Cruz, Dominique Dionne
Female
Verified Petty Officer Second Class Dominique Dionne Cruz, 26, of Panama City, Florida, was a U.S. Navy sailor killed in action in Iraq on January 19, 2011.
Their Story
Petty Officer Second Class Dominique Dionne Cruz was a 26-year-old sailor from Panama City, Florida, serving aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97). She was assigned to the ship's crew as a Navy counselor.
On January 19, 2011, Cruz was killed in action in Iraq. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, she died from wounds sustained in a non-combat related incident while supporting Operation New Dawn in Anbar province. No further details about the specific circumstances were publicly released.
Her death occurred during Operation New Dawn, the U.S. military's advise-and-assist mission in Iraq that succeeded Operation Iraqi Freedom. The operation, which formally began on September 1, 2010, involved U.S. forces training and supporting Iraqi security forces as American combat troops withdrew.
The Navy announced her death on January 21, 2011. Her loss was noted by the command of the USS Halsey and in her hometown newspaper, the Panama City News Herald. She was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Cruz is remembered on memorial walls in Washington D.C. and at the Veterans Park and Cultural Center in Panama City. Her name is listed among the 66 American service members who died during Operation New Dawn.
Explore Further
Cruz was killed during Operation New Dawn (2010?2011). The conflict concluded in December 2011. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Jenkins, Phillip Chad, Mcclamrock, James Fleet, Hansen, James Arthur, Burner, John Franklin Iii.
