Florida Marine Among Nine Service Members Killed in Afghanistan This Week

Posted Aug 21, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Aug 21, 2011 at 04:35 PM

A Marine from Pace, FL, was among nine U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan t this week.

Pfc. Douglas L. Cordo, 20, of Kingston, N.Y., died Aug. 19 in Zabul, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Lance Cpl. Travis M. Nelson, 19, of Pace, Fla., died Aug. 18 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Spc. Joshua M. Seals, 21, of Porter, Okla., died Aug. 16 in Paktia province, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related incident.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma National Guard, Tulsa, Okla.

Spc. Dennis G. Jensen, 21, of Vermillion, S.D., died Aug. 16 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related incident.  He was assigned to the 153rd Engineer Battalion, 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Sioux Falls, S.D.

1st Lt. Damon T. Leehan, 30, of Edmond, Okla., died Aug. 14 in Laghman province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma National Guard, Stillwater, Okla.

Two soldiers died Aug. 14 in Paktika province, Afghanistan, while conducting vehicle recovery operations, and encountered a secondary explosion while dismounted. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade Grafenwoehr, Germany.

        Killed were:

        Sgt. Matthew A. Harmon, 29, of Bagley, Minn.; and
        Spc. Joseph A. VanDreumel, 32, of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Master Sgt. Charles L. Price III, 40, of Milam, Texas, died Aug. 12 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

2nd Lt. Joe L. Cunningham, 27, of Kingston, Okla., died Aug. 13 at Laghman province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident.  He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, Stillwater, Okla.

There have now been 1,725 casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom.