Dion, John Phillip
Male
Verified Private First Class John Phillip Dion, 19, of Shattuck, Oklahoma, was killed by enemy fire on January 3, 2010, in Ashoque, Afghanistan, while serving with the U.S. Army.
Their Story
John Phillip Dion was a 19-year-old soldier from the rural town of Shattuck, Oklahoma. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colorado.
On January 3, 2010, Dion was killed by hostile enemy fire in Ashoque, a village in the Arghandab District of Kandahar province, Afghanistan. He was part of a unit conducting operations in the district, an area known for intense insurgent activity. The Department of Defense confirmed his death the following day.
Dion's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In early 2010, U.S. forces were engaged in a significant troop surge, with a focus on clearing Taliban strongholds in southern provinces like Kandahar to improve security for planned elections.
His body was returned to the United States, and a funeral service was held in his hometown of Shattuck. The local newspaper, the Ellis County Chronicle, reported on the community's mourning and the procession that accompanied his remains.
Dion is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Oklahoma History Center and on the 4th Infantry Division memorial at Fort Carson. His name is also inscribed on Panel 7W, Line 109 of the Afghanistan Conflict Memorial Wall at the National Infantry Museum.
Explore Further
John Phillip Dion 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.
