Maria, Giovanny
Male
Verified Private Giovanny Maria, 19, of Camden, New Jersey, was a U.S. Army infantryman. He was killed in action in Afghanistan on November 29, 2001.
Their Story
Giovanny Maria was a 19-year-old from Camden, New Jersey. He served as a Private (PV2) in the U.S. Army, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, New York.
Maria was killed in action on November 29, 2001, in Afghanistan. According to the Department of Defense, he died from injuries sustained when his unit came under small-arms fire during a raid on a suspected Taliban compound near the town of Sayd Alma Kalay, Kandahar province.
His death occurred during the opening phase of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. The initial objective was to dismantle the Taliban regime and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon announced his death on December 1, 2001. He was reportedly the first soldier from the 10th Mountain Division to be killed in combat since the division's deployment to Somalia in 1993.
Maria is memorialized on the 10th Mountain Division monument at Fort Drum and on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. His name is listed on the Camden County Veterans Memorial.
Explore Further
Giovanny Maria 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.
