Lembke, Matthew Ryan
Male
Verified Cpl. Matthew Ryan Lembke, 22, of Tualatin, Oregon, was a U.S. Marine who died on July 10, 2009, at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, from wounds sustained in Afghanistan.
Their Story
Matthew Ryan Lembke was a 22-year-old Marine corporal from Tualatin, Oregon. He served with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay. His unit was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Regimental Combat Team 3, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Forward).
On June 25, 2009, while on a foot patrol in the Nawa district of Afghanistan's Helmand province, Cpl. Lembke stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast resulted in the traumatic amputation of both his legs. He was evacuated from the battlefield for emergency medical care.
Lembke's injury occurred during a major U.S. Marine Corps offensive in Helmand province, Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword), which began on July 2, 2009. The operation was part of the larger U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom, the military response in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks.
After the blast, Lembke was transported to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for treatment. He died there on July 10, 2009, from complications related to his wounds. His death was recorded as a hostile casualty by the Department of Defense.
In 2010, the city of Tualatin dedicated a memorial bench in his honor at Tualatin Community Park. His name is also inscribed on the Oregon War Veterans Memorial in Salem.
Explore Further
Cpl. Matthew Lembke 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.
