De La Pena-hernandez, Esau Ivan
Male
Verified U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Esau Ivan De La Pena-Hernandez, 25, of La Puente, California, died on May 15, 2009, at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Staff Sergeant Esau Ivan De La Pena-Hernandez was a 25-year-old soldier from La Puente, California. He served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, New York.
On May 15, 2009, De La Pena-Hernandez was killed by enemy fire at Forward Operating Base Shank in Logar Province, Afghanistan. The base, a key logistics hub south of Kabul, was a frequent target for insurgent rocket and mortar attacks. He was one of two U.S. soldiers killed in hostile action in Afghanistan that day.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2009, U.S. troop levels were increasing as part of a strategy to counter a resurgent Taliban insurgency, particularly in the country's eastern and southern regions.
According to the Department of Defense casualty announcement, he was posthumously promoted from the rank of Sergeant to Staff Sergeant. His name is recorded on the Defense Casualty Analysis System and inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at Fort Drum.
De La Pena-Hernandez is memorialized on the 10th Mountain Division's remembrance page. His unit, the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry, continued its deployment in Logar Province following his death.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant De La Pena-Hernandez 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.
