Chronology of US Military Engagements
Since the Second Indochina War

In an effort to update readers on the effect of hostile engagements involving US personnel, the following is a brief chronology of US military endeavors since the Second Indochina War in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Please note that the Casualty figures are not entirely dependable as there were a number of engagements with complete media blackouts, and, POW-MIA reporting is virtually nonexistent in many events.

The Second Indochina War :: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia - 1959 - 1975

Presidents :: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon
Purpose :: The Second Indochina War finds its genesis in the disastrous French occupation of Vietnam with 100 years of colonial rule and ending with the fiasco known as the First Indochina War and their rout at Dien Bien Phu (1954). France immediately sued for Peace and an Agreement was drawn up - the Geneva Peace Accords. Heavily influenced by Cold War insensibilities and the heavy-handed influence of the People's Republic of China and the then USSR, the parties agreed to a face-saving (for France) measure that partitioned Vietnam at the 17th parallell. The partition was intended to disappear with elections in 1956, however, the US had other interpretations of the events... namely the Agreement provided too much power and influence to the Communist North. In response to this concern, the US helped to create SEATO - SouthEast Asian Treaty Organization. Using SEATO as a nation-building cover, the US sponsored the creation of the Republic of Vietnam (1955). In 1956,Ngo Dinh Diem, a dubious character with open anti-Communit views, was elected as President of what was then referred to as the GVN. Diem immediately claimed that North Vietnam (DRV - Democratic Republic of Vietnam) was attemtping to overrun the RVN, began counter-attacks with US assistance, and by 1957 enacted Law 10/59 - a series of laws that enabled the RVN to hold an individual as a suspected Communist without charges... all that was needed was a suspicon. The repressive laws and their rigorous enforcement had a profoundly negative effect on numerous citizens; Monks and Nuns, Students, Enterpreneurs, Civilians and others, railed against the corruption and heavy-handedness. Diem simply claimed that all controversy, complaints and protests were actually the work of Communists, trying to take control of the partitioned country and reunify it, at the expense and with the demise of the South as an independent entity.

From 1956 to 1960, the Communist North DRV was committed to reunification by political and external means only. With no iternational interest or support forthcoming, in 1959 and again in 1960, the North approved 'Reolutionary Violence" to bring about reunification". With that the support of Southern Communist sympathizers was brought into the plan. The NLF - National Liberation Front - was resurrected and anyone could be a member... all one had to do was oppose Diem, oppose his corrupt regime and work to reunify the schism that was Vietnam. During this period the US had committed advisors, materiels and aid to assist the South in a limited support and advisory capacity.

The US, under Kennedy, in 1961 was faced with two options - cut and run, or, go for a full-scale military support/intervention. Neither option appealed to Kennedy who had been warned repeatedly that Vietnam was a disaster waiting to happen, yet urged on by the Communist/Cold War scare tactics of 1950's McCarthyesque fear mongers, claiming a Communist "Domino Theory" should South Vietnam not remain free and independent. Kennedy however, took a middle of the road stance, committing more advisors and substantial materiels. It was a disaster as the NLF was in-place and touting numerous victories. Launching the Strategic Hamlet Program, the South RVN invaded the Southern countryside in search of Communist sympathizers, using its repressive powers to disrupt and terrify the peasants, thus creating more sympathy and easy recruits for the North. Diem's brother began a series of pogroms against Buddhists and their temples, under the auspices of their "harboring" Communists and their sympathizers. The immediate response was Buddhist Monks self-immolating themelves in the streets. By 1963, international outrage, the shattering of any modicum of stability in the South and the endless repressions by Diem led the US to agree to support a Coup against Diem. On 01 November 1963, Diem and his brother were overthrown, captured and assassinated. Exactly 3 weeks later President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

A questionable event called the Gulf of Tonkin Incident pushed now President Lyndon Baines Johnson to demand extended war powers. On 02 August 1964, the North (while defending her coastline) mounted a localized attack on two US ships, the C. Turner Joy and the U.S.S. Maddox, in the Gulf of Tonkin. Again, on 04 August 1964, the North was reported to attack and it was this event that Johnson used to bring to Congress a request for expansive war powers. Congress voted in the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution... immedaitely after the US used air attacks against the North. Whether or not the second attack ever occurred has been hotly debated for decades. Ultimately, Vo Nguyen Giap, the DRV's leading military figure at the time, and Johnson's Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara stated that no second attack ever took place.

