RSS FeedsU.S. toll in Iraq reaches 4,000: Remembering the fallen
Mike Rosen visits the grave of his friend, Sgt. Michael Carlson, at Arlington National Cemetery. Carlson was killed while fighting in Iraq.
With the death Sunday of the 4,000th U.S. service member in Iraq, Times staffers who have covered the war remember some of the men and women who have lost their lives there.
A Marine photographed reading a letter from home.
A staff sergeant who signed his e-mails "Combat Journalist."
A 20-year-old from Culver City who joked that Tupac Shakur was alive and lying low in Fallouja.
A major who believed in leading from the front, sharing the risks.
For five years, Los Angeles Times correspondents and photographers have traveled with the Americans serving in Iraq. They may not have known these troops well, but they will never forget them.
Air Force Staff Sergeant CHRISTOPHER S. FROST
Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost relished his role as public affairs officer.
Marine Major RAY J. MENDOZA
Marine Maj. Ray J. Mendoza knew that rank was only the beginning of leadership.
Marine Lance Corporal GEORGE J. PAYTON
Marine Lance Cpl. George Payton's friends thought they had saved him.
Army Private First Class JACOB T. TRACY
Pfc. Jacob T. Tracy drowned when an armor-penetrating bomb damaged his Humvee, which plunged into a creek.
Marine Captain PATRICK M. RAPICAULT
Capt. Patrick M. Rapicault fell in love with the U.S. and joined the Marines. In Iraq, he seemed fearless as he cleared the streets of Anbar province for convoys.
Sgt. 1st Class JOHN W. MARSHALL
Early in the war, Army Sgt. 1st Class John W. Marshall was at the head of a convoy when a blast killed him. The 50-year-old had been a source of wisdom and strength for the men around him.
Army Specialist VINCENT J. POMANTE III
Army Spc. Vincent J. Pomante III was a friendly face in an often tedious environment. He was killed a month before he was to return to Westerville, Ohio.
Marine Corporal NICHOLAS P. RAPAVI
Though squad leader Nicholas P. Rapavi was a short-timer, he didn't shy away from leading a dangerous mission.
Four American soldiers die in an explosion in south Baghdad on a day when more than 60 Iraqis are also killed.
