Francesconi, Alberto
Male
Verified Lance Corporal Alberto Francesconi, 21, of the Bronx, New York, was a U.S. Marine killed in a hostile incident in Now Zad, Afghanistan, on January 1, 2009.
Their Story
Alberto Francesconi was a 21-year-old from the Bronx, New York, who enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He was assigned as a lance corporal to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, part of the 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. His unit was deployed as the Ground Combat Element of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Afghanistan.
Francesconi died on January 1, 2009, in the district of Now Zad in Afghanistan's Helmand province. According to the Marine Corps, his death was the result of a hostile incident. Official reports did not specify the exact nature of the attack, but the area was a known Taliban stronghold and a focal point for intense combat operations at the time.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By late 2008 and early 2009, U.S. forces, particularly Marines, were engaged in a major effort to clear insurgents from strategic areas in Helmand province, including the Now Zad valley, which had seen some of the heaviest fighting of the war.
Francesconi's death was reported by several news outlets, including The New York Times, which listed him among U.S. service members killed in the conflict. The Marine Corps released a statement confirming his death, and his name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Bronx County Courthouse.
He is remembered on memorial websites for fallen service members and by his community in the Bronx. His name is also listed on the online Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund 'Wall of Faces,' which honors casualties from later conflicts, including Afghanistan.
Explore Further
Lance Corporal Francesconi 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.
