Park, Benjamin J
Male
Verified U.S. Army Private First Class Benjamin J. Park, 25, of Fairfax Station, Virginia, was killed in hostile action on June 18, 2010, in Zhari District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Private First Class Benjamin J. Park was a 25-year-old soldier from Fairfax Station, Virginia. He served as an active-duty infantryman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
On June 18, 2010, Park was killed by enemy small-arms fire during a dismounted patrol in the Zhari District of Kandahar Province, according to U.S. Department of Defense casualty releases. The district, a known Taliban stronghold west of Kandahar city, was a focal point for coalition operations at the time.
Park's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. In mid-2010, U.S. and allied forces were engaged in a major troop surge, conducting intensive counterinsurgency operations in southern provinces like Kandahar.
Park's death was reported by several U.S. news outlets, including The Washington Post, which listed him among local service members killed in action. The Army posthumously awarded him the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and other commendations.
He is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty rolls maintained by the Pentagon and on several online veterans' memorial sites. His unit, the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, sustained multiple casualties during its 2009-2010 deployment to Afghanistan.
Explore Further
Benjamin J. Park 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.
