Wightman, William Brett

William Brett Wightman was a 22-year-old from Clinton, Ohio. He served as a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps, assigned to Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, a reserve unit based in Columbus, Ohio. The battalion was deployed to Iraq in early 2005 as part of Regimental Combat Team 2.

On August 3, 2005, Wightman was killed during combat operations in the town of Barwanah, located in Iraq's volatile Anbar province. According to the Department of Defense, he died from wounds sustained during hostile action. His unit was engaged in counterinsurgency operations in the region at the time.

Wightman's death occurred during a period of intense violence in the Iraq War. The years 2005 through 2007 saw a significant escalation in insurgent attacks and sectarian conflict, particularly in western Iraq. U.S. forces, including Marine units in Anbar, conducted frequent patrols and faced persistent threats from improvised explosive devices and small-arms fire.

His death was reported by local and national news outlets. The 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines sustained heavy casualties during its 2005 deployment, with Lima Company suffering particularly high losses. The battalion's experiences were widely covered in the media, highlighting the cost of the conflict for a single unit.

Wightman is memorialized on the Iraq War Memorial in his home state of Ohio and on the national memorial in Washington, D.C. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. His name is listed among the more than 4,400 U.S. service members who died during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Corporal Wightman 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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