Washam, Rusty Lee

Rusty Lee Washam was born in Huntsville, Tennessee, a small community in Scott County. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, part of the 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

On February 14, 2006, Corporal Washam was killed by enemy action while conducting combat operations in Al Qaim, a city in Iraq's western Anbar province near the Syrian border. The area was a known insurgent stronghold and a focal point for Marine operations at the time. The Department of Defense announcement did not specify the exact nature of the hostile incident.

Washam's death occurred during Operation Iraqi Freedom, a conflict that began with a U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. By early 2006, the war had entered a phase of sustained counterinsurgency and sectarian violence. The Marine Corps' 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines was deployed to Anbar province, a region characterized by intense fighting against insurgent groups.

Following his death, Washam's body was returned to Tennessee. He was buried in the Smith-Newsome Cemetery in Huntsville. Local news reported on his funeral, noting his family's grief and his status as a local casualty of the war.

Corporal Washam is memorialized on the Scott County Veterans Memorial in Huntsville. His name is also inscribed on Panel 06A, Row 013 of the Iraq War Memorial at the Veterans Memorial Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, ensuring his service is recorded among those from the state who died in the conflict.

Corporal Rusty Lee Washam 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.

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