Smith, Gerrick D
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant Gerrick D. Smith, 19, of Sullivan, Illinois, was killed in action on July 29, 2009, at Forward Operating Base Heart in Afghanistan. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry R
Their Story
Gerrick D. Smith was a 19-year-old soldier from Sullivan, Illinois, a small city in Moultrie County. He served with the Illinois Army National Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, a unit headquartered in Marion. The battalion deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
On July 29, 2009, Smith was killed while on duty at Forward Operating Base Heart, a coalition outpost in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. The base, also known as FOB Heart or FOB Heart Role 2 for its medical facility, was a key location for operations in the volatile region.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Smith died of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire. His death was reported alongside that of another soldier, Specialist Matthew D. H. Brown, 20, of Zelienople, Pennsylvania, who was killed in a separate incident the same day.
Sergeant Smith's death was noted in official casualty lists and local Illinois news reports, which documented the community's response. He was one of at least 32 U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan during July 2009, a period of intense fighting during the war's escalation.
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, began in October 2001 and concluded in December 2014. The conflict resulted in the deaths of thousands of U.S. service members and Afghan civilians.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led war 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.