The first combat troops arrived in Vietnam in 1965. The war raged and expanded, drifitng into and overwhleming neighboring Laos and Cambodia until a Peace Agreement was hammered out and a cease-fire esatblished in January 1973. It was abrogated immediately and the region remained engulfed in conflict and intermittent conflagration until the North invaded the South 30 April 1975, and with it the end of the Second IndoChina War.

Casualties - US
58,486 KIA
660 total military POWs returned (28 Escapees - 632 Repatriates)
141 civilian POWs/detainees returned
2,583 Unaccounted-For (POW, MIA, DIC, KIA/BNR status) at end of war

For more, please visit: Second IndoChina War Section

Soviet Union :: U-2 Shootdown, Francis Gary Powers May 1960

President :: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Purpose :: In the throes of the Cold War, the former Soviet Union shot down the U-2 high altitude reconnaissance plane, forcing US pilot Francis Gary Powers to bail out on May Day, 1960. Powers was captured, tried as a spy and imprisoned with a 10-year sentence. On February 10, 1962, a year and a half later, the US and the USSR traded prisoners, Powers for the Soviet spy Rudolph Abel, captured and sentenced in the US 5 years previous.

The incident cemented US-USSR distrust and added fuel to the escalating Cold War propaganda machines whirring on both sides of the world. The Cuban Missile Crisis followed immedaitely, throwing the world into chaos and realtions between the two super powers into decades of disarray.

For more, please visit: Cold War Section

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/dl/U2Incident/u2documents.html

The Cold War Museum, by Francis Gary Powers, Jr.
http://www.coldwar.org/articles/60s/u2_incident.asp

The Avalon Project at Yale Law School
The U-2 Incident 1960
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/u2.htm

Panama :: Flag Riots 1964

President :: Lyndon B. Johnson
Purpose :: Anti-american sentiment over the US presence at the Canal Zone reached its zenith in January 1964, over the flying of the Panamanian flag in the Zone. Beginning in 1960, the US State Department and the Department of Defense were at loggerheads over allowing the Panamanian flag to be flown at the Canal Zone. A token flag was raised alongside the US flag in September 1960, but Panamanian dissatisfaction continued and fueled a bitter resentment against the US. By 1964 an agreement was reached whereby both flags would fly side-by-side. However, US citizens in the zone were reluctant to do so. Students at an American High School flew the US flag solo on January 8 and 9, and in response on the evening of the 9th, Panamanian students entered the Canal Zone with the Panamanian flag. During a struggle between the students, the Panamanian flag was torn, setting off a series of riots. The rioting lasted 3 days with several hundred injured, 20 dead and millions of dollars of damage to US property.

Dominican Republic :: 1965 US Invasion April 28th

Presidents :: John F. Kennedy - Lyndon B. Johnson
Purpose :: Under the auspices of preventing 'another Cuba' the US invaded the Dominican Republic out of fear of the spread of Communism to the Caribbean island, in contravention of Franklin Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy. On 24 April 1965 a coup/civil war erupted. The US invaded on the 28th and within days evacuated thousands of US, UK and local citizens. Troop estimates are 20,000.

USS Pueblo Incident :: January 1968 - December 1968

President :: Lyndon B. Johnson
Incident :: North Korea claimed the USS Pueblo (an NSA SIGINT vessel) violated its territorial waters and captured the vessel on 23 January 1968. One USS Pueblo crewmember was killed in the boarding and 82 were taken POW and held captive for 11 months. Upon signature of the US admitting to espionage in the coastal waters of the Sea of Japan, the 82 POWs were freed. The US created an unprecedented international law case by classing the document as false prior to signing it. Upon their return on 28 December, 1968, the crew was treated poorly by the public and the military and only in 1990 did they receive the POW ribbons to which they were entitled. The ship remains in Wonson Harbor, North Korea.

