Batista, Jonathan
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Jonathan Batista, 22, of Kinnelon, New Jersey, was killed in a hostile incident in Zharay, Afghanistan, on July 8, 2012.
Their Story
Jonathan Batista was a 22-year-old specialist from Kinnelon, New Jersey, serving in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, part of Task Force Fury.
On July 8, 2012, Batista died in Zharay district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The Department of Defense stated his death was the result of a hostile incident, though specific details of the engagement were not publicly released. Zharay was a known insurgent stronghold and a focal point for coalition operations in southern Afghanistan at the time.
Batista's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2012, the conflict was in its eleventh year, with coalition forces engaged in counterinsurgency and stability operations, particularly in the country's southern and eastern regions.
Following his death, Batista's body was returned to the United States. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and other service awards. His funeral was held in his home state of New Jersey.
He is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Garden of Reflection in Pennsylvania and on online veterans' memorials. His name is inscribed on Panel 24W, Line 111 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.
Explore Further
Jonathan Batista 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.
