Casualties Mounting From Fighting Overseas

Among the casualties is the oldest American serviceman killed in Afghanistan.

Salem-News.com

(SAN DIEGO, Calif.) - Department of Defense figures indicate that as of August 20th 2009, no less than 713 U.S. servicemembers have died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan since the invasion that was launched in late 2001. The DoD states that of those deaths, 539 were a result of hostile action.

In this report we learn that fourteen more U.S. servicemen have died in the wars overseas. 12 of those who died were in Afghanistan, two were serving in Iraq.

Sergeant Matthew L. Ingram, 25, of Pearl, Mississippi, died August 21 in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle, and his unit came under small arms fire from enemy forces.

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Specialist Troy O. Tom, 21, of Shiprock, New Mexico died August 18 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their unit.

He assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington.

Private first class Jonathan C. Yanney, 20, of Litchfield, Minnesota died August 18 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their unit.

He assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington.

Army 1st Sergeant Jose S.N. Crisostomo, 59, of Inarajan, Guam, died August 18th in Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Jose Crisostomo joined the Army in May 1969 and served for 24 years during which time he served a tour in Vietnam. According to his wife Patricia. She told the Pacific Daily News of Guam that her husband rejoined the Army in April 2008 and deployed to Kabul in June 2008.

Army 1st Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo, is the oldest coalition soldier killed in the Afghanistan war. He was assigned to International Security Assistance Force Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Army Staff Sergeant Clayton P. Bowen, 29, of San Antonio, Texas, died after a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle August 18th. It happened in Afghanistan's Paktika Province.

Clayton Bowen was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Army Private first class Morris L. Walker, 23, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, also died August 18th from wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near the vehicle he and Clayton Brown were in.

Morris Walker was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Army Specialist Paul E. Dumont Jr., 23, of Williamsburg, Virginia, died August 19 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.

He was assigned to the 149th Transportation Company, 10th Transportation Battalion, Fort Eustis, Virginia.

The Department of Defense says the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

Army Specialist Matthew D. Hastings, 23, of Claremore, Oklahoma, died August 17th in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 582nd Medical Logistics Company, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command, Fort Hood, Texas.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

Army Private first class William Z. Vanosdol, 23, of Pinson, Alabama, died August 19th at Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy rocket fire struck his quarters.

He was assigned to the 172nd Support Battalion, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Adam F. Benjamin, 34, of Garfield Heights, Ohio, died August 18th while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

He was assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Marine Lance Corporal Leopold F. Damas, 26, of Floral Park, New York, died August 17th while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Army Sergeant 1st Class William B. Woods Jr., 31, of Chesapeake, Virginia, died August 16th at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered when he was shot Aug. 14 while on patrol in Ghanzi, Afghanistan.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Glen Arm, Maryland.

Army Corporal Nicholas R. Roush, 22, of Middleville, Michigan, died August 16th in Herat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

He was assigned to the 1st Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Lance Corporal Joshua M. Bernard, 21, of New Portland, Maine, died August 14th while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.