American Casualties: 1 hostile KIA

For more, please visit : The USS Pueblo Veterans Organization
http://www.usspueblo.org/

USS Liberty Incident :: 1967

President :: Lyndon B. Johnson
Incident :: The USS Liberty, a Naval communications vessel, was in international waters monitoring activity during the Six-Day War. On the 8th of June, 1967, Israeli aircraft surveilled the ship for several hours in the morning and suddenly, at 2:PM in the afternoon, attacked the vessel in an unprovoked action. Extensive damage and casualties resulted. Previous to the attack, pilots of the aircraft waved to the sailor's below. Suddenly, unmarked aircraft began firing on the ship. The Israeli jets propelled napalm, rockets and canon at the ship.

The USS Liberty radioed for help. Nearby US aircraft carriers launched fighter A/C. The White House recalled the fighters. In communications between the WH and the Commander of the Sixth Fleet (Mediterranean) both SecDef Robert McNamara and President Johnson reiterated that the recall stood. According to Johnson, he "... would not have his allies embarassed, and he didn't care who was killed or what was done to the ship."

A motor torpedo attack then commenced. Five torpedoes were fired at the USS Liberty, one striking the ship and killing 24-25 seamen immediately. The motor torpedo craft were within 50 feet of the ship and could easily see her flag and markings. As sailors ran to help one another and put out fires on deck, the PTs continued their attack, shooting up the deck with machine gun fire and at the life rafts, full of sailors, that were deployed. Two rafts were sunk, one was even 'captured'. Surviving crewmen tried desperately to rig a radio antenna to broadcast an SOS, but found that 4 of 5 frequencies, including the international distress frequency, were being jammed. The jamming struck Liberty's frequencies, and no other. Out of 297 crewmen, 35 were killed, 172 wounded. Yet, the USS Liberty's flag remained flying.

The "six-minute" "tragic error", as the White House stated, was in actuality a protracted attack of an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half long. And an hour AFTER the attack, Israeli warships and A/C returned to theLiberty, but left again, quite possibly fearful of action or intervention by the US Sixth Fleet.

American Casualties: 172 Wounded in Action, 34 hostile KIA

For more, please visit:
http://www.ussliberty.org/
http://home.cfl.rr.com/gidusko/liberty/

The National Security Agency - Central Security Service
http://www.nsa.gov/liberty/

The USS Liberty Inquiry
http://www.usslibertyinquiry.com/

The Mayaguez Incident :: 1975

President :: Gerald Ford
Incident :: The Merchant freighter Mayaguez was captured by the Khmer Rouges on May 12, 1975. The vessel, bound for Thailand, was captured when the Cambodian guerillas assaulted it with two gunboats and boarded it. The Khmer Rouges charged the 39 crewmembers with espionage and held them. Two days of intense attacks ensued and the Mayaguez was retaken by US forces when an amphibious assault of US Marines stormed her.

American Casualties: 15 hostile KIA, Marine amphibious personnel

US Maritime Service Veterans
http://www.usmm.org/mayaguez.html

USS Mayaguez Rescue Attempt
http://afsf.lackland.af.mil/Heritage/History/heritage_mayaguez.htm

Iran Hostage Crisis :: 04 November 1979 - 20 January 1981

President :: Jimmy Carter/Ronald Reagan 1 Day
Purpose :: After the successful overthrow of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi by the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's radical Islamic militants, Iran was unstable and dangerous for foreign entities and personnel. On the 4th of November 1979, after months of escalating violence and threats, a mass of 500 Iranian militants stormed the US Embassy compund in Tehran and captured 66 Americans (63 Embassy, 3 Foreign Ministry Office) of the 90 individuals present at the Embassy.

Thus began the Iran Hostage Crisis that crippled the Carter Administration and his Presidency. 52 people remained captive by the Iranian revolutionary Guard within the Embassy compound for 444 days. Iran was hit by ecionomic sanctions including a halt on Iranian oil exports and the freezing of Iranian assets. all diplomatic initiatives failed. On 24 April 1980 a rescue mission was mounted resulting in the deaths of 8 military personnel, much damage and loss to materiels and disgrace for the Carter admnistration.

