Gary R. Harper Jr.

Died: October 9, 2005

Rank: Staff Sergeant

Unit: 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group

Branch: U.S. Army

Staff Sergeant Gary Ray Harper Jr. died on October 9, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds he sustained when Islamic insurgents attacked his reconnaissance mission while he was supporting his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 29-year-old was serving as a Special Forces medic with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, garrisoned at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. A memorial service in Harper’s honor was held at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on October 14, 2005. He was then buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Several months later, on December 10, 2005, 200 mourners attended a second ceremony held in his hometown of Virden, Illinois.