Facing Our Losses - Iraq 2003

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475th to die, Dec. 28, 2003—Army Sgt. Curt E. Jordan Jr., 25, Greenacres, Spokane County, who died of non-combat injuries suffered near Bayji, Iraq. Jordan was assigned to the Triple Nickel, Fort Lewis, 555th Combat Engineer Group. He is survived by his wife and two children, who live at Fort Lewis. Brother Army Spc. Adam Jordan was only miles away when Curt was killed. Father Curt Jordan Sr., who lives near Spokane, said his son decided that joining the Army would be the best thing for him, that he could get an education and get paid for it at the same time.

473rd to die, Dec. 26, 2003—Army Spc. Charles G. Haight, 23, Fort Lewis, who leaves behind a wife and 10-month-old son in Pierce County. Haight was killed when his convoy vehicle hit a road mine outside Tikrit. He was a mechanic with the Triple Nickel, the 555th Combat Engineer Group. An Alabaman, Haight grew up in the foothills of the Appalachians and hoped to study for a career in medicine. "He was a sweet guy, and to me, he was a hero," said sister Joy Ellis.

471st to die, Dec. 25, 2003—Army Staff Sgt. Stephen C. Hattamer, 43, a Spokane Valley native. Hattamer died when his living area in Baqouba, Iraq, came under mortar attack. He was assigned to an Army Reserve unit, the 652nd Engineer Battalion, which builds bridges. Survivors include his wife and three children. An elder in the Lutheran Church, Hattamer, who died on Christmas, conducted Bible studies with other soldiers, according to his sister, Theresa Anderson. "He was helping them with anger. He was helping them with depression," she said. "His Bible studies did make the men strong."

459th to die, Dec. 16, 2003—Army Spec. Nathan W. Nakis, 19, Sedro-Woolley, killed in a crash of a 5-ton cargo truck, which tipped over when he tried to avoid a hole he thought contained a bomb, southwest of Mosul; six others were injured. Nakis was assigned to the 52nd Engineer Battalion, Army National Guard, Albany, Ore. A recent high-school grad, Nakis was attending Oregon State University, studying for a dual degree in civil and forest engineering, when he was called up. In a statement, family members said Nathan "served his school, his community, and his country with pride." They remembered that, as a kid, the Eagle Scout loved playing soldier.

447th, 448th, and 449th to die, Dec. 8, 2003—Army Spc. Christopher J.R. Wesley, 26, Portland; Army Spc. Joseph M. Blickenstaff, 23, Corvallis, Ore.; and Army Staff Sgt. Steven H. Bridges, 33, Tracy, Calif. all died in Ad Duluiyah, Iraq, riding in a Stryker vehicle when it flipped into a canal. They were assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis. Wesley, single, joined the Army "to see the world," said his uncle, Joe Wesley. His family heard about his death shortly after holding a funeral for his grandmother, who died of cancer on Thanksgiving. Blickenstaff, whose widow lives in Steilacoom in Pierce County, is remembered as a good-humored, bighearted guy who saw the Army as an opportunity. "I think the military was the right choice for him," said high-school teacher Jim Phillips. "He was just one of those quiet boys who was looking for direction." Bridges, who was married and lived with his family in the Fort Lewis area, had a 5-year-old daughter and three children from his widow's previous marriage. In Bridges' honor, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered flags flown at half-staff.

421st to die, Nov. 17, 2003—Army Capt. James A. Shull, 32, Kirkland, died from an accidental shooting in Baghdad. He had been on a welfare mission to schools and community centers when another soldier's rifle fired accidentally. Stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., married with three children, and a 1989 Juanita High School grad, Shull had a degree in criminal justice from Washington State University. At his Kirkland memorial service, brother Brad recalled a recent e-mail from him that included the words "pray for me." Mourners at the service sang every verse of "America the Beautiful."

411th to die, Nov. 15, 2003—Army Spc. John R. Sullivan, 26, Federal Way, one of 17 soldiers killed when two Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Mosul, tallying the largest loss of American life in a single incident in Iraq. Sullivan had re-enlisted so his wife would be able to spend more time caring for their new twins, whom he never got to see. He was assigned to the 626th Forward Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, based in Fort Campbell, Ky. "We don't care what people's opinions [about the war] are," said his widow, Katrina, "but they should just appreciate what is in the hearts of people willing to go over there and risk their lives for others."

378th to die, Nov. 5, 2003—Army Spc. Robert T. Benson, 20, Spokane, killed by nonhostile fire at a Baghdad checkpoint. The Army criminal investigation division is reviewing the death. Benson was with the 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division, based at Smith Barracks, Germany. He is survived by his wife of less than a year. At Benson's memorial service, Pastor Charles Hodges asked, "How do you measure the cost of our engagement in Iraq? You know that war costs more than money."