Spc. Dan Drevnick

Spc. James Wertish

Spc. Carlos Wilcox

The tragedy of war came home to Minnesota this week with news that five service members with connections to the state had died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On July 16, Spc. Daniel Drevnick of Woodbury, Spc. James Wertish of Olivia, and Spc. Carlos Wilcox of Cottage Grove were killed in a rocket attack on their base in Basra, Iraq.

All three soldiers served with  the Minnesota Army National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division Red Bulls.

On July 17, Air Force Capt. Thomas Gramith of Eagan was killed when his F-15E fighter jet crashed in Afghanistan. Capt. Gramith served with the 336th Fighter Squadron out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.

On July 18, Cpl. Benjamin Kopp of Rosemount died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center of wounds sustained July 10 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire.

Cpl. Kopp served with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Benning, Ga.

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U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

As of Tuesday, July 21, 2009, at least 4,328 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 31,431 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department’s weekly tally.

Multimedia

U.S. Troop Casualties in Iraq

Latest identifications:

Army National Guard Spc. Daniel P. Drevnick, 22, Woodbury, Minn., died July 16, 2009 in Basra of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, Stillwater, Minn.

Army National Guard Spc. James D. Wertish, 20, Olivia, Minn., died July 16, 2009 in Basra of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, Stillwater, Minn.

Army National Guard Spc. Carlos E. Wilcox IV, 27, Cottage Grove, Minn., died July 16, 2009 in Basra of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, Stillwater, Minn.

U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

As of Tuesday, July 21, 2009, at least 670 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.

On July 19, 2009, the Department of Defense announced the identity of a soldier listed as Missing-Captured on July 3 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 23, of Ketchum, Idaho, was declared Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) on July 1 and his status was changed  to “Missing-Captured” on July 3. Pfc. Bergdahl is a member of 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl

Latest identifications:

Marine Sgt. Michael W. Heede Jr., 22, Delta, Pa., died July 13, 2009 in Dehli, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province. He was assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Marine Gunnery Sgt. David S. Spicer, 33, Zanesfield, Ohio, died July 13, 2009 in Dehli, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province. He was assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason J. Fabrizi, 29, Seffner, Fla., died July 14, 2009 in Konar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his mounted patrol was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Air Force Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, Eagan, Minn., died July 17, 2009 in a F-15E crash near Ghazni province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.

Air Force Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, Colorado Springs, Colo., died July 17, 2009 in a F-15E crash near Ghazni province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.

Army Cpl. Benjamin S. Kopp, 21, Rosemount, Minn., died July 18, 2009 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington of wounds suffered July 10 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

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Remember Their Sacrifice

Related links

Iraq Casualties

Afghanistan Casualties

Honor the Fallen

Click to visit the Military Times Hall of Valor

Visit Military Times — The top source for military news

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Related reports on this site

3 Dead in Attack on Base in Iraq (July 17, 2009)

Captured U.S. Soldier Identified (July 19, 2009)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago Today — July 21, 2008

On the Campaign Trail: Day Seven

One year ago today, on the seventh day of my campaign against U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, I worked on my position statement regarding national security and studied a local controversy regarding illegal immigration.