Claunch, Herbert Ronald

First Sergeant Herbert Ronald Claunch was a 58-year-old soldier from Wetumpka, Alabama, serving with the 217th Military Police Company, an Alabama Army National Guard unit based in West Prattville. He was a senior non-commissioned officer with decades of military experience, having joined the National Guard later in life.

Claunch died on April 18, 2004, at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, he was killed when his military vehicle overturned while he was conducting a patrol on the base. No hostile fire was reported in the incident.

His death occurred under the umbrella of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), the U.S.-led military campaign launched in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. While primarily associated with Afghanistan, OEF's official designation also covered counter-terrorism operations in other locations, including the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where Claunch's unit was deployed for security missions.

The Army reported his death the following day. He was among the oldest American service members to die during OEF. His funeral was held in Wetumpka, Alabama.

Claunch is listed on the Alabama Veterans Memorial Park's 'Wall of Names' in Birmingham. His name is also inscribed on the Global War on Terrorism Memorial at the Veterans Memorial Museum in Huntsville, Alabama, honoring those who died in post-9/11 operations.

First Sergeant Claunch 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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