West Point, graduating in 1996.
SPC Thomas Caughman was assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company of the 458th Engineering Battalion in Baghdad, Iraq. On June 9, 2004, while on a mission to locate roadside bombs, Caughman's platoon was ambushed by insurgents and the Humvee on which he was the turret gunner was struck by rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire, resulting in his death. SPC Caughman's military awards include the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star. He was from Lexington, SC, where his family still resides.
Army Special Forces Capt. Richard G. Cliff, Jr., 29, of Mount Pleasant, SC, was killed September 29, 2008. Cliff was killed when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device while driving in Yakhchal, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, NC. Two other soldiers were also killed in the explosion. Cliff graduated from Wando High School in 1997. He joined the army in 2002 and had previously spent a year serving in Iraq.
Marine Corp SGT Jay T. Collado, 31, of Columbia, SC, died on February 20, 2006. Collado, on his second deployment to Iraq, was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. Collado graduated from Richland Northeast High School in 1993.
Army SGT James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, SC, died in Mosul, Iraq on January 28, 2008. He was on his third deployment to Iraq. He was killed from wounds suffered when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Craig was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO. Craig considered the Spokane, WA area his home; however, he spent some of his high school years in Hollywood, SC, graduating from North Charleston Academic Magnet High School in 2000.
Army CW2 Jason G. DeFrenn, 34, of Barnwell, SC, died on February 2, 2007 in Taji, Iraq. He was killed when his Apache helicopter was forced to land during combat operations. DeFrenn was a member of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 227th Aviation Regiment, of Fort Hood, Texas. Defrenn attended the Barnwell public school system through 1989.
Army SGT Andrew Joseph Derrick, 24, of Columbia, SC, died in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 25, 2005. Derrick was killed by a sniper while trying to secure an area after three grenades exploded near his position. He was assigned to the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas. Derrick graduated from Marion Military Institute where he was named the class of 1998’s “Best All Round Athlete” and was name to the State of Alabama’s All Star Baseball Team in 1998. He later attended Marion University.
CPL Matthew V. Dillon, 25, of Aiken, SC, who was serving in the United States Marine Corps, died on December 11, 2006, in Al Khalidiyah, Iraq. He was killed when a roadside bomb hit his Humvee while conducting combat operations. Dillon was assigned to Support Squadron 373, Marian Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Air Corps Station, Miramar, CA. Dillion graduated from Wardlaw Academy and attended Augusta State University. Dillion was awarded a Purple Heart for an injury incurred during his first deployment to Iraq in 2004.
Army SGT Shawn Dunkin, 25, of Columbia, SC, died February 19, 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq. He died from wounds received when his vehicle was struck by an IED. He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Ft. Drum, NY. Dunkin graduated from Alleghany High School in 1999.
Army SPC Rian C. Ferguson, 22, of Taylors, SC, died in Iraq on December 14, 2003. He died from as a result of a fall from a light medium tactical vehicle. Ferguson was assigned to the Regimental Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, Ft Carlson, CO. Ferguson graduated from Riverside High School in Greer, SC, in 2000, where he played basketball and ran track.
Marine Corps 2LT Almar L. Fitzgerald, 23, of Lexington, SC, died on February 21, 2006, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, German. He died as a result of wounds that he sustained on February 18, 2006, from a roadside blast in Iraq. Fitzgerald was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twenty-Nine Palms, CA. In 2000, Fitzgerald graduated from Lexington High School, and he graduated from the Citadel in 2004.
Lance Cpl Christopher Fowlkes, 20, of Gaffney, died September 10, 2009 of injuries sustained in Helmand Providence, Afghanistan. When the vehicle Fowlkes and four other Marines were in was struck by enemy fire on September 3, 2009, the five left their vehicle and began their counterattack. One of the Marines stepped on an IED, killing two immediately and critically wounding Fowlkes. He was transferred to a military hospital in Germany, where he died a week later. A member of the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd LAR, Delta Company, based out of Camp LeJeune, he was awarded the Enduring Freedom Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal and SMCR Medal. Fowlkes was involved in wrestling and football at Gaffney High School, where he graduated in 2007. He was the first member of Cherokee County, SC to die in armed services since the Vietnam War.
