Villanueva, Joselito Onas

Sergeant First Class Joselito Onas Villanueva was a 36-year-old American soldier from Los Angeles, California. He served with C Company, 9th Engineer Battalion, part of the 1st Infantry Division based in Schweinfurt, Germany, before his deployment to Iraq.

On September 27, 2004, Villanueva was killed by hostile fire in Balad, Iraq, approximately 50 miles north of Baghdad. The Department of Defense announced his death the following day. He was one of several U.S. service members killed in the region that week amid sustained insurgent attacks.

Villanueva died during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began with the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. By late 2004, the conflict had entered a phase of intense insurgency, with frequent attacks on coalition forces and infrastructure, particularly in central Iraq's Sunni Triangle region where Balad is located.

Following his death, Villanueva was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. His remains were returned to the United States, and services were held in California. The Army confirmed his next of kin had been notified.

Sergeant First Class Villanueva is memorialized on the 1st Infantry Division monument at Fort Riley, Kansas, and on the Iraq War Memorial in his home state of California. His name is inscribed on Panel 1W, Row 011 of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum's 'Memorial Glade,' which honors those who died from illnesses related to the 9/11 attacks and subsequent wars.

SFC Joselito Villanueva was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–2010). The conflict concluded in August 2010. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Kennedy, Brian Matthew, Beaupre, Ryan Anthony, Gutierrez, Jose, Waters-bey, Kendall Damon.

← Return to the full memorial | Add a memorial record