In 1980, the deposed Shah died of cancer and Iraq invaded Iran. The IRanians became increasingly more recpetive to an end to the crisis. Ronald Reagan's strength in campaigning and ultimately being elected President was due, in part, to the poor perforance of the Carter administration in bringing the Crisis to an end. On Inauguration Day, 20 January 1981, the Iranian assets (equaling roughly US $8 billion) were unfrozen and while Ronald Reagan was taking the Oath of Office, news banners streamed across televisions worldwide that the Hostages had been released at the very same moment as Carter stood down and Reagan was sworn in. As a result of agreements hammered out at the last minute, Iran was given a hold-harmless clause that gav them immunity from any litigation arising out of the episode.

In 2000, former Hostages sued Iran under the 1996 Anti-Terrorism Act, allowing US citizens to sue foreign governments in cases of state-sponsored terrorism. The suit was won by default (Iran offered no defense) and the US State Department wnet into overdrive to have the suit and award dismissed. 9They are very good at that, read the PGW litigation fiasco that has ensued. The State Dept's stance is that the lawsuit and award would hinder State's ability to negotiate international agreements. State found a Federal Judge who agreed and who set aside the award and dismissed the Hostages lawsuit in 2002, based on the argument that the agreement that garnered their freedom also precluded their ability to sue.

Of the original 66 Hostages, 13 were released 19-20 November 1979 and 1 was released 11 July 1980. The remaining 52 Hostages endured 444 days of captivity.

American Casualties: 52 Americans held Hostage for 444 days

Iran Hostage Narrative
Creation of Task Force to Investigate Certain Allegations - 1991
The Hostage Crisis in Iran - Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Hostage List

Iran Hostage Rescue Mission: Operation Eagleclaw :: 24 April 1980

President :: Jimmy Carter
Purpose :: To effect the rescue of 52 Americans held hostage in Iran since 04 November 1979.
Mission - Codenamed Operation Eagleclaw, the mission was doomed to failure before it got off the ground. After almost 6 months of Hostages in captivity, and a zero response on diplomatic initiatives, the Carter Administration was unsure if the 52 Americans would be executed or tortured and decided to take action and mount a rescue. Operation Eagleclaw was a four service branch operation with 8 helicopters, 12 airplanes and numerous personnel infiltrated into Iran and Tehran immediately prior to the mission. It was devised to be a two-night operation... the first night moving in and positioning themselves, and the second night the actual assualt and rescue.

Previous to the mission, a CIA aircraft had flown, undetetcted, uinto the desert to a staging area called Desert One. Landing lights were placed around the perimeter and it was determined that radar detection began at 3,000 feet with nothing below. Nonetheless, when the Eagleclaw was launched, helicopter pilots were ordered to fly at 200 feet... placing the choppers right in the middle of a dust storm. 2 choppers landed, out of action, a ttql of 3 wre now grounded. Upon word that reinforcements and fuel were in place, the 2 originally ground choppers took off and headed to the rendezvous, significantly behind schedule. Another chopper malfunctioned, and one lost it's hydraulic system and went out of action, leaving only 5 of the originally planned 8 in action. An hour and a half behind schedule and one chopper short (6 were required) it was decided to abort the mission. One of the choppers repositioned itself and accidentally struck a parked C-130 causing a fire. Evacuation orders were issued, and secondary orders to blow the C-130 were in place. Unfortunately the destroy order was never received by the crew as they were consumed with evacuation of the dead, dying and wounded.

The next day Iranian forces captured the broken birds and were able to recover substantial top secret plans. Personnel in-countr, set-up to assist in the rescue, were almost captured and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard who was holding the Hostages, dispersed the Hostages throughout the country making it impossible to effect a rescue of some without imperiling the lives of others.

