O'neill, Evan William
Male
Verified Private First Class Evan William O'Neill, 19, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was a U.S. Army infantryman with the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment. He died in a hostile incident on September 29, 2003, in Salerno, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Evan William O'Neill was a 19-year-old soldier from Haverhill, Massachusetts. He served as a Private First Class in Company A, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, New York. The unit was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, O'Neill died on September 29, 2003, in Salerno, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained during a firefight. The incident occurred near the forward operating base at Salerno, a key logistical hub in Khost Province close to the Pakistani border. Reports from the time indicate the area was a frequent site of insurgent activity.
O'Neill's death occurred during the second year of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By late 2003, the mission had shifted from major combat operations to counterinsurgency and stabilization efforts, with U.S. and allied forces engaged in frequent, smaller-scale clashes with Taliban and other militant fighters.
The Department of Defense announced his death on October 1, 2003. His body was returned to Massachusetts, where he was buried in Linwood Cemetery in Haverhill. Local news reported on his funeral, noting his graduation from Haverhill High School in 2002 and his enlistment shortly thereafter.
He is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Massachusetts State House in Boston and on online veterans' memorials. His name is inscribed on Panel 19U, Line 26 of the Afghanistan Memorial Wall at the National Infantry Museum in Georgia.
Explore Further
PFC Evan O'Neill 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.
