This diary was inspired by MeteorBlades, of course, and by Nonie3234 who said:
"Look at their faces" at WaPo:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Then change the "View By" to view by Age.
Here are the 18-year-olds:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
This is to honor those soldiers who've died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, between the ages of 18 and 26. Below you will find statistics for numbers of service men and women who've died in each age group, and individuals from each category, with links to learn more about them.
18 years old: 21 Soldiers, 19 Men, 2 Women
Pvt. David Evans
Hometown: Buffalo, New York, U.S
Age: 18 years old
Died: May 25, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 977th Military Police Company, Fort Riley, Kan.
Incident: Killed while performing security when his steel shelter collapsed during an explosion.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
More below.
18 year olds, cont.
Pfc. Leslie D. Jackson
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia, U.S
Age: 18 years old
Died: May 20, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, Company A, 115th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, Tex.
Incident: Killed when her military vehicle hit a makeshift bomb in Baghdad.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
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19 years old: 158 Soldiers 156 Men, 4 Women
Pfc. Rachel K. Bosveld
Hometown: Waupun, Wisconsin, U.S
Age: 19 years old
Died: October 26, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 527th Military Police Company, 18th Military Police Brigade, V Corps, Giesen, Germany
Incident: Died during a mortar attack on the Abu Ghraib police Station.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Pfc. Pfc. Andrew D. Bedard
Hometown: Missoula, Montana
Age: 19 years old
Died: October 4, 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Incident: Killed by a makeshift bomb while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Ar Ramadi.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
One hundred and fifty-eight 19-year-olds. Gone.
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20 years old: 272 Soldiers, 264 Men, 8 Women
Pfc. Veashna Muy
Hometown: Los Angeles, California, U.S
Age: 20 years old
Died: June 23, 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Incident: Killed when his convoy was attacked by a carbomb in Fallujah.
Spc. Jeffrey Williams
Hometown: Warrenville, Illinois, U.S
Age: 20 years old
Died: September 5, 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb detonated near his combat patrol in Tal Afar.
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21 years old: 329 Soldiers, 327 Men, 2 Women
Pfc. Analaura Esparza Gutierrez
Hometown: Houston, Texas, U.S
Age: 21 years old
Died: October 1, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, A Company, 4th Forward Support Battalion, Division Support Command, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Tex.
Incident: Killed when her convoy was hit by a makeshift bomb and rocket-propelled grenades in Tikrit.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Spc. Rel A. Ravago IV
Hometown: Glendale, California, U.S
Age: 21 years old
Died: November 23, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Incident: Killed by assailants in Mosul while riding in a civilian car.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
From a family that revered its past enough to keep a name alive for four generations.
Spc. Chase R. Whitham
Hometown: Harrisburg, Oregon, U.S
Age: 21 years old
Died: May 8, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Incident: Electrocuted while in a swimming pool in Mosul.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Read cause of death: What the heck are we doing over there?
Spc. Uday Singh
Hometown: Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S
Age: 21 years old
Died: December 1, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, C Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Incident: Killed while on patrol in Habbaniyah.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Death respects not diversity, race, religion -- all who proved they cared about our country by heading off to this miserable war: dead.
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22 years old: 256 Soldiers, 254 Men, 2 Women
Spc. Blain M. Ebert
Hometown: Washtucna, Washington, U.S
Age: 22 years old
Died: November 22, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Tex.
Incident: Shot by a sniper at a road-block in Baghdad.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Looks wistful not macho. What brought him to join?
Seaman Jakia Sheree Cannon
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Age: 22 years old
Died: October 25, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Navy, USS Enterprise (CVN-65), Norfolk, Va.
Incident: Died of a blood vessel obstruction in her lung.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Look at that cause of death. What happened?
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23 years old: 175 Soldiers, 264 Men, 8 Women
Spc. Christopher D. Gelineau
Hometown: Portland, Maine, U.S
Age: 23 years old
Died: April 20, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army National Guard, 133rd Engineer Battalion, Army National Guard, Gardiner, Maine
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb hit his vehicle in Mosul.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
French name, near Canada, tie-in there? "National Guard: Just a few weekends a year."
Spc. Toccara Green
Hometown: Rosedale, Maryland, U.S
Age: 23 years old
Died: August 14, 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 57th Transportation Company, 548th Corps Support Battalion, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Incident: Killed when multiple makeshift bombs exploded near her unit during convoy operations in Asad.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Iraq. Freedom. Total freedom -- for Toccara. She looks like she'd be a wonderful friend, bright, fun, sincere.
Pvt. Jeungjin Na Kim
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S
Age: 23 years old
Died: October 6, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Hovey, South Korea
Incident: Killed during an attack on his patrol in Ramadi.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Spc. Chrystal G. Stout
Hometown: Travelers Rest, South Carolina, U.S
Age: 23 years old
Died: April 6, 2005 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Army National Guard, 228th Signal Brigade, Army National Guard, Spartanburg, S.C.
Incident: Killed when a CH-47 helicopter crashed in Ghazni, Afghanistan.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Helicopter crash, think about the journey down, when you know. Was the economy in her small town had been strangled for years, leading her to the National Guard?
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24 years old: 172 Soldiers; 169 Men, 3 Women
Sgt. Myla L. Maravillosa
Hometown: Wahiawa, Hawaii
Age: 24 years old
Died: December 24, 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army Reserves, 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
Incident: Died in Kirkuk of injuries sustained earlier that day in Hawijah when her Humvee was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Spc. Casey Sheehan
Hometown: Vacaville, California, U.S
Age: 24 years old
Died: April 4, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Tex.
Incident: Killed when their units were attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire in Baghdad.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
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25 years old: 152 Soldiers, 148 Men, 4 Women
Sgt. Jason Cook
Hometown: Okanogan, Washington, U.S
Age: 25 years old
Died: August 21, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Incident: Killed by enemy action in Anbar province.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Spc. Isela Rubalcava
Hometown: El Paso, Texas, U.S
Age: 25 years old
Died: May 8, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 296th Combat Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.
Incident: Killed by a mortar round in Mosul.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Five service members died that day.
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26 years old 137 Soldiers, 135 Men, 2 Women
Sgt. Melissa Valles
Hometown: Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S
Age: 26 years old
Died: July 9, 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, B Company, 64th Forward Support Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.
Incident: Valles died as a result of non-combat injuries.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
Spc. Quoc Binh Tran
Hometown: Mission Viejo, California, U.S
Age: 26 years old
Died: November 7, 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army National Guard, 181st Support Battalion, Army National Guard, San Bernardino, Calif.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his convoy in Baghdad.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...
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And here's a graph of number of deaths by year:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/...