Wentz, Brad Arnold
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant Brad Arnold Wentz, 21, of Gladwin, Michigan, died on May 20, 2005, in Balad, Iraq, while serving with the 180th Transportation Company.
Their Story
Brad Arnold Wentz was a 21-year-old from Gladwin, Michigan, who served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was assigned to the 180th Transportation Company, based in Bay City, Michigan, a unit responsible for moving personnel and equipment across the battlefield.
On May 20, 2005, Sgt. Wentz was killed in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. According to the Department of Defense, his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) while he was on a convoy mission. He was one of at least four U.S. service members killed in hostile incidents across Iraq that day.
Wentz died during Operation Iraqi Freedom, a period marked by intense insurgent activity against coalition forces and rising sectarian conflict. The years 2005-2007 were among the deadliest of the war for U.S. troops, with IEDs becoming a primary cause of casualties.
His death was reported by national and local Michigan news outlets. The Army posthumously awarded him the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was buried in Highland Cemetery in Gladwin.
Sgt. Wentz is memorialized on the Iraq War Veterans Memorial in Oscoda, Michigan, and is listed on the website of the U.S. Army's Fallen Warriors. His unit, the 180th Transportation Company, was mobilized for service in Iraq in late 2004.
Explore Further
Sgt. Wentz 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.
