Waltenbaugh, Joshua Elliot
Male
Verified U.S. Army Private First Class Joshua Elliot Waltenbaugh, 19, of Ford City, Pennsylvania, was killed in action on June 3, 2008, in Taji, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Their Story
Joshua Elliot Waltenbaugh was a 19-year-old from Ford City, Pennsylvania. He served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Army, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, PFC Waltenbaugh died on June 3, 2008, in Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. The official release stated he was killed when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device (IED).
His death occurred during the final years of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a period following the 2007 U.S. troop surge. While overall violence had declined from earlier peaks, insurgent attacks, particularly with IEDs, remained a persistent threat to coalition forces.
His death was reported by local Pennsylvania newspapers, including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He was remembered in his Armstrong County community, where he was a 2007 graduate of Ford City High School.
PFC Waltenbaugh's name is inscribed on Panel 60W, Row 24 of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, which honors those killed in the 2001 attack and subsequent wars. He is also listed on the Iraq War Memorial at the University of North Carolina's library documenting the conflict.
Explore Further
PFC Waltenbaugh 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.
