Best list I can assemble of the soldiers killed in An Nasiriyah on March 23rd. This is a follow-up to the post I made describing the attempted resuce of the 507th by Marines, who were then killed in combat, but apparently never made it into the news stories about the attack on the 507th.
Just something about the disappearance of these men and their actions has stuck in my craw, probably because there never was any need to puff up the actions of any of the people there that day, and I'd like the weasel bastard that thought it necessary to suffer just a little bit.
The Rescuers Killed
Marine Sgt. Michael E. Bitz, 31, of Ventura, Calif.; assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibious Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine Lance Cpl. Brian Rory Buesing, 20, of Cedar Key, Fla.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine Pfc. Tamario D. Burkett, 21, of Erie, N.Y.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah March 23. He was listed as missing until April 13, when the Defense Department announced his remains had been identified.
Marine Cpl. Kemaphoom A. Chanawongse, 22, of Waterford, Conn.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed near Nasiriyah on March 23. He was listed as missing until April 14, when the Defense Department announced his remains had been identified.
Marine Lance Cpl. Donald J. Cline Jr., 21, of Washoe, Nev.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah on March 23. He was listed as missing until April 13, when the Defense Department announced his remains had been identified.
Marine Lance Cpl. David K. Fribley, 26, of Warsaw, Ind.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine Cpl. Jose A. Garibay, 21, of Costa Mesa, Calif.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine Pvt. Jonathan L. Gifford, 30, of Decatur, Ill.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah March 23. He was listed as missing until April 14, when the Defense Department announced his remains had been identified.
Marine Cpl. Jorge A. Gonzalez, 20, of Los Angeles; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine Pvt. Nolen R. Hutchings, 19, of Boiling Springs, S.C.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah March 23. He was listed as missing until April 13, when the Defense Department announced his remains had been identified.
Marine Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Jordan, 42, of Enfield, Conn.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick R. Nixon, 21, of Nashville, Tenn.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine 2nd Lt. Frederick E. Pokorney Jr., 31, of Tonopah, Nev.; assigned to the Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine Sgt. Brendon C. Reiss, 23, of Natrona, Wyo.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq, on March 23.
Marine Cpl. Randal Kent Rosacker, 21, of San Diego; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Slocum, 22, of Thornton, Colo.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Marine Lance Cpl. Michael J. Williams, 31, of Yuma, Ariz.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed in action near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Soldiers of the 507th Killed
Army Sgt. Edward J. Anguiano, 24, of Brownsville, Texas; assigned to 3rd Combat Support Battalion, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed in a convoy ambush in Iraq. His remains were recovered April 24. His status was changed from missing on April 28.
Army Sgt. George Edward Buggs, 31, of Barnwell, S.C.; assigned to 3rd Forward Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed after his convoy was ambushed in Iraq.
Army Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38, of Cleveland; assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Army Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, of El Paso, Texas; assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Army Pfc. Howard Johnson II, 21, of Mobile, Ala.; assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Army Spc. James M. Kiehl, 22, of Comfort, Texas; assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, of Pecos, Texas; assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Army Pfc. Lori Ann Piestewa, 23, of Tuba City, Ariz.; assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Army Pvt. Brandon Ulysses Sloan, 19, of Bedford Heights, Ohio; assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
Army Sgt. Donald Ralph Walters, 33, of Salem, Ore.; assigned to 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas; killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq.
I want to let you and every their know, the KIA marines of 1/2 were some of the best friends any one could ask for and when I watched that RPG rip into their AAV and then haven to ID their bodies. That was twice as hard, but thank you!
A Marine of 1/2 CAAT
LCPL Travis R Withrow
I just want to thank you for this post on the web. Everyone seems to have forgotten the men who died initially in the attempt to save the 507th. I was engaged to LCPL Michael J. Williams. My name was Heather Strange, I have recently gotten married to another Marine. I just wanted to thank you for being one of the few to recognize the initial attempt made by the Marines to save the 507th. There have been reports upon reports on everything that happened after the fact, but nothing on this initial attempt. Mike was from AZ where a member of the 507th was also from. She happened to be Native American. Her name was Lori Piestewa. She was Lynch's best friend. In a pathetic political ploy, our governer decided to name a freeway and a mountain after Lori right in the heart of Phoenix. Mike was from Phoenix, Lori was from the reservation in Tuba City. There was nothing done for Mike whatsoever. I got a letter from a couple of senators...but there was no mountain naming, no freeway naming. Pathetic. Nice way to grab votes! Anyhow...I am sorry it took so long for me to find this, but I did want to thank you. You can contact me at the email address above if you like...
Posted by: Heather Stockmaik on October 13, 2004 01:49 PM