Hero Stories for Illinois

Cpl. Christopher J. Boyd, 22, of Palatine, Illinois, died August 19, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Cpl. Boyd was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, IMarine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. </d

Lance Cpl. Kevin E. Oratowski, 23, of Wheaton, Illinois, died August 18, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Oratowski was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. </d

Lance Cpl. Kevin E. Oratowski, 23, of Wheaton, Illinois, died August 18, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Oratowski was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. </d

Lance Cpl. Kevin E. Oratowski, 23, of Wheaton, Illinois, died August 18, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Oratowski was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. </d

Lance Cpl. Kevin E. Oratowski, 23, of Wheaton, Illinois, died August 18, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Oratowski was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. </d

Lance Cpl. Frederik E. Vazquez, 20, of Melrose Park, Illinois, died July 24, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Vazquez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. </d

Sgt. Anibal Santiago, 37, of Belvidere, Illinois, died July 18, 2010, in Bagram, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained July 17 in a non-combat related incident in Kwowst, Afghanistan. Sgt. Santiago was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia. </d

Sgt. Matthew W. Weikert, 29, of Jacksonville, Illinois, died July 17, 2010, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Sgt. Weikert was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. </d

Sgt. Jesse R. Tilton, 23, of Decatur, Illinois, died July 16, 2010, at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained July 13 when insurgents attacked his unit in Kandahar City, Afghanistan, with rifle, rocket propelled grenade, and small arms fire. Sgt. Tilton was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. </d

Staff Sgt. Justus S. Bartelt, 27, of Polo, Illinois, died July 16, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Bartelt was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, Nirth Carolina. </d