Marine Lance CPL Travis A. Fox, 25, of Cowpens, SC, died in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Fox was killed on October 30, 2004, by a suicide bomber. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Fox graduated from Broome High School in 1998, where he played football.
Army SGT Donald Furman, 30, of Burton, SC, was killed in Balad, Iraq on October 12, 2005. Furman was on his second tour to Iraq when he died after the vehicle he was in collided with a civilian vehicle and overturned. He was assigned to 24th Transportation Company, 541st Maintenance Battalion, Ft. Riley, KS. Furman was a 1994 graduate of Battery Creek High School.
Staff Sergeant Raphael A. Futrell, 26, of Anderson, died March 25, 2009 in Baghdad from injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. A member of the Army, Futrell was in the 13th MP Detachment, 728th Military Police BN, 8th MP Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command. He was deployed once before to Afghanistan where he served as a military policeman guarding captured Taliban soldiers. During his service, Futrell received an Iraq Campaign Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal six Army Achievement Medals, an Army Commendation Medal, two Army Good Conduct Medals, and a National Defense Service Medal. Futrell graduated from Pendleton High School in 2001.
Army 2LT Clifford V. Gadsden, 25, of Red Top/Charleston, SC, died on April 29, 2005, in Balad, Iraq. Gadsden was killed when a vehicle born IED detonated near his convoy. He was assigned to 603rd Transportation Company 142nd Corps Support Battalion, Warrior Brigade, Ft. Polk, LA. Gadsden graduated from South Carolina State University in 2003.
Marine Lance CPL Jonathan E. Gadsden, 21, of Charleston/Jamestown, SC, died October 22, 2004, at the James Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, FL. Gadsden was being treated at Haley due to wounds caused by a roadside bomb on August 21, 2004, in Anbar Province, Iraq. While at Haley, Gadsden died unexpectedly of bacterial meningitis that was undiagnosed. He was assigned to 1st Combat Engineer battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. Gadsden joined the Marines in 2002, weeks after graduating from high school. While in high school he was a member of the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.
Army PFC Satieon Greenlee, 24, of Pendleton, SC, died in Baghdad, Iraq on October 2, 2006. He was killed when his convoy was attacked by enemy small-arms fire. Greenlee was assigned to 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Ft. Drum, NY.
Air Force SSG Patrick L. Griffin, 31, of Elgin, SC, died on May 13, 2003. Griffin was killed near Diwaniyah, Iraq, when his convoy was ambushed en route to Baghdad. He was a data systems technician assigned to 728th Air Control Squadron, Elgin Air Force Base, FL. Griffin had been deployed three times.
Capt. Kimberly Hampton was the commander of Delta Troop of the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, she was stationed near Fallujah when her OH-58 Kiowa helicopter was shot down on January 2, 2004. She was the first female pilot in US military history to fall in combat, as well as the first woman from South Carolina to die in the current conflict. Capt. Hampton graduated with honors from Presbyterian College, where she was remembered as a “Renaissance Woman” for excelling in a wide-range of academic campus activities. She was from Easley, SC, where her family still resides.
SGT Edward Ralph Heselton, 23, of Berea/Easley, SC, died in Orgun-E, Afghanistan, on August 11, 2005. An ordnance exploded near the vehicle he was driving as this unit performed a rout clearing mission in Afghanistan. He was assigned to United States Army Reserve 391st Engineer Battalion, 415th Chemical Brigade, Greenville, SC. Heselton enlisted in the United States Army Reserve upon graduating from Berea High School in 2000.
United Air Force SSGT Jason C. Hicks, 25, died on March 23, 2003, in Afghanistan. The Jefferson, SC, native was killed when the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter he was aboard crashed during a medical evacuation mission of two injured Iraqi children. Hicks was assigned to the 41st Rescue Squadron, Moody AFB, GA. Hicks graduated from Central High School in 1996 where he played football.
