O'leary, Tanner James
Male
Verified U.S. Army Corporal Tanner James O'Leary, 23, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, was killed in hostile action on December 9, 2007, in Musa Qal`eh, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Tanner James O'Leary was a 23-year-old from Eagle Butte, South Dakota. He served as an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
On December 9, 2007, Corporal O'Leary was killed in Musa Qal`eh, a district in Afghanistan's Helmand province. The Department of Defense listed the cause as hostile action. Specific details of the engagement were not widely reported in national news archives.
O'Leary's death occurred during a period of intense fighting in Operation Enduring Freedom. By 2007, Taliban forces had regrouped, and the use of improvised explosive devices and direct combat in provinces like Helmand had increased significantly, leading to higher casualty rates for U.S. and allied forces.
His death was recorded in the Pentagon's casualty lists and noted by local media in South Dakota. He was survived by family in Eagle Butte.
Corporal O'Leary is memorialized on the South Dakota Veterans Memorial in Pierre and on online registries for fallen service members. His unit, the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry, continued operations in Afghanistan for several more years.
Explore Further
Corporal O'Leary 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.
