Area War Dead

Service members from the valley and foothills who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan:

• Army Pfc. Lukas C. Hopper, 20, Merced, Week of Oct. 26-30, 2009, Iraq
• Petty Officer 3rd Class James R. Layton, 22, Riverbank, Sept. 8, 2009, Afghanistan
• Army Lt. Daniel Hyde, 24, Modesto, March 7, 2009, Iraq
• Marine Staff Sgt. Daniel L. Hansen, 24, Tracy, February 14, 2009, Afghanistan
• Army Spc. Tony J. Gonzales, 20, Newman, Dec. 28, 2008, Sadr City, Iraq
• Army Sgt. Frank J. Gasper, 25, of Merced County, May 25, 2008, Najaf, Iraq
• Army Sgt. Robert T. Rapp, 22, Sonora, March 3, 2008, Afghanistan
• Army Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, 30, Groveland, Aug. 22, 2007, Multaka, Iraq
• Army Pfc. Bruce Salazar Jr., 24, Modesto, July 6, 2007, Iraq
• Marine Cpl. Charles O. Palmer II, 36, Manteca, May 5, 2007, Anbar province, Iraq
• Marine Cpl. Joshua Pickard, 20, Merced, Dec. 19, 2006, Anbar province
• Army Sgt. 1st Class Tung M. Nguyen, 38, Tracy, Nov. 14, 2006, Baghdad
• Army Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Gage, 28, Modesto, Nov. 2, 2006, Baghdad
• Marine Lance Cpl. Aaron William Simons, 20, Modesto, April 24, 2006, al-Qaim, Iraq
• Marine Lance Cpl. Juana Navarro, 24, Ceres, April 8, 2006, Anbar province
• Army Sgt. Dale G.M. Brehm, 23, Turlock, March 19, 2006, Ramadi, Iraq
• Marine Lance Cpl. Bunny Long, 22, Modesto, March 10, 2006, near Fallujah, Iraq
• Army Sgt. 1st Class Chad Gonsalves, 31, Turlock, Feb. 13, 2006, Afghanistan
• Marine Lance Cpl. Brandon Dewey, 20, Tracy, Jan. 20, 2006, Haqlaniyah, Iraq
• Army Pfc. Antonio "Tony" Mendez, 22, Patterson, Nov. 11, 2005, Kirkuk, Iraq
• Army Capt. Raymond D. Hill II, 39, Turlock, Oct. 29, 2005, Baghdad
• Army Pfc. Oscar Sanchez, 19, Modesto, Dec. 29, 2004, Mosul, Iraq
• Marine Cpl. Michael D. Anderson Jr., 21, Modesto, Dec. 14, 2004, Fallujah
• Army Pfc. Jesse J. Martinez, 20, Tracy, July 14, 2004, Tal Afar, Iraq
• Army Sgt. Patrick R. McCaffrey Sr., 34, Tracy, June 22, 2004, Balad, Iraq
• Army 1st Lt. Michael W. Vega, 41, Lathrop, March 20, 2004, Diwaniyah, Iraq
• Army Staff Sgt. Steven H. Bridges, 33, Tracy, Dec. 8, 2003, Balad
• Army Pfc. Karina S. Lau, 20, Livingston, Nov. 2, 2003, near Fallujah
• Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa, 33, Tracy, March 27, 2003, Iraq