SGT Stephen C. High 45, of Spartanburg, SC, died April 6, 2005. He was killed along with 17 others when the CH-47 (Chinook) helicopter he was aboard crashed 80 miles southwest of Kabul (Ghanzi, Afghanistan). High was assigned to the 228th Signal Brigade, South Carolina Army National Guard, Spartanburg, SC. High had been traveling all over the country trying to get others up to speed on the use of new Army radios. Prior to joining the Army National Guard, High served 15 years in the Navy after graduating from Spartanburg High School. He was a meat cutter at the Fresh Market restaurant and loved golf and professional wrestling.
Army SPC Seth Hildreth, 26, of Myrtle Beach, SC, was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, on August 27, 2006. Hildreth died from injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
SGT Shawn F. Hill, 37, of Wellford, SC, was killed on January 2, 2008, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. He died of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Hill was assigned to the 178th Engineer Battalion, 218th Infantry Brigade, South Carolina Army National Guard, Rock Hill, SC. Hill was a 1990 graduate of J.F. Byrnes High School, where he participated in football, track, and wrestling.
Army PFC Melissa J. Hobart, 22, of Ladson, SC, died in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 6, 2004. Hobart died after collapsing while on guard duty. The cause of her death is unknown, but it may have been a heart attack. She was assigned to Company E, 215th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, Texas. Hobart attended Stall High School and Trident Technical College.
Oklahoma Army National Guard SGT Buddy James Hughie, 25, of Charleston, SC, was killed on February 19, 2007, in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan. Hughie was killed returning from an operation, when his joint force came under enemy small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. When the team got out to return fire, two Afghan army soldiers were wounded, and Hughie left his covered position to provide medical assistance. He was shot and killed during the rescue. Hughie was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 180th Infantry, Okalahoma Army National Guard, Ada, OK. Hughie grew up in Poteau, OK, where he graduated from Poteau High School and was a member of the show choir and band.
U.S. Marine Corps PVT Nolen Ryan Hutchings, 20, of Boiling Springs, SC, died on March 23, 2003, near the city of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq, after originally being listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown. Hutchings was killed by friendly fire in action while traveling with his armored vehicle unit in an attempt to secure a bridge and help wounded soldiers, making him South Carolina’s second reported causality in the war against Iraq. Hutchings was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Camp Lejeune, NC. He graduated from Boiling Springs High School in 2000.
Sergeant First Class John H. Jarrell, 32, of Brunson, S.C., died July 15, 2010 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Jarrell entered the Army in June 1996 and arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2010. Jarrell had received the Bronze Star and multiple other medals.
Army SPC Darius T. Jennings, 22, of Cordova, SC, died on November 2, 2003. He was killed in Fallujah, Iraq, when the CH-47 (Chinook) helicopter he was abroad, which was carrying military soldiers on leave, went down. Jennings was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Ft. Carson, CO. Jennings was a 2000 graduate of Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School.
Army SGT Anthony G. Jones, 25, of Greenville, SC, died on June 14, 2005. He was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle in Baghdad. Jones was assigned to the 104th Transportation Company, 36ths Engineer Group, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Ft. Benning, GA. Jones had lived in Greenville, Sumter, and Easley South Carolina.
Marine Corps Capt. Garrett Tucker Lawton, 31, of Beaufort, SC, died August 4, 2008. He died of wounds suffered suffered in an improvised explosive device attack in the western Afghan province of Herat. He was assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
South Carolina Army National Guard CWO Patrick D. Leach, 39, of Rock Hill, SC, died on December 9, 2004. Leach was killed in Mosul, Iraq, after two U.S. helicopters collided. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment, South Carolina National Guard, McEntire Air National Guard Base, Eastover, SC. In 1992, Leach graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He served as an Army Apache helicopter pilot from 1986-1992, and he served in Operation Desert Storm.
US Army SGT Michael Robert Lehmiller, 23, of Anderson, SC, died on August 21, 2005, near Baylough, Afghanistan. Lehmiller was killed when a bomb exploded under a wooden bridge as a convoy of armored Humvees crossed during patrol. Lehmiller was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Aviation brigade, Vicenza, Italy. Lehmiller lived in Clearfield, UT briefly and attended Clearfield High School. He also attended ITT Technical Institute in Greenville, SC.
