On November 14, a North Carolina man, Spc. David Hickman, became the last last man to die in combat in Iraq.
The Defense Department confirmed to theGrio that Spc. Hickman was the last man to die in hostilities in Iraq. He became the 4,487th fatality in the war on November 14th, when his unit was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Baghdad.
The 23-year-old from Greensboro, NC was a member of the 82nd Airborne, serving in the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Newly married to wife Cali, the former star high school athlete was based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, just under two hours from where he grew up.
According to an obituary last month in the Greensboro News Record:
David was born on January 16, 1988, and was a lifelong resident of Greensboro, NC. He graduated from Northeast High School in 2006. He was an all conference outside linebacker for the Rams football team and served as team captain. David was also an accomplished black belt in the art of Taekwondo. He joined the military in 2009 after a short college stint at Ferrum College in Virginia.
His military awards and decorations prior to his death include The National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Expert Infantry Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. His awards to come are the Combat Infantry Badge, The Good Conduct Medal, The Bronze Star, and The Purple Heart.
In addition to those killed, 32,200 U.S. servicemen have been injured in the Iraq war, and according to the Department of Defense, the U.S. war in Iraq cost nearly $1.8 trillion; an average of $3.8 billion per month.