Spitzer, Thomas Zachary
Male
Verified Sgt. Thomas Zachary Spitzer, 23, of New Braunfels, Texas, was a U.S. Marine killed in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 25, 2014, while serving with 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.
Their Story
Thomas Zachary Spitzer was a 23-year-old sergeant in the United States Marine Corps from New Braunfels, Texas. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, based out of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. His unit was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In the summer of 2014, Helmand province remained a contested region where U.S. and allied forces conducted counterinsurgency operations. The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines was operating in this area as part of the Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan Forward.
On June 25, 2014, Sgt. Spitzer was killed during a hostile incident in Helmand province. The Department of Defense announced his death the following day. No further operational details of the event were publicly released.
His death occurred during the final years of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan, which formally concluded in December 2014. He was one of at least 2,216 American service members killed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spitzer was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant. He is memorialized on casualty lists and by veterans' organizations that document losses from the conflict.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan, began in October 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.
