Hero Stories for California

Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, California, died October 13, 2010, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Pfc. Dew was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. </d

Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, California, died October 13, 2010, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Pfc. Dew was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.<

Sgt. Brian J. Pedro, 27, of Rosamond, California, died October 2, 2010, in Pol-e-Khumri, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Sgt. Pedro was assigned to the 2nd Engineer Battalion, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. </d

Spc. John Carrillo, Jr., 20, of Stockton, California, died September 24, 2010, in Fallujah, Iraq, of injuries sustained September 23 in a non-combat incident. Spc. Carrillo was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. </d

Sgt. Raymond C. Alcaraz, 20, of Redlands, California, died August 31, 2010, in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Sgt. Alcaraz was assigned to the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany. </d

Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak, 34, of Lompoc, California, died August 30, 2010, in Malajat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Staff Sgt. Grochowiak was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado. </d

Spc. Andrew J. Castro, 20, of Westlake Village, California, died August 28, 2010, in Babur, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Spc. Castro was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. </d

Petty Officer 3rd Class James M. Swink, 20, of Yucca Valley, California, died August 27, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Petty Officer 3rd Class Swink was a hospital corpsman assigned to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Forces. </d

Staff Sgt. Conrad A. Mora, 24, of San Diego, California, died July 24, 2010, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his military vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Staff Sgt. Mora was assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. </d

Sgt. Daniel Lim, 23, of Cypress, California, died July 24, 2010, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his military vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Sgt. Lim was assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. </d