Hernandez, Emmanuel
Male
Verified Corporal Emmanuel Hernandez, 22, of Yauco, Puerto Rico, was a U.S. Army artilleryman killed in a hostile incident in Salerno, Afghanistan, on June 8, 2005.
Their Story
Emmanuel Hernandez was born in Yauco, Puerto Rico. He served as a Corporal in Battery D, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team (Task Force Devil), which was based at Camp Ederle, Italy, before deploying to Afghanistan.
On June 8, 2005, Hernandez was killed in a hostile incident near Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost Province, eastern Afghanistan. According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, he died from wounds sustained during an enemy small-arms fire attack while on patrol.
Hernandez's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. In mid-2005, operations in the country's eastern provinces focused on counter-insurgency against Taliban and al-Qaeda forces.
His death was reported by several news outlets, including the Associated Press and Stars and Stripes. He was one of at least four U.S. service members killed in hostile actions in Afghanistan during the first two weeks of June 2005.
Corporal Hernandez was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. He is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the 173rd Airborne Brigade headquarters in Italy and on online veterans' memorials.
Explore Further
Hernandez 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.
