Griffin, Dale Russel

Dale Russel Griffin was a sergeant assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, Washington. He was a native of Terre Haute, Indiana.

On October 27, 2009, Sergeant Griffin was on a dismounted patrol in the Arghandab River Valley of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, he was killed by the detonation of an improvised explosive device. The Arghandab Valley was a known Taliban stronghold and a region of intense fighting at the time.

Griffin's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By late 2009, U.S. forces were engaged in a major troop surge aimed at countering a resurgent Taliban, with Kandahar Province being a focal point of the offensive.

The Department of Defense announced Griffin's death on October 28, 2009. His body was returned to his hometown of Terre Haute, where he was buried in Roselawn Memorial Park. Local news reported that hundreds of community members lined the streets during the procession to honor him.

Sergeant Griffin was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal. In 2010, a memorial bridge on U.S. Highway 41 in Vigo County, Indiana, was dedicated in his name.

Sergeant Dale Griffin 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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