Schoonhoven, Mark Henry
Male
Verified Staff Sergeant Mark Henry Schoonhoven, 38, of Plainwell, Michigan, served in the U.S. Army's 32nd Transportation Company, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, based at Fort Carson, Colorado. He died on January 20, 2013, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, fro
Their Story
Staff Sergeant Mark Henry Schoonhoven was a soldier in the U.S. Army's 32nd Transportation Company, a unit specializing in the movement of personnel and materiel. The 43rd Sustainment Brigade, to which his company was assigned, deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001.
According to the Department of Defense, Schoonhoven was wounded on December 15, 2012, in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. The incident involved an improvised explosive device. He was subsequently evacuated from the combat theater for medical treatment.
Schoonhoven was transported to the San Antonio Military Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, a major hub for treating severely wounded service members. He succumbed to his wounds there on January 20, 2013. His death, five weeks after the initial injury, was classified as a hostile action casualty.
His passing occurred during the final years of Operation Enduring Freedom, as U.S. forces executed a drawdown following a troop surge. The conflict formally concluded in December 2014. Schoonhoven was 38 years old.
A native of Plainwell, Michigan, Schoonhoven is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty lists maintained by the Department of Defense and by private veterans' organizations. His service was with a sustainment brigade, a unit critical to logistical operations in a protracted war.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan, began in 2001 and 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.