South Carolina Army National Guard SPC David L. Leimbach, 38, was killed on May 25, 2008, near Bala Baluk, Afghanistan. A native of Taylors, SC, Leimbach died of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades as it assisted in the recovery of a stolen vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 118 Infantry, South Carolina Army National Guard. Leimbach had served in the Marines from 1996 to 2000. He had just completed a 12-month tour in Afghanistan and volunteered to serve six additional months with the New York National Guard.
South Carolina Army National Guard SSG Jerome Lemon, 42, of North Charleston, SC died on October 27, 2004. Lemon was killed in Balad, Iraq when a vehicle borne improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle, only days after returning back from leave. He was assigned to Army National Guard’s 105 2nd Transportation Company, Kingstree, SC. Lemon graduated from the patrol academy in 1990, and he served in civilian law enforcement, working for Marlboro and Darlington County Sheriffs office and city police departments in Cheraw and Hartsville.
US Army SGT Adrian J. Lewis, 30, of Maudlin, SC, was killed in Ramadi, Iraq on his third deployment. Lewis died March 21, 2007, after an encounter with enemy forces involving small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, GA. Lewis attended Southside High School. He worked at Michelin after high school, and then joined the Army in 2000.
Marine Lance CPL David Paul Lindsey, 20, of Spartanburg, SC, died May 25, 2007. He was killed in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq, from a gunshot wound to the head. Lindsey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force. Lindsey was a 2005 graduate of Spartanburg High School.
Army CPL Juan M. Lopez, 23, of Florence, SC, was killed on August 13, 2007. Lopez died in Qayyarah, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Bliss, Texas. Lopez attended South Florence High School and graduated from Poyner Adult/Community Education Center in 2005.
Army PFC Vorn Mack, 19, of Orangeburg, SC, died on August 23, 2003. Mack died near Hadithah Dam, west of Ar Ramadi, when he jumped into the Euphrates River to take a swim and never resurfaced. His body was found downstream the next day by a search party. He was assigned to 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Ft. Carson, CO. Mack was a 2002 graduate of Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School.
Master Sergeant Danny E. Maybin, 47, of Columbia, died August 7, 2008 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait from injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. A member of the Army, Maybin served at Headquarters, U.S. Forces Command. Maybin was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Palmetto Patriot Award by the South Carolina General Assembly posthumously on March 4, 2009. His death is under investigation.
Marine Corps Captain Daniel G. McCollum, 29, of Irmo, SC, died January 9, 2002. McCollum was one of seven U.S. Marines killed when their KC-130 Hercules air tanker crashed into a mountainside in southwest Pakistan. He was with the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, Calif. McCollum graduated from Clemson University with a degree in mechanical engineering in December 1996 and then received his commission from the Marines.
Eulogy written by Dan’s brother Matt: I’ve also been asked if I think Dan is a hero. I do. But Dan isn’t a hero just because he gave his life for his country, but that is part of it. Dan isn’t a hero just because he went to war to defend his country, but that is a part of it. Dan isn’t a hero just because he chose to become a Marine officer and aviator, but that is a part of it. Dan is a hero because of who he was and the way he lived his life. Proud, but humble. Tough, but gentle. Competitive, but caring. He was honorable, compassionate, and kind. A good man, a true friend, a loving son and a loving husband. Dan is a hero because he did his duty every day without asking for recognition or reward. Dan is a hero because he did his duty, quietly and professionally, because he believed it was the right thing to do. Although I am saddened in a way that I can’t express with mere words, I rest a little bit better at night knowing that the streets of heaven are guarded by a good Marine. Captain Daniel McCollum, United States Marine Corps, thank you, job well done, simper fi.
Army PFC Spence McNeil, 18, of Bennettsville, SC died on March 8, 2003, near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He died from injuries sustained when the vehicle he was in rolled over, and he was thrown out of it. McNeil’s family was flown to Saudi Arabia to be with him during his recovery. Days later when they arrived, they learned that he was brain dead, and he was later taken off life support after doctors determined there was no chance of recovery. McNeil was assigned to B Battery 3-43rd Air Defense Artillery, Ft. Bliss, Texas. McNeil graduated from Marlboro County High School in 2002, where he participated in football and wrestling.
