Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, 19, of Saint Charles, Mo.

LCpl Vinnedge was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 13, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed were Marines Cpl. Justin J. Cain, Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald and Pfc. Victor A. Dew.

A Marine from St. Charles County was killed Wednesday while on his first combat operation in Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, 19, was killed by a roadside bomb while riding in a vehicle in Helmland Province, Afghanistan, according to a news release from the 1st Marine Division. He is a 2009 graduate of Francis Howell Central High School.

Also killed in the blast were Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, of Manitowoc, Wis.; Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald, 21, of Albany, Ore.; and Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, Calif. All four Marines were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division based in Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Vinnedge, who lived near the Harvester area, enlisted in the Marine Corps Sept. 21, 2009, and deployed to Afghanistan in late September. He was an anti-tank assault man.

His personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Central High School lowered its flag at half mast to honor Vinnedge.

He was the youngest of three children in his family and was active in the Boy Scouts. His brothers also graduated from Francis Howell Central.

LCpl Vinnedge is survived by his parents David and Julie and by his two brothers, Corey and Jason.

Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge was killed in action on 10/13/10.