Hero Stories for OIF

Pfc. Derrick D. Gwaltney, 21, of Cape Coral, Florida, died November 29, 2009, south of Basra, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. Pfc. Gwaltney was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Fort Lewis, Washington. </d

Sgt. Briand T. Williams, 25, of Sparks, Georgia, died November 22, 2009, in Numaniyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. Sgt. Williams was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia. </d

Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian M. Patton, 37, of Freeport, Illinois, died November 19, 2009, in Kuwait in a non-combat accident. Petty Officer 2nd Class Patton was an individual augmentee assigned to the Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom Law and Order Detachment. </d

Staff Sgt. Stephen L. Murphy, 36, of Jaffery, New Hampshire, died November 9, 2009, as a result of a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. Staff Sgt. Murphy was assigned to 2nd Intelligence Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. </d

Chief Warrant Officer Earl R. Scott III, 24, of Jacksonville, Florida, died November 8, 2009, in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his OH-58D helicopter crashed. Chief Warrant Officer Scott was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. </d

Chief Warrant Officer Mathew C. Heffelfinger, 29, of Kimberly, Idaho, died November 8, 2009, in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his OH-58D helicopter crashed. Chief Warrant Officer Heffelfinger was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. </d

Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos, 39, of Questa, New Mexico, died October 28, 2009, in Tallil, Iraq, in a non-combat related incident. Spc. Gallegos was assigned to the 720th Transportation Company, New Mexico Army National Guard, in Las Vegas, New Mexico. </d

Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, of South Ozone Park, New York, died October 27, 2009, in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Staff Sgt. Gonzalez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington. </d

Staff Sgt. Bradley Espinoza, 26, of Mission, Texas, died October 19, 2009, in Qwest, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Staff Sgt. Espinoza was assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. </d

Pfc. Daniel J. Rivera, 22, of Rochester, New York, died October 18, 2009, in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. Pfc. Rivera was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. </d