Phaneuf, Joseph Edgar Ii
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Joseph Edgar Phaneuf II, 38, of Eastford, Connecticut, died on December 15, 2006, in Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Their Story
Joseph Edgar Phaneuf II was a 38-year-old U.S. Army specialist from Eastford, Connecticut. He served with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry Regiment, part of the Connecticut Army National Guard's Task Force Iron Grays.
On December 15, 2006, Phaneuf was killed by enemy small-arms fire during a dismounted patrol in Mehtar Lam, the capital of Laghman province in eastern Afghanistan. He was one of two soldiers from his unit killed in the same engagement.
His death occurred during a period of intense fighting in Afghanistan. By late 2006, a resurgent Taliban had increased attacks against coalition and Afghan forces, particularly in the country's eastern and southern provinces where U.S. units were heavily engaged in counterinsurgency operations.
Phaneuf was posthumously promoted from Private First Class to Specialist. He was survived by his wife and two children. His funeral was held in his hometown of Eastford.
He is memorialized on the Connecticut Veterans Memorial and the National Infantry Museum's 'Sacrifice' wall. His unit, the 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry, has a lineage dating to the American Civil War.
Explore Further
Joseph Phaneuf 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.
