Reiff, Zachary Christopher
Male
Verified Corporal Zachary Christopher Reiff, 22, of Preston, Iowa, was a U.S. Marine who died on November 21, 2011, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany from wounds sustained in Afghanistan.
Their Story
Zachary Christopher Reiff was born in 1989 and grew up in the small town of Preston, Iowa. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was assigned as a rifleman to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, part of the 1st Marine Division based at Twentynine Palms, California. His unit deployed to Afghanistan's Helmand Province in 2011 as part of the ongoing U.S. troop surge.
Corporal Reiff was wounded in action in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in November 2011. The Department of Defense reported he was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) while conducting combat operations. He was evacuated from Afghanistan to receive advanced medical care at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where he died of his wounds on November 21, 2011.
Reiff's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In late 2009, President Barack Obama ordered a surge of approximately 30,000 additional U.S. troops into the country, primarily to southern provinces like Helmand, to counter a resurgent Taliban. The 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines was among the units deployed for this mission.
Following his death, the Marine Corps posthumously promoted Reiff to the rank of Corporal. His body was returned to Iowa, where a funeral service was held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Preston. He was buried with full military honors in the Rock Island National Cemetery in Illinois.
Corporal Reiff was survived by his parents and siblings. He is memorialized on the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Jackson County, Iowa, and his name is inscribed on Panel 3W, Line 15 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Explore Further
Corporal Reiff 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.
