DOD IDENTIFIES MARINE CASUALTIES

April 03, 2003

The Department of Defense announced today the identification of the following Marine casualties during Operation Iraqi Freedom. They are: 

Lance Cpl. Brian E. Anderson, 26, of Durham, N.C., was killed April 2 in a non-hostile accident west of An Nasiriyah, Iraq. Anderson was manning a .50 caliber rifle on top of a 7-ton truck when the vehicle passed under and apparently snagged low hanging power lines. He was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, N.C. The incident is under investigation.

Pfc. Christian D. Gurtner, 19, of Ohio City, Ohio, was killed April 2 by a non-combat weapons discharge in Southern Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. The incident is under investigation.