Webster, Leroy Otis
Male
Verified Staff Sergeant Leroy Otis Webster, 28, of Hartley, Iowa, was killed in a hostile incident in Kirkuk, Iraq, on April 25, 2009, while serving with the U.S. Army.
Their Story
Staff Sergeant Leroy Otis Webster was a 28-year-old artilleryman from Hartley, Iowa. He served with Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Hood, Texas. He deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Webster died on April 25, 2009, in Kirkuk, Iraq. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, his death was the result of a hostile incident. No further details about the specific attack were publicly released by the military.
By 2009, the U.S. troop surge of 2007 had significantly reduced overall violence in Iraq. However, American forces, particularly those in northern provinces like Kirkuk, continued to face attacks from insurgent groups, including improvised explosive devices and small-arms fire.
Webster's death was reported by several news outlets, including the Des Moines Register, which noted his Iowa hometown. He was survived by his wife and children. The Army posthumously awarded him the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.
He is memorialized on the Iraq War Veterans Memorial and at Fort Hood. His name is listed on the 2009 casualty roll for Operation Iraqi Freedom, a year in which 149 U.S. service members died in Iraq.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant Webster 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.
