Drakulich, David Joseph
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant David Joseph Drakulich, 22, of Reno, Nevada, died on January 9, 2008, in Chagali, Afghanistan, from hostile enemy action.
Their Story
David Joseph Drakulich was a 22-year-old soldier from Reno, Nevada. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His unit had previously deployed to locations including the Philippines and the Horn of Africa.
On January 9, 2008, Drakulich was killed in the village of Chagali, located in the volatile Kunar Province of eastern Afghanistan. According to the Department of Defense, his death resulted from hostile enemy action. A contemporaneous news report from the *Reno Gazette-Journal* specified that he died from wounds sustained when his unit came under small arms fire during combat operations.
Drakulich's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By early 2008, the conflict was marked by a significant resurgence of Taliban and other insurgent activity, particularly in the eastern provinces along the border with Pakistan. U.S. and allied forces were engaged in intense counterinsurgency operations in these regions.
Following the notification of his death, Drakulich was remembered in his hometown. The *Reno Gazette-Journal* reported on his passing and the community's reaction. His remains were returned to the United States, and he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.
Sergeant Drakulich is memorialized on the 82nd Airborne Division's memorial wall at Fort Bragg and is listed on the Afghanistan War casualty rolls maintained by the Department of Defense. His name is included in the 'Faces of the Fallen' project by *The Washington Post*, which documented U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Explore Further
Sgt. David Drakulich 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.
