Date: 7/10/2004
Rank: Private 1st Class
Branch: U.S. Marine
Operation: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Christopher Reed died July 10, 2004 in the Anbar Province of Iraq after the Humvee he was riding in rolled over. He was based at Camp Pendleton, California. Chris loved hunting and fishing with his brother and wanted to use his military experience to get a job with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. He had been in Iraq only three weeks when the vehicle he was riding in overturned.
Reed graduated high school in 2003 and almost immediately joined the Marine Corps. His departure was delayed because on graduation night Chris and his