Hero Stories for California

Pfc. Nicolas H.J. Gideon, 20, of Murrieta, California, died July 6, 2009, at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered earlier that day in Paktya, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. Pfc. Gideon was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. </d

Pfc. Justin A. Casillas, 19, of Dunnigan, California, died July 4, 2009, at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked the outpost using small arms and indirect fire. Pfc. Casillas was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. </d

Capt. Kafele H. Sims, 32, of Los Angeles, California, died June 16, 2009, in Mosul, Iraq, of a non-combat related incident. Capt. Sims was assigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade, Schwetzingen, Germany. </d

Spc. Eduardo S. Silva, 25, of Greenfield, California, died June 9, 2009, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related incident. Spc. Silva was assigned to the 563rd Aviation Support Battalion, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. </d

Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Whittle, 20, of Downey, California, died June 6, 2009, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance Cpl. Whittle was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. </d

Maj. Rocco M. Barnes, 50, of Los Angeles, California, died June 4, 2009, in Afghanistan of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. Maj. Barnes was a member of the Tactical Command Post, 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard, assigned as an individual augmentee to the 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. </d

Cmdr. Duane G. Wolfe, 54, of Port Hueneme, California, died May 25, 2009, from injuries suffered as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on his convoy southeast of Fallujah, Iraq. Cmdr. Wolfe was assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Gulf Region Division in Iraq. </d

Maj. Jason E. George, 38, of Tehachapi, California, died May 21, 2009, near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked while on dismounted patrol by enemy forces using improvise explosive devices. Maj. George was an Army Reservist assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, Fayetteville, North Carolina. </d

Staff Sgt. Esau I. de la Pena-Hernandez, 25, of La Puente, California, died May 15, 2009, at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Chak, Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. de la Pena-Hernandez was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. </d

Spc. Jake R. Velloza, 22, of Inverness, California, died from wounds sustained after he was shot by enemy forces in Mosul, Iraq, on May 2, 2009. Spc. Velloza was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. </d