Army Spc. Joseph C. Dumas Jr.

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, of New Orleans

Spc. Dumas was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 17, 2006 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. Also killed were: 2nd Lt. Christopher E. Loudon, Cpl. David M. Unger and Cpl. Russell G. Culbertson III.

Times-Picayune -- A roadside bomb in Iraq killed Army Spc. Joseph Claude Dumas Jr., 25, of New Orleans earlier this week along with three other soldiers in his division, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Officials said Dumas was killed Tuesday in Baghdad when a makeshift explosive device detonated near the military vehicle the soldiers were traveling in.

Dumas was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas.

The four soldiers were among 10 Americans killed on Tuesday -- nine soldiers and a Marine -- the highest single-day combat death toll for U.S. forces since Jan. 5, when 11 service members were killed across Iraq. There have been days with a higher number of U.S. deaths, but not solely from combat.

October is on track to be the deadliest month for American forces in Iraq since November 2004, when the military launched an invasion of the then-insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad. One hundred thirty-seven troops were killed that month.

Dumas joined the military in August 2003 and was assigned to Fort Hood in January 2004. He earned various military awards and decorations, including the Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism (service) Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal and the Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge, Expert.

None of Dumas's family or friends could be reached for comment.

Dumas is the 64th soldier from Louisiana to be killed since Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003 and the 15th from the state killed this year. Two other soldiers, both Marines, from Louisiana have been killed so far this month; Lance Cpl. Jon Eric Bowman, 21, of Summerfield, was killed Oct. 9 and John Edward Hale, 20, of Shreveport, was killed Oct. 6.

Three other soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division were killed during Wednesday's explosion in Baghdad, including 2nd Lt. Christopher E. Loudon, 23, of Brockport, Pa.; Cpl. David M. Unger, 21, of Leavenworth, Kan.; and Cpl. Russell G. Culbertson III, 22, of Amity, Pa.

Army Spc. Joseph C. Dumas Jr. was killed in action on 10/17/06.