The Department of Defense announced today the death of five Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Dustin V. Birch, 22, of Saint Anthony, Idaho
Lance Cpl. Daniel Chavez, 20, of Seattle, Wash.
Lance Cpl. Thomas O. Keeling, 23, of Strongsville, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Devon P. Seymour, 21, of St. Louisville, Ohio
Cpl. Brad D. Squires, 26, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio
All five Marines died June 9 as a result of an explosion while conducting combat operations with 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Haqlaniyah, Iraq.
Keeling, Seymour, and Squires were assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Akron, Ohio.
Birch was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Boise, Idaho. Chavez was assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Media with questions about Keeling, Seymour, Squires, and Birch can call the Marine Forces Reserve Public Affairs Office at (504) 678-4178. Media with questions about Chavez can call the Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Office at (760) 725-5044.
US Marine Corps Seal


In a statement issued Friday evening, United States Marine officials said five Marines had been killed in a roadside blast in Western Iraq.

The Marines were killed as a result of an explosion while conducting combat operations with 2nd Marine Division, Expeditionary Force, in Haqlaniyah, Iraq.

The attack itself came hours after reports that up to 17 bodies had been found in the same province. Reports say that the bodies were killed "execution style" and were near Anbar.

In Baghdad, up to three Iraqi civilians were killed and several others were wounded in a car bomb blast, that exploded near a busy marketplace in the mainly Shia district of Shula.

Department of Defense officials identified the Marines to be Lance Cpl. Dustin V. Birch, 22, of Saint Anthony, Idaho; Lance Cpl. Daniel Chavez, 20, of Seattle, Wash; Lance Cpl. Thomas O. Keeling, 23, of Strongsville, Ohio; Lance Cpl. Devon P. Seymour, 21, of St. Louisville, Ohio;
and Cpl. Brad D. Squires, 26, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio.