Hanson, Matthias Numon
Male
Verified Lance Corporal Matthias Numon Hanson, a 20-year-old U.S. Marine from Buffalo, Kentucky, was killed in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on February 21, 2010.
Their Story
Matthias Numon Hanson was a lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps, assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan Forward, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was from the small community of Buffalo in Larue County, Kentucky. Hanson was 20 years old when he deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
On February 21, 2010, Hanson was killed by hostile fire in Helmand province, a volatile region in southern Afghanistan that was a primary focus of the U.S. military surge at the time. The Department of Defense announcement stated he died while supporting combat operations. No further specific details of the engagement were publicly released.
Hanson's death occurred during a major offensive, Operation Moshtarak, which began earlier that month. The operation, involving thousands of U.S., British, and Afghan troops, aimed to clear the Taliban stronghold of Marjah in central Helmand. The period saw some of the heaviest fighting of the war, with improvised explosive devices and small-arms fire causing significant coalition casualties.
His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried with full military honors in Buffalo, Kentucky. The local community held memorial services, and his name was added to the Larue County Veterans Memorial. The Marine Corps posthumously awarded him the Purple Heart.
Lance Corporal Hanson is remembered on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Larue County Courthouse and is listed on Panel 9W, Line 109 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. His name is also inscribed on the Kentucky Veterans Memorial in Frankfort.
Explore Further
Lance Corporal Hanson 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.
