Glende, Theodore Matthew
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Theodore Matthew Glende, 23, of Rochester, New York, was killed in action on July 27, 2012, in Kharwar, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Theodore Matthew Glende was a 23-year-old soldier from Rochester, New York. He served as a Specialist (SPC) with Company D, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based out of Camp Ederle, Italy.
On July 27, 2012, Glende was killed by enemy small-arms fire during a dismounted patrol in the Kharwar district of Logar province, Afghanistan. The patrol was engaged in a firefight with insurgent forces. Another soldier, Private 1st Class Kyle R. Coutu, 20, was killed in the same engagement.
Glende's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2012, the conflict was in a phase focused on counterinsurgency and training Afghan security forces, with heavy fighting continuing in eastern provinces like Logar.
Following his death, the Department of Defense officially announced the casualties. Glende was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and other commendations. His body was returned to the United States for burial.
He is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Rochester Veterans Memorial and on online veterans' remembrance pages. His unit, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, continued its deployment in Afghanistan until its conclusion later that year.
Explore Further
Theodore Glende 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.
