Muralles, Marcus Vinicio
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Marcus Vinicio Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Indiana, was killed in a helicopter crash in Asadabad, Afghanistan, on June 28, 2005, during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Their Story
Sergeant First Class Marcus Vinicio Muralles was a Special Operations Combat Medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), based at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. A native of Shelbyville, Indiana, the 33-year-old soldier had deployed to multiple theaters, including Afghanistan, the Philippines, and the Horn of Africa, as part of his service.
On June 28, 2005, Muralles was one of 16 U.S. service members killed when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar Province. The MH-47, operated by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was on a mission to insert a team of Navy SEALs for a reconnaissance operation in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad. The crash site was in a hostile area, and recovery operations were conducted under fire.
The incident 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 were focused on counter-insurgency efforts against Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces along the volatile border region with Pakistan, where rugged terrain and insurgent strongholds posed significant risks to coalition forces.
According to a Department of Defense news release, all 16 personnel aboard the helicopter were killed. The mission was part of Operation Red Wings, an effort to locate and capture a senior Taliban commander. The loss represented one of the single deadliest days for U.S. forces in Afghanistan up to that point in the conflict.
Muralles was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. He is memorialized on a monument in his hometown of Shelbyville and is listed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis. His unit, the 160th SOAR, is known for its night-flying capabilities and support of special operations forces.
Explore Further
Muralles 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.