American Casualties: 8 noncombat KIA - 5 USAF, 3 USMC
Capt. Richard L. Bakke, 34, USAF
Sgt. John D. Harvey, 21, USMC
Cpl. George N. Holmes, Jr., 22, USMC
Staff Sgt. Dewey L. Johnson, 32, USMC
Capt. Harold L. Lewis, 35, USAF
Tech. Sgt. Joel C. Mayo, 34, USAF
Capt. Lynn D. McIntosh, 33, USAF
Capt. Charles T. McMillan II, 28, USAF

Iran Hostage Narrative
Creation of Task Force to Investigate Certain Allegations - 1991
The Hostage Crisis in Iran - Jimmy Carter Library & Museum

Lebanon Peacekeeping Mission :: August 1982 through February 1984

President :: Ronald W. Reagan
Purpose :: To stabilize Lebanon.
Mission :: 1,200 US troops were stationed in Lebanon. On the 23rd of October, 1983, the US Marine barracks were severely damaged when trucks full of explosives were sent on a suicide bombing mission. As a result, US troops were recalled in 1984.

American Casualties: 9 noncombat deaths, 256 hostile KIA

http://www.veteranmuseum.org/lebanon.html

Grenada Invasion Force :: 1983

President :: Ronald W. Reagan
Purpose :: Operation Urgent Fury - To protect American medical students after a coup by Marxist rebels.
Mission :: A US invasion force of 2,700 troops stormed the West Indian island and overthrew the Marxist junta.

American Casualties: Unsatisfactory Accounting - media black out. Officially - 4 MIA, 1 noncombat death, 18 hostile KIA

Global Security dot Org
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/urgent_fury.htm

Libya Air Strikes :: April 1986

President :: Ronald W. Reagan
Purpose :: Operation El Dorado Canyon - To retaliate against Libyan leader Mohammar Ghadhafi's support of terrorism and bombings in which US service personnel perished.
Mission :: US air strikes against Tripoli and Benghazi.

American Casualties - Unsatisfactory Accounting. Officially - 2 MIA as the result of an F-111 bomber loss incident

Maxwell AFB, Air University Library
http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/libya/libyrd99.htm

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_El_Dorado_Canyon

http://www.answers.com/topic/operation-el-dorado-canyon

USS Stark Incident :: 1987

President :: Ronald W. Reagan
Incident :: On May 12, 1987, the USS Stark frigate received an unprovoked attack by an Iraqi Exocet A-SCM missile. Extensive damage and casualty resulted.

American Casualties: 34 hostile KIA, 1 MIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stark_(FFG-31)

Panama :: 1989

President :: Ronald W. Reagan
Purpose :: To unseat Manuel Noriega and arrest him for international drug trafficking.
Mission :: In 1989, Manuel Noriega was made Chief Executive Officer of the Government, and immediately announced a state-of-war with the US existed. An unarmed US Marine, in civilian attire, was ambushed and murdered.

Within 3 days, US invasion forces swept through the small coastal country and captured Noriega, returning him for trial and imprisonment in the US.

American Casualties: Unsatisfactory Accounting - media black out. Officially - 23 hostile KIA

Iraq - Operation Desert Shield & Operation Desert Storm :: 1990 through 1991

President :: George H.W. Bush
Purpose :: To remove Iraqi troops from neighboring Kuwait, which had been invaded by Iraq in summer 1990.
Mission:: One half million US troops engaged in multinational peacekeeping missions and hostile engagements in the process of pushing the Iraqis out of Kuwait.
American Casualties: Unsatisfactory Accounting. Officially 235 noncombat, 148 hostile KIA. POWs 29, MIAs 20; POW-MIA figures are not adequately explained and the case of LtCmdr Michael Speicher remains problematic with continuing status changes.

UPDATE MARCH 2002 :: Reports that LtCmdr Michael Scott Speicher is alive in captivity in Iraq are made public.
Please read :: PERSIAN GULF SECTION

Somalia - Operation Restore Hope :: 1992 through 1994

President :: George H.W. Bush
Purpose :: To alleviate famine suffering and political instability as the result of civil war that began in 1988.
Mission :: 30,000 US troops engage in multinational peacekeeping and humanitarian supply mission through 1994.

