Kearney, James Charles Iii

James Charles Kearney III was a 22-year-old from Emerson, Iowa. He served in the Iowa Army National Guard's Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, part of the 25th Infantry Division based in Glenwood.

On November 1, 2004, Kearney was killed in a hostile incident at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost Province, Afghanistan. According to the Department of Defense, the incident involved an enemy mortar attack on the base. He was one of two soldiers killed in the attack that day.

Kearney's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In late 2004, the conflict was characterized by insurgent attacks on coalition bases and ongoing counter-insurgency operations, particularly in the country's eastern provinces.

His body was returned to Iowa, where he was buried in the Emerson Cemetery. The Iowa National Guard publicly confirmed his death, and local media reported on memorial services held in his hometown and by his unit.

Sgt. Kearney is memorialized on the Iowa Veterans Memorial and is listed among the more than 2,300 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom. His battalion, the 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry, continued its deployment in Afghanistan following the attack.

Sgt. Kearney 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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