Bennett, Daniel Ryan
Male
Verified Lance Corporal Daniel Ryan Bennett, 23, of Clifton, Virginia, was a U.S. Marine killed in action on January 11, 2009, at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Daniel Ryan Bennett was a 23-year-old Marine from Clifton, Virginia. He served with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. His service included deployments to the Philippines and the Horn of Africa before his assignment to Afghanistan.
On January 11, 2009, Bennett was killed by enemy small-arms fire while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Camp Bastion, a major British air base in Helmand Province. The area was a focal point for intense fighting between coalition forces and Taliban insurgents.
Bennett's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By early 2009, the conflict was marked by a significant increase in U.S. troop levels and a renewed focus on counterinsurgency operations in southern provinces like Helmand.
His death was reported by the Department of Defense. He was one of four U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan on that date, according to casualty announcements.
Lance Corporal Bennett is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Museum of the Marine Corps and on online veterans' memorials. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Explore Further
Lance Corporal Bennett 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.