American Casualties: 45 Hostile KIA

Somalia - Operation Continue Hope/Task Force Ranger:: October 1993

President :: William J. Clinton
Purpose :: Continuation of relief/peacekeeping mission.
Mission :: During a move to oust Somali Warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid, a US Army Blackhawk helicopter was downed in the streets of the Somali city of Mogadishu on October 3rd, 1993,. Elite Army Rangers and Delta Force personnel entered Mogadishu in an effort to rescue the crew and encountered well-armed hostile rebels who ambushed and pinned-down the troops. A devastating 17 hour firefight ensued where the men were wounded, captured, gruesomely tortured and executed. US Army pilot, Michael Durant , was taken POW and images of him in captivity broadcasted for propaganda purposes. Durant was eventually released, the US sent in 15,000 additional troops who then retreated. Stability was never achieved. Somalia, although brief, was the most intense engagement to date since the Vietnam War and is a glaring example of poor communications and lack of support within the multinational military hierarchy.

American Casualties: 14 Hostile KIA, 29 Non-Hostile Deaths, 84 WIA, 6 POWs, 2 MIAs

Invasion of Haiti :: 1994 through 1995

President :: William J. Clinton
Purpose :: To reinstate Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristede.
Mission :: US troops undertook in guerilla-style engagements in an effort to oust anti-Aristede rebels. Aristede was returned to power and the UN officially took command under UNC multinational forces in March 1995.

American Casualties: Unsatisfactory Accounting. Officially - 4 noncombat deaths

Bosnia-Hercegovina :: 1995

President :: William J. Clinton
Purpose :: To end civil war and genocide in the name of a Greater Serbia.
Mission :: With the secession of Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croats and Slovenia from Yugoslavia, war erupted and a Serbian program of ethnic cleansing through mass murders of Bosnian Muslims and expulsions of non-Serbs began. As the result of the Dayton Peace Accords, the US committed 20,000 US troops as part of a multinational NATO force. The NATO troops were to enforce the agreement and reign in Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic. As the result of air strikes on Bosnia, USAF Captain Scott O'Grady's F-16 was downed on 2 June 1995. He escaped and evaded until the US Marines effected a rescue 6 days later. Semper Fi. The Balkan region remained critically unstable.

American Casualties: Officially - none

Iraq Air Strikes :: 1998

President :: William J. Clinton
Purpose :: To enforce UN demands for inspection team access to Iraq.
Mission :: Allied forces of the US and Great Britain sought to force Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, to acquiesce to unfettered UN inspection team access with continued air strikes against security, military and technology targets.

American Casualties - Officially none

Kosovo Crisis Air Strikes :: March through June 1999

President :: William J. Clinton
Purpose :: To end civil war and genocide in the name of a Greater Serbia/Independent Kosovo
Mission :: In an effort to cease the continued genocide, ethnic cleansing and spread of civil war into neighboring Balkan and Eastern European regions, the US and Great Britain are leading a multinational NATO force in air strikes over Kosovo. For more on this engagement, please go to - Kosovo Crisis

American Casualties - Officially - 3 USA POWs as of 31 APR 99 - Released; Unknown number of fatalities

Attack On America :: September 11, 2001

President :: George W. Bush
On 9.11, a surprise attack on America began in NYC, borough of Manhattan, when 1 of 4 hijacked commercial jetliners (AA Flight 11) was deliberately flown into 1 World Trade Center. Moments later the 2nd of 4 jetliners (UA Flight 175) flew deliberately into 2 World Trade Center. The 3rd of the 4 hijacked jetliners (AA Flight 77) is deliberately flown into the Pentagon, Washington, DC-Virginia. As a result of the impact and subsequent explosions/fire, a walled section of the Pentagon collapses. Within an hour of impact WTC 2 collapses, 20 minutes later WTC 1 collapses, claiming additional lives of civilians and first responders. Passengers overtake the hijackers of the 4th jetliner (UA Flight 93), the plane diverts and crashes in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Late afternoon, WTC 7, collapses, other buildings in area remain ablaze or suffer partial collapses. The Pentagon fire rages for 24 hours, the fire at the WTC site burns until 20 December 2001... 101 days.

