Pate, Ralph Earl Jr
Male
Verified Gunnery Sergeant Ralph Earl Pate Jr., 29, of Mullins, South Carolina, was a U.S. Marine killed in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 26, 2011.
Their Story
Gunnery Sergeant Ralph Earl Pate Jr. was a 29-year-old Marine from Mullins, South Carolina. He served with the 2nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
On June 26, 2011, Pate was killed by an improvised explosive device while conducting dismounted operations in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was one of two Marines killed in the blast, which also wounded several others.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In 2011, U.S. forces were heavily engaged in Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold and center of opium production, as part of a troop surge aimed at securing population centers.
According to a Department of Defense news release, Pate was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. His remains were returned to the United States, and a memorial service was held at Camp Lejeune.
Pate is remembered on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Museum of the Marine Corps and is listed on the website of the Marine Corps Times' 'Faces of the Fallen' project. His unit, the 2nd EOD Company, specializes in the identification and neutralization of explosive threats.
Explore Further
Gunnery Sergeant Pate 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.
