Abbate, Matthew Thomas

Matthew Thomas Abbate was a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton, California. The unit, known as "Darkhorse," deployed to Afghanistan in the fall of 2010 as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, Sgt. Abbate died on December 2, 2010, from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Helmand province. The province was a center of Taliban insurgency and a major focus of the U.S. troop surge that began in late 2009.

His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines was engaged in intense counterinsurgency operations in the Sangin district of Helmand, an area with a high concentration of improvised explosive devices and frequent firefights.

The Marine Corps announced his death in a press release. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. A memorial service was reportedly held at Camp Pendleton.

Sgt. Abbate is listed on the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines memorial at Camp Pendleton, which honors members of the unit killed during its 2010-2011 deployment. His name is also inscribed at the Honolulu Memorial of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Sgt. Abbate 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.

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