Army SPC Jason Moski, 24, of Blackville, SC, died on February 25, 2005. Moski was killed in Taji, Iraq, when an IED detonated while he was on dismounted patrol. He was assigned to 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Ft. Riley, KS. Moski graduated from Wagner-Sally High School in 1999.
Army Major Edward J. Murphy, 36, of Mt. Pleasant/Charleston, SC, died on April 6, 2005. Murphy was killed along with 17 others when the CH-47 (Chinook) helicopter he was aboard crashed 80 miles southwest of Kabul (Ghanzi, Afghanistan). He was assigned to US Army Southern European Task Force, Camp Ederle, Italy, where he worked as a signal officer. Murphy was a 1991 graduate of the University of South Carolina.
Army SSG Paul Neff II, 30, of Fort Mill, SC, was killed on November 7, 2003, in Tikrit, Iraq. Neff died when the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter he was aboard was shot down. He was assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Ft. Campbell, KY. Neff graduated from Fort Mill High School in 1991.
Army SSG Tony Olaes, 30, of Walhalla, SC, was killed on September 20, 2004. He died in Shkin, Afghanistan, when his patrol vehicle was ambushed using small-arms fire and rock propelled grenades. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Ft. Bragg, NC. Olaes attended Seneca High School, where he participated in wrestling, track, and tennis. After the 11th grade, Olaes started his career in the military, where he earned his GED.
Army SPC Anthony C. Owens, 21, of Conway, SC, died on February 1, 2006. Owens was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire and grenades. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Ft. Campbell, KY. A fellow solider, SFC Phil Blaisdell, who was with Owens the day of the attack stated:
We were attacked and SPC Owens showed no fear. He was separated from his squad and ran through a hail of enemy gunfire to his team’s position to assist them in returning fire and establishing a support by fire for the assault team. Later on he stacked on a door, knowing enemy personnel were inside and entered the building. He is a hero and saved lives that day in Rushdi-Mulla.
Army SSG Esau Patterson, 25, of Ridgeland, SC, died on April 29, 2004. He was killed when a vehicle approached his unit and the driver detonated a bomb, in Baghdad, Iraq. Patterson was killed along with seven others, who remained in Iraq after their original tour was extended for six months. He was assigned to 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany. Patterson was a graduate of Jasper County High School, where he participated in the ROTC for four years.
Marine Corps SGT John Paul Phillips, 29, of St. Stephen, SC, died on August 16, 2006. He died from wounds that became infected, after spending five months in Brooke Army Medical Center, in Texas. Phillips received third-degree burns that covered over 77 percent of his body in March, when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb near Fallujah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan. Phillips was a graduate of Macedonia High School.
Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Phillips Jr., 33, of Conway, SC, died on September 25. He died in Bahbahani, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga. Phillips was scheduled to return home on leave the same week he was killed.
South Carolina Army National Guard SGT Edward Philpot, 38, of Latta, SC, died on October 23, 2007. He was killed from a non-combat related Humvee rollover accident in Afghanistan. Philpot was assigned to 1st Battalion, 263rd Armor Regiment, South Carolina National Guard, Dillon, SC.
Army SGT Sameer Abdel Monem Rateb, 22, of Summerville, SC, died on May 6, 2007, at Forward Operating Base Summerall in Bayji, Iraq. On the day Rateb was supposed to leave Iraq to come home for a visit with his family, he was found hanged with his hands tied behind his back. The Army originally stated that the cause of his death was a suicide; however, his death is under investigation. Rateb was assigned to 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC.
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson, 42, of Anderson, SC, died in his sleep, in Kabul, Afghanistan on June 1, 2007. Robinson’s death is apparently of natural causes; however, it is under investigation. He was assigned to Mobilization Command, Deployment Processing Command, Marine Corps Installation East, Comp Lejune, NC. Robinson was born in Sylacauga, AL, and he was a 1983 graduate of Sylacauga High School. He also graduated from Auburn University, while on a Marine ROTC scholarship.
Army PFC Joey T. Sams II, 22, of Spartanburg, SC, died on March 21, 2007. Sams was killed in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries suffered when he was pinned between two vehicles while working at a motor pool. He was assigned to Bravo Company 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Ft. Benning GA. Sams graduated from Spartanburg High School in 2004, and he attended Spartanburg Technical College, studying computer technology. He had joined the Army to help him with his goal of becoming a police detective.
