Military Deaths

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Iraq or who died at a U.S. hospital of their injuries:

Richard A. Bennett, 25, of Girard, Kan.; corporal, Marine Corps. Bennett was one of two Marines who died Tuesday after their Cobra attack helicopter crashed during a maintenance test flight May 27 near Taqaddum, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

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Robert E. Blair, 22, of Ocala, Fla.; specialist, Army. Blair was one of two soldiers killed May 25 when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee while on patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Baumholder, Germany.

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Brock L. Bucklin, 28, of Grand Rapids, Mich.; specialist, Army. Bucklin was killed Wednesday in a noncombat equipment accident in Balad, north of Baghdad. Soldiers reportedly were lifting equipment when a chain broke and hit him in the neck. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson, Colo.

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Douglas A. Dicenzo, 30, of Plymouth, N.H.; captain, Army. Dicenzo was one of two soldiers killed May 25 when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee while on patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Baumholder, Germany.

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Nathanael J. Doring, 31, of Apple Valley, Minn.; captain, Marine Corps. Doring was one of two Marines who died Tuesday after their Cobra attack helicopter crashed during a maintenance test flight May 27 near Taqaddum, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

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James A. Funkhouser, 35, of Katy, Texas; captain, Army. Funkhouser was killed Monday when a car bomb exploded near his Humvee in Baghdad. A CBS News cameraman and soundman also were killed. CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier was critically injured and is being treated at an Army hospital in Germany. In addition, an Iraqi interpreter was killed in the blast and six U.S. soldiers were injured. Funkhouser was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

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J. Adan Garcia, 20, of Irving, Texas; specialist, Army. Garcia died May 27 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., of injuries suffered May 22 when his convoy was attacked with small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

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Alexander J. Kolasa, 22, of White Lake, Mich.; corporal, Army. Kolasa died of a heart attack Wednesday while on guard duty in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 704th Main Support Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

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Jeremy M. Loveless, 25, of Estacada, Ore.; specialist, Army. Loveless was killed Monday when his Stryker vehicle was attacked with small-arms fire while on patrol in Mosul, northwest of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska.

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Benjamin E. Mejia, 25, of Salem, Mass.; sergeant, Army. Mejia died Wednesday after collapsing while working out in a gym at Forward Operating Base Marez, northwest of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska.

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Bobby R. West, 23, of Beebe, Ark.; specialist, Army. West was killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near him while on foot patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

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War casualties

Total U.S. deaths* as of Friday:

* In and around Iraq: 2,475

* In and around Afghanistan: 235

* Other locations: 57

Source: Department of Defense

* Includes military and Department of Defense-employed civilian personnel killed in action and in nonhostile circumstances

Sources: Department of Defense, Times staff reports and the Associated Press