Fallen Marines of Suicide Charley
Cpl Taylor J. Baune
Thursday, 16 August 2012 05:24
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota Marine who was killed in Afghanistan never took a day of his life for granted, his 20-year-old wife said Thursday.
Cpl. Taylor J. Baune, 21, of Andover, died in combat Wednesday (June 13) in Helmand province in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Thursday. He served with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Twentyninepalms, Calif.
LCpl Curtis J Duarte
Thursday, 16 August 2012 05:24
Lance Cpl. Curtis J. Duarte, age 22, of Covina, California, died on August 1, 2012, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, California. Curtis Duarte grew up in southern California and graduated from Covina High School in 2008 where he played baseball. Curtis attended San Diego State University before he joined the Marines in 2008. His brother Brad is also serving in the Marines. This was Lance Cpl. Duarte’s first deployment to Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Duarte’s awards include a Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon and other decorations.
Sgt James McIlvaine
Wednesday, 06 May 2009 03:24
Sergeant James R. McIlvaine, age 26, was killed in Iraq April 30, 2009 serving his country in the United States Marine Corps. James was born September 24, 1982 in Olney, MD to Joanne E. Ryan and the late Michael S. McIlvaine. He graduated from the Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va., where he was a member of the National Honor Society and was awarded a commission to the Virginia Military Institute.
Sgt McIlvaine is survived by his wife Sheryl M. McIlvaine of Twentynine Palms, CA two children Michael T. McIlvaine and Alexa N. McIlvaine both of Twentynine Palms, CA, mother and step-father Joanne E. and Mike S. Ryan of Purcellville, VA, four sisters Shannon, Ally, and Katie all of Purcellville, VA, and Airen of Frederick, MD and grandparents William and Katherine Muncy of Ocean Pines, MD and Patricia DeSimone of Olney, MD.
LCpl San Sim
Saturday, 15 November 2008 14:13
SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 23-year-old Marine was killed in combat in Afghanistan, one month shy of completing his third tour of duty in the Middle East, military officials said Friday. Lance Cpl. San Sim of Santa Ana died Wednesday the Department of Defense said. He died Oct. 22 from enemy gunfire in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He also had done two stints in Iraq and was assigned to Twentynine Palms, Calif. Sim was in the process of gaining his citizenship. Sim was born in a refugee camp in the Philippines, the youngest of 11 children in a family fleeing Cambodia.
Sim, a rifleman based in Camp Pendleton, headed to southwestern Afghanistan in April and was due to return next month, said 1st Lt. Curtis Williamson. He said his unit’s mission was to help train Afghan troops but “the situation on the ground dictated that they have more of a combat role. He was out there fighting.” Sim’s brother Seng Sim described him as a dedicated Marine who had completed two stints in Iraq and won commendations, including two Purple Hearts. He attended Santa Ana Valley High School before joining the Marines. “When he got out of high school, he wanted to do something for his country,” Seng Sim said. “Everything else could wait.” He is survived by his wife, Karla, and son, Donovan.
LCpl Aaron Simons
Sunday, 30 April 2006 22:00
Marine Lance Cpl. Aaron W. Simons 20, of Modesto, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; killed April 24 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar province, Iraq. Simons was taking a break while patrolling the desert city of Qaim in western Iraq, near the Syrian border, when he was killed in a Rocket-Propelled Grenade Attack.
His team had reached what the military calls a “hardened site” — a structure surrounded by sandbags and concertina wire, said his cousin John Widick. The Marines longed to shed their flak jackets, drink water and find refuge from the pale yellow desert, dry heat and coarse sand, he said.
For Simons, 20, the stop also meant a chance to lay down his heavy machine gun. Although he had been a skinny teenager in his hometown of Modesto, he had bulked up so much since joining the Marine Corps that he had been named SAW gunner — typically a burly Marine whose job it is to carry the squad’s heaviest hand-held weapon, the 15-pound Squad Automatic Weapon machine gun.
Lt. Ronald Winchester
Friday, 03 September 2004 01:47
Marine 1st Lt Ronald Winchester, 25, of Rockville Center, N.Y.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; killed Sept 3, 2004 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.
In 2000, Ronald Winchester played in Navy’s biggest football game of the season, against Army – and his best friend. There were no hard feelings when Navy beat Army 30-28. “He was like my brother. We had a lot of fun together,” said former Army defensive tackle and pal Doug Larson. “He was independent, but we were both dependent on each other.”