Dewhirst, Nick A
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Verified First Lieutenant Nick A. Dewhirst, 25, of Onalaska, Wisconsin, was a U.S. Army officer serving with the 506th Infantry Regiment. He died on July 20, 2008, in Spinkyel, Afghanistan.
Their Story
First Lieutenant Nick A. Dewhirst was a 25-year-old officer from Onalaska, Wisconsin. He was assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
On July 20, 2008, Dewhirst was killed during a combat operation in the village of Spinkyel, located in the volatile Paktika Province of eastern Afghanistan. According to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, his death was the result of hostile action. The specific incident was not detailed in official releases, but the area was known for insurgent activity and complex attacks.
Dewhirst's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2008, the conflict was in a period of intense fighting as Taliban forces had regrouped and rearmed. Improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and direct engagements with insurgents were the primary causes of coalition casualties that year.
His death was reported by local Wisconsin media, including the La Crosse Tribune, which noted his hometown connection. The Army announced his death in a press release from Fort Campbell, which confirmed the circumstances as hostile.
First Lieutenant Dewhirst is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and on online casualty databases. His unit, the 506th Infantry Regiment, is a historic unit with lineage to World War II, known as the 'Currahees.'
Explore Further
First Lieutenant Dewhirst 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.
