Duarte, Curtis Joseph

Curtis Joseph Duarte was born in 1990 and grew up in Covina, California, a city in the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6, I Marine Expeditionary Force Forward, based out of Twentynine Palms, California.

On August 1, 2012, Duarte was killed while conducting combat operations in the volatile Helmand province of southern Afghanistan. The U.S. Department of Defense stated he died from wounds sustained in a hostile incident. He was serving as a rifleman with his battalion at the time of his death.

Duarte's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2012, the conflict was in its eleventh year, with Helmand province remaining a key battleground against Taliban insurgents. U.S. and coalition forces were engaged in a counterinsurgency strategy focused on stabilizing population centers.

Following his death, Duarte's body was returned to the United States. A memorial service was held in his hometown of Covina. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart medal.

Duarte is remembered on memorial walls in California and at the Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms. His name is inscribed on the 'Wall of Heroes' at the Covina Veterans Memorial.

Lance Corporal Duarte was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

← Return to the full memorial | Add a memorial record