12 GIs killed in Afghanistan

VFW Magazine, August, 2004 by Tim Dyhouse

The Marine Corps suffered its first fatalities to hostile fire in Afghanistan, while five soldiers and a sailor were killed in separate incidents over a seven-week period in May and June. Two other soldiers and a Marine died in non-combat-related accidents during the same time frame.

Cpl. Ronald R. Payne of the 2nd Light Armored Recon Bn., 2nd Marine Div., II Marine Expeditionary Force, died May 7 after his patrol was attacked near Camp Tarawa, some 250 miles southwest of Kabul. Another Marine was wounded.

Army Chief Warrant Officer Bruce E. Price of 1st Bn., 3rd Special Forces Group, died May 15 when suspected Taliban fighters ambushed his patrol with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in Kajaki in Helmand Province. Two other soldiers were wounded.

Three soldiers and a sailor--Capt. Daniel W. Eggers and Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Mogensen, of 1st Bn., 3rd Special Forces Group; Pfc. Joseph A. Jeffries of 329th Psychological Operations Co., U.S. Army Reserve; and Navy SEAL Petty Officer 1st Class Brian J. Ouellette of Special Warfare Group 2--were killed May 29 in Kandahar. They were returning to their base when their vehicle hit a land mine as they tried to avoid another explosive device in the road.

Cpl. David M. Fraise of A Co., 2nd Bn., 35th Inf. Regt., 25th Inf. Div., died June 7 after his Humvee hit a roadside bomb near Deh Rawood some 250 miles southwest of Kabul. Two other soldiers were wounded.

Two Marines--Pfc. Daniel B. McClenney and Lance Cpl. Juston T. Thacker--of the 3rd Bn., 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Div., were killed from hostile fire June 24 near Bari Khout.

Army Spc. Philip L. Witkowski of the 7th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Div., died of non-combat related injuries sustained in Kandahar on May 1. On May 5, Pfc. Brandon J. Wadman of the Florida National Guard's 2nd Bn., 265th Air Defense Artillery, died when his vehicle roiled over near Kabul. Lance Cpl. Russell P. White of 3rd Bn., 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Div., died June 20 from a non-combat related incident at Camp Bulldog (Bagram Air Base).