Thursday 12th May, 2005



The U.S. military is reeling from escalating casualties in Iraq.

Since last Saturday at least 15 troops have died in combat in Iraq, mostly from explosions. Another two died in action in Afghanistan.

The death toll is rivalling that of the six day period following the naming of the Iraq government on April 28. From that day until May 3, twenty U.S. soldiers were killed.

The latest deaths came Wednesday when two Marines died and 14 were wounded as an armoured vehicle in which they were traveling hit a mine during an offensive against insurgents in north-west Iraq.

Monday saw Pfc. Stephen P. Baldwyn, 19, of Saltillo, Miss. and Lance Cpl. Taylor B. Prazynski, 20, of Fairfield, Ohio lose their lives as a result of wounds received from an explosion while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Nasser Wa Salaam, and Al Karmah, Iraq.

Also killed Monday was Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee, 20, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., who died from an enemy explosion while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Al Karmah, Iraq.

Seven soldiers died Sunday. They were Lance Cpl. Lawrence R. Philippon, 22, of Hartford, Conn., who was killed by enemy small-arms fire while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Al Qa’im, Iraq, Cpl. Dustin A. Derga, 24, of Columbus, Ohio, who was also killed by small arms fire in Ubaydi, Iraq., Cpl. Richard P. Schoener, 22, of Hayes, La., who was killed in action in Alishang, Afghanistan, and Sgt. Gary A. Eckert Jr., 24, of Toledo, Ohio, who died in Balad, from injuries sustained earlier that day in Samarra, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV; and Staff Sgt. Thor H. Ingraham, 24, of Murrysville, Pa. and Pfc. Nicolas E. Messmer, 20, of Franklin, Ohio, who were killed in Khalidiyah, Iraq, when they were conducting combat operations and an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Nicholas C. Kirven, 21, of Richmond, Va., who died as the result of enemy action in Alishang, Afghanistan.

Three Marines who died after explosions from improvised explosive devices in Al Anbar Province, Iraq on Saturday were Sgt. Aaron N. Cepeda Sr., 22, and Lance Cpl. Lance T. Graham, 26, both of San Antonio, Texas, and Lance Cpl. Michael V. Postal, 21, of Glen Oaks, N.Y.

A sailor who also died Saturday in combat was identified as Petty Officer Third Class Jeffery L. Wiener, 32, of Louisville, Ky.,

Also Saturday, Sgt. Michael A. Marzano, 28, of Greenville, Pa., died as the result of an explosion caused by a car bombing in Hadithah, Iraq.