Melton, Jesse Iii
Male
Verified Capt. Jesse Melton III, 29, of Randallstown, Maryland, was a U.S. Marine killed in a roadside bomb attack in the Afghanya Valley, Afghanistan, on September 9, 2008.
Their Story
Jesse Melton III was a 29-year-old captain in the United States Marine Corps. A native of Randallstown, Maryland, he was assigned to Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, based in Okinawa, Japan, as part of a unit deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
On September 9, 2008, Melton was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while traveling in a vehicle in the Afghanya Valley of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. According to military reports, the blast also killed another Marine, Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke Jr., 22, of the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion.
Melton died during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. The operation aimed to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power. By 2008, the conflict had evolved into a protracted counterinsurgency.
Following his death, the Marine Corps posthumously awarded Melton the Purple Heart. He was survived by his parents and other family members. A memorial service was reportedly held at his unit's base in Okinawa.
Melton's name is inscribed on the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, which honors those killed at the Pentagon and on American Airlines Flight 77. He is also listed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Marine Corps Museum in Virginia.
Explore Further
Capt. Jesse Melton III 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.
