Rath, Joshua Lee
Male
Verified U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Joshua Lee Rath, 22, of Decatur, Alabama, was killed in a hostile incident in Maywand, Afghanistan, on January 8, 2009.
Their Story
Joshua Lee Rath was a 22-year-old from Decatur, Alabama. He served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
On January 8, 2009, Rath was killed in Maywand District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. According to the Department of Defense, he died of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device that detonated near his vehicle during a combat patrol.
Rath's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2009, the conflict was in a period of intense fighting, with insurgent forces increasingly using IEDs as a primary weapon against coalition and Afghan forces, particularly in southern provinces like Kandahar.
The Army posthumously awarded Rath the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. His body was returned to Alabama, where he was buried with military honors at Roselawn Cemetery in Decatur.
He is remembered on memorials in his hometown and at Fort Hood. His name is inscribed on Panel 35W, Line 79 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum.
Explore Further
Joshua Rath 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.
