DOD IDENTIFIES MARINE CASUALTIES

May 14, 2003

The Department of Defense announced today that two First Marine Expeditionary Force Marines were killed May 12 in Iraq when unexploded ordnance they were handling detonated. Killed were: 

Lance Cpl. Jakub Henryk Kowalik, 21, of Schaumburg, Ill. He was assigned to the 1st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group, based at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Pfc. Jose Franci Gonzalez Rodriguez, 19, of Norwalk, Calif. He was assigned to the 1st Supply Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group, based at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

The incident is under investigation.