Casualties -
est. 2,974 killed - of those est. 1,958 PFOD
est. 309 missing
est. 2,100+ injured
est. 30,000 rescued

Operation Enduring Freedom :: October 7, 2001 - Present

President :: George W. Bush
Purpose :: US response to attacks of September 11th. US, UK and Northern Afghan Alliance begin a 'War on Terror' campaign against terrorist Usama bin-Laden, the al-Qaida network, and Afghanistan's Taliban regime.

American Casualties :: 1,204 KIA & non-battle deaths (as of 09 August 2010)
POW :: 1 POW/KIA Neil Roberts - Killed in Captivity

MISSING/CAPTURED - 1
19 July 2009 USA PFC Bowe R. Bergdahl, 23, Ketchum, Idaho
DUSTWUN 01 July 2009; Status Change to Missing/Captured 03 July 2009
Shown captive in video 18 July 2009

Operation Iraqi Freedom :: March 20, 2003 - Present

President :: George W. Bush
Purpose :: US and minimal Coalition force response to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 of disarmament of Iraq and leader Saddam Hussein. On March 7 - U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix reports back to the U.N. Security Council saying Iraqi disarmament will take months. The United States and Britain present a revised draft resolution to the Security Council giving Hussein an ultimatum to disarm by March 17 or face the possibility of war. March 20 - Operation Iraqi Freedom begins. "On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war," Bush says in an address to the nation. April 9th, Baghdad falls.

Please Visit, Operation Iraqi Freedom Section
American Casualties - 4,417 KIA & non-battle deaths (as of 09 August 2010)

MISSING - 11 + 4 Additional Civilians (Fall 2006)
US Military - Speicher (1991 PGW) **Speicher Remains Recovered and Idnetified, 02 August 2009 - and Maupin (2004 - Accounted-For March 2008)
11 Civilians (as of June 20, 2006)

US Civilian Contractor Tim Bell DOI 09 APR 04, Abu Ghraib Region Iraq
REMAINS RECOVERED - US Civilian Contractor William Bradley DOI 09 APR 04, Abu Ghraib Region Iraq DOId JAN 05

CAPTURED - 1

USAR SPC Ahmed K. Altaie
(Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie)
DUSTWUN 23 OCT 2006
Declared MISSING-CAPTURED 11 DEC 2006
Baghdad, Iraq

USA SPC Alex R. Jimenez DOI 12 MAY 07
ID Card Recovered 16 JUNE 07
DUSTWUN 12 May 2007
Declared Missing-Captured 29 June 2007
Mahmudiyah, Iraq
Remains Recovered

April 2008 : Status Change to DECEASED : POW-DIC
SSG Keith M. Maupin DOI 09 APR 04
(Captured as PFC, Promoted in Absentia 01 MAY 04 to SPC, Promoted in Absentia 01 APR 05 to SGT, Promoted in Absentia 17 SEP 06 to SSG) Baghdad Region
Remians Recovered

USA PVT Byron W. Fouty DOI 12 MAY 07
ID Card Recovered 16 JUNE 07
DUSTWUN 12 May 2007
Declared Missing-Captured 29 June 2007
Mahmudiyah, Iraq
Remains Recovered

POW/DIC - USA PFC Kristian Menchaca DOI 19 JUN 06, Iraq - Remains Recovered
POW/DIC - USA PFC Thomas L. Tucker DOI 19 JUN 06, Iraq - Remains Recovered
POW/DIC - USA PFC Joseph J. Anzack Jr. DOI 12 MAY 07, Iraq - Remains Recovered

7 POWs/Confirmed - All Recovered Alive
(Riley, Williams, Young, Miller, Johnson, Hudson and Hernandez) an Nasiriyah
1 DUSTWUN - Recovered Alive (Lynch)
ABSENT/CAPTURED/RETURNED to US CONTROL -
USMC CPL Wassef Ali Hassoun DOI 20 JUN 04, Capture Status 01 JUL 04, Recovered Status 09 JUL 04 Fallujah, Iraq
28 Missing/Dustwun - All declared KIA/Remains Recovered; of which 1 (Walters) was posthumously awarded POW Medal for having Died in Captivity