South Carolina Army National Guard 1st Lt. Andrew C. Shields, 25, of Campobello, SC, died on December 9, 2004. He was killed in Mosul, Iraq, after being involved in an Apache helicopter accident during a night mission. Shields was assigned to 1st Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment, South Carolina National Guard, McEntire Air National Guard Station, Eastover, SC. Shields was a member of New Prospect Baptist Church, a graduate of Wofford College, and a member of the Civil Air Patrol and the AWT.
Army SPC Orenthial Smith, 21, of Allendale/Martin, SC, died on June 22, 2003. He was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, when his convoy was ambushed by small-arms fire. Smith was assigned to 123rd Maintenance Support Battalion, 1st Armored Division, Dexheim, Germany. Smith graduated from Fairfax High School in 1999, where he played football.
Army SGM Michael B. Stack, 48, of Lake City, SC, died on April 11, 2004. Stack was killed during an ambush to his Humvee convoy. When two of his unit’s machine guns were damaged during the ambush, Stack’s actions helped the rest of the team survive, earning him the Silver Star. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Ft. Campbell, KY. Stack graduated from South Florence High School in 1974. He reportedly had family members who served during every war since the American Revolution.
South Carolina Army National Guard SPC Chrystal Stout, 23, of Greenville/Traveler’s Rest, SC died on April 6, 2005. She was killed along with 17 others when the CH-47 (Chinook) helicopter she was aboard crashed 80 miles southwest of Kabul (Ghanzi, Afghanistan). Stout was assigned to Headquarters Company, 151st Signal Battalion, 228th Signal Brigade, South Carolina Army National Guard. Stout was a 1999 graduate of Trinity Christian Academy where she played basketball. She was enrolled in the Liberty University long-distance program, studying from Afghanistan.
Army Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Taylor, 25, of Charleston, SC, died September 21, 2008, in Baghdad, Iraq. Taylor died of wounds he received from small arms fire. He served in the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Polk, La. He served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. This was his first tour in Iraq.
Army Staff Sgt. Steve M. Theobald, 53, of Goose Creek, S.C., died June 4, 2010 near Kuwait City, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a military vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 287th Transportation Company, 143rd Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Reserve, Livingston, Alabama. He first enlisted in the military in 1975 and served for three years. He then joined the Army Reserve in 1984 and had served since that time. He was preparing for 2nd tour in Iraq at the time of his death. Theobald was a highly decorated soldier who graduated from several military schools.
South Carolina Army National Guard MSG Thomas R. Thigpen Sr., 52, of Greenville, SC, died on March 16, 2004. Thigpen died in Camp Virginia Kuwait of non-combat related injuries; either a massive heart attack or a stroke during a game of tag football. He was assigned to 151st Signal Battalion, Army National Guard, Greenville, SC. Thigpen served a total of 24 years in the military. He was an avid hiker, rafter, golfer, and tennis player, he also refereed for football and basketball.
Army SGT Anthony O Thompson, 26, of Orangeburg, SC, died September 18, 2003, in Tikrit, Iraq. He was killed during an ambush by small-arms fire and rocket propelled grenade. Thompson was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, Ft. Hood, Texas. Thompson was a 1995 graduate of Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, where he played football and basketball.
Army SPC Douglas Logan Tinsley, 21, of Chester, SC, died on December 16, 2006. Tinsley was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, in a rollover accident. Tinsley was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute, Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Ft. Richardson, Alaska. Tinsley graduated from Chester High School in 2004, where he participated in JROTC, baseball, wrestling, and marching band.
Marine Corp Master Sgt. Timothy Toney, 37, of Columbia, SC died March 27, 2004, at Camp Wolverine, Kuwait. Toney died after collapsing in the vicinity of his billeting area, due to a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Pendleton, CA. Toney graduated from high school in Columbia, SC.
Marine Lance CPL Joshua Torrence, 20, of Lexington, SC, was killed on March 14, 2005, in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Torrence died of wounds received as a result of hostile action. He was assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejune, NC. Torrence was a 2003 graduate of White Knoll High School, where he played football. He was also a Civil War re-enactor and an avid four-wheel drive enthusiast.
