Wilkus, Eric Ryan
Male
Verified Private First Class Eric Ryan Wilkus, 20, of Hamilton, New Jersey, was a U.S. Army military policeman. He died on December 25, 2006, from wounds sustained in Iraq, succumbing at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
Their Story
Eric Ryan Wilkus was a 20-year-old from Hamilton, New Jersey, who enlisted in the United States Army. He was assigned as a military policeman to the 57th Military Police Company, 92nd Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, based out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
According to the Department of Defense, PFC Wilkus was wounded by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, on December 22, 2006. He was medically evacuated to the U.S. military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for treatment but died from his injuries three days later, on Christmas Day.
Wilkus's death occurred during a period of intense sectarian violence in Iraq. The years 2005 through 2007 were the deadliest of the conflict for U.S. forces, with insurgent tactics like IEDs and complex ambushes causing significant casualties among troops conducting patrols and convoy security.
His death was reported by several New Jersey news outlets. The Department of Defense officially announced his death on December 27, 2006. His family in Hamilton received the news during the holiday season.
Eric Wilkus is remembered on memorials in his hometown and is listed on the Iraq War casualty rolls. His name is inscribed on the Hamilton Township Veterans Memorial Park monument, which honors local service members who died in wartime.
Explore Further
PFC Eric Wilkus 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.
