Former Corvallis City Councilor Dies in Iraq During Green Zone Attacks Easter Sunday

Both his parents and commander believe that the national service of Paul Converse was nothing short of heroic.

Government photo of an attack in the "Green Zone" of Baghdad, Iraq. Photo: defenselink.mil

(CORVALLIS, Ore.) - The seventh person with ties to the Corvallis area has died in Iraq. The Gazette-Times reported today that Corvallis High School graduate, 56-year old Paul Converse, died in Baghdad from injuries suffered in an Easter Sunday rocket and mortar attack.

Paul Converse graduated from both Corvallis High School and Oregon State University. The Gazette-Times also reports that he was a Corvallis city councilor for a short period, and that his parents, Dick and Leona Converse of Corvallis, believed that he was in a safe American controlled area in Iraq. They told a reporter that they were very proud of their son and they said he believed he was making a difference in the reconstruction effort.

Mr. Converse was a civilian government employee who worked for the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, which is under the Department of Defense. He was a financial analyst who audited contracts in Iraq. The agency's Inspector General, Stuart W. Bowen Jr., says Paul Converse survived one day after being injured.

"On March 23rd, the International Zone in Baghdad was hit by indirect fire. During one of the attacks, Paul Converse, a SIGIR auditor, was seriously wounded. He died from his injuries on March 24th."

Bowen says Paul joined SIGIR in November 2007 as a program analyst on their main audit team and he deployed to Baghdad in December.

"He was familiar with the challenges that accompany service in Iraq, holding a variety of positions across the country for the past four years, inducing work as an advisor to provincial reconstruction teams."

Bowen said, Paul's career before Iraq reveals that he was a man who sought out significant opportunities through which he could make a positive contribution, serving in Romania, Bosnia and Kosovo.

It is apparent through his credentials alone that Paul had an extraordinary amount to offer, and he chose to do it in a war zone to help the people of Iraq get their country back together.

"He had an impressive educational background as well, earning degrees in law, business and in the medical field. He also was a certified fraud examiner, which made him a perfect fit for out work at SIGIR," Bowen said.

Both he and Paul's parents, as revealed in the Gazette-Times article, believe that the national service of Paul Converse was nothing short of heroic.

"Paul lost his life in service to his country, performing a mission he believed in and supported by a team that believed in him. He was a man of integrity, diligence, and compassion. I am proud to have had him as a member of my team. We will always remember Paul's commitment to and concern for our mission."