Wilkerson, Charles Thomas
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant Charles Thomas Wilkerson, 30, of Kansas City, Missouri, was killed in action on May 22, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq.
Their Story
Charles Thomas Wilkerson was a 30-year-old sergeant from Kansas City, Missouri. He served with Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
According to U.S. Department of Defense records, Sergeant Wilkerson died on May 22, 2005, in Baghdad. He was killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated near his vehicle during a patrol.
Wilkerson's death occurred during a period of escalating violence in Iraq. The U.S.-led invasion had toppled the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003, but by 2005, a potent insurgency and emerging sectarian conflict were causing heavy casualties among coalition forces and Iraqi civilians.
His death was listed among the official U.S. military casualties for that date. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Sergeant Wilkerson is memorialized on the Iraq War Veterans Memorial and in the U.S. Army's official casualty records. His unit, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, continued operations in Iraq for several more years.
Explore Further
Sergeant Wilkerson was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–2010). The conflict concluded in August 2010. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Cronkrite, Brud Joseph, Creager, Timothy Ryan, Crackel, Alexander Bailey, Cox, Simon Timothy Jr.