SPC Demetrius Lamont Void, 20, of Orangeburg, died September 15, 2009 in Kandahar, Afghanistan of injuries sustained when a military vehicle struck him while undergoing physical training at Kandahar Airfield. A member of the Army, Void was assigned to the 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, III Corps based out of Fort Hood, TX. Void was a 2007 graduate of Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School.
Army SFC Terry Daniel Wagoner, 28, of Piedmont/Pelzer, SC, died on September 14, 2007, in Mugdadiyah, Iraq. Wagoner was killed from wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to 6th Squadron, 9th US Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, Texas. Wagoner graduated from Woodmont High School, where he ran track.
Marine CPL David G. Weimortz, 28, of Columbia, SC, died August 26, 2006. He was killed in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, from a roadside bomb. Weimortz was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejune, NC. Weimortz was a 1995 graduate of Dutch Fork High School, and a 2000 graduate of the University of South Carolina.
SPC Adam McKamey Wenger, 27, of Mount Pleasant, died November 5, 2008 in Tunnis, Baghdad. Wenger’s death has been listed as a non-hostile accident that is under investigation. There are unconfirmed reports that he was working with a transport convoy when the vehicle was hit and overturned. No confirmed information is available as his death is under investigation. A member of the Army, McKamey was in the1st BN, 76th Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. Wenger had been deployed four times to Kosovo, Afghanistan and twice to Iraq. Wenger attended Christ Our King School and Wando High School.
Army PFC Anthony J. White, 21, of Columbia, SC, died on March 25, 2007. He was killed in Baqubah, Iraq, when a suicide bomber on a scooter detonated an explosive while he and three other paratroopers handed out candy to a group of Iraqi children. White was assigned to 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC. White graduated from Richland Northeast High School in 2003, where he played basketball.
SPC Abraham Wheeler, 22, of Columbia, died on August 28, 2009 in Logar Providence, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when his vehicle was attacked with a roadside bomb. A member of the Army, he was a member of the 3rd SQ, 71st CAV, 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), based in Fort Drum, NY. He was twice awarded best defensive player in football at Ridgeview High School where he graduated in 2005. Following graduation, he received welding certification from Bamberg Technical School. Wheeler joined the Army in 2007, and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and the Purple Heart Award postmortem.
Private First Class Geoffrey A. Whitsitt, 21, of Taylors, died January 13, 2010 at Combat Outpost McClain, Afghanistan when his vehicle was struck with an improvised explosive device. Whitsitt joined the Army in February 2008 and was deployed to Forward Operating Base Airborne in Afghanistan in May. He was assigned to the 118th Military Police Company (Airborne), 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne), 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, NC. Whitsitt had received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Army SPC Harry “Buck” Winkler, III, 32, of Hampton, SC, died on November 12, 2006. Winkler was killed near Samarra, Iraq, of injuries suffered from an IED detonation near his vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3 Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC.
Army SPC Zandra T. Worthy-Walker, 28, of Greenville, SC, died in Taji, Iraq on August 15, 2007. She was killed from an enemy attack using indirect fire. Walker was assigned to 1st Aviation Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, TX. Worthy-Walker was a 1997 graduate of Woodmont High School, and she attended South Carolina State University.
Army Pfc. Dustin A. Yancey, 22, of Goose Creek, SC, died on November 4, 2005. Yancey died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near the Humvee he was driving during convoy operations. He was assigned to the 26th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA. He was a member of Top Flight, a special platoon that provided security to military convoys. He graduated from Goose Creek High School in 2001, where he was a member of the chorus and JROTC. He was nicknamed "The Most Advanced" by his buddies and commanding officers because of his driving/navigational skills as well as his abilities to tear apart and rebuild computers, play the guitar and his talent with magic tricks.
Marine Corps, Pfc. Rodericka Antwan Youmans, 22, of Allendale, SC, died July 6, 2004. He was killed, along with four other Marines, during a bomb attack by Iraqi insurgents near Fallujah in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Youmans was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, NC. Youmans graduated from Allendale-Fairfax High School in 2000, where he played football.
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