American Heroes: Sgt. Brandon C. Bury, Lance Cpl. Derek Hernandez, Cpl. Donald Marler, 1st Lt. Joe J. Theinert

DOD Identifies Marine Casualties

                The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

                The following Marines died June 6 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:

                Sgt. Brandon C. Bury, 26, of Kingwood, Texas.

                Lance Cpl. Derek Hernandez, 20, of Edinburg, Texas.

                Cpl. Donald M. Marler, 22, of St. Louis, Mo.

                Bury, Hernandez and Marler were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

                This incident is under investigation.

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

                The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

                1st Lt. Joseph J. Theinert, 24, of Sag Harbor, N.Y., died June 4 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using a rocket propelled grenade and an improvised explosive device.

He was a New York Army National Guardsman assigned to 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.