Gooch, Gary Lee Jr

Gary Lee Gooch Jr. was a 22-year-old soldier from Ocala, Florida. He served as a Specialist with Company C, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, part of the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, Washington. His unit deployed to Afghanistan in July 2009 as part of Task Force Stryker.

On November 5, 2009, Gooch was killed by hostile fire in Jelewar, a village in the volatile Zhari district of Kandahar province. According to military reports, his unit was conducting a dismounted patrol when it came under enemy small-arms fire. He was one of two soldiers from his brigade killed in separate engagements that day.

His death occurred during a significant offensive by U.S. and allied forces in southern Afghanistan. The 5th Stryker Brigade was engaged in intense counterinsurgency operations, particularly along Highway 1, a key route where Taliban forces were heavily entrenched. The period saw some of the highest U.S. casualty rates of the war.

Gooch was posthumously promoted from Private First Class to Specialist. He was survived by his parents and siblings. A memorial service was held at Fort Lewis, and he was buried with full military honors in Florida.

He is remembered on memorial walls at Fort Lewis and within his community. In 2010, a stretch of State Road 40 in Marion County, Florida, was designated the 'Specialist Gary Lee Gooch Jr. Memorial Highway' by the state legislature.

Gary Lee Gooch Jr. 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.

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