Published: June 11, 2005

DoD identifies Nine Casualties

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The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of four soldiers and five marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Soldiers

Lt. Col. Terrence K. Crowe, 44, of New York, N.Y., died June 7 in Tal Afar, Iraq, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. Crowe was assigned to the Army Reserve's 10th Battalion, 98th Regiment, 4th Brigade, 98th Division, Lodi, N.J.

Staff Sgt. Mark O. Edwards, 40, of Unicoi, Tenn., died June 9 at his forward operating base near Tuz, Iraq, from a non-combat related cause. Edwards was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Erwin, Tenn.

Pfc. Emmanuel Hernandez, 22, of Yauco, Puerto Rico, died June 8 in Shkin, Afghanistan, when his helicopter-landing zone came under enemy fire. Hernandez was assigned to the Army's 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy.

Pfc. Douglas E. Kashmer, 27, of Sharon, Pa., died June 8 in Nippur, Iraq, when the wrecker in which he was a passenger was involved in a non-combat related rollover. Kashmer was assigned to the Army's 70th Transportation Company, Mannheim, Germany.

Marines

All five Marines died June 9 as a result of an explosion while conducting combat operations with 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Haqlaniyah, Iraq.

Lance Cpl. Dustin V. Birch, 22, of Saint Anthony, Idaho
Lance Cpl. Daniel Chavez, 20, of Seattle, Wash.
Lance Cpl. Thomas O. Keeling, 23, of Strongsville, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Devon P. Seymour, 21, of St. Louisville, Ohio
Cpl. Brad D. Squires, 26, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio

Keeling, Seymour, and Squires were assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Akron, Ohio.

Birch was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Boise, Idaho.

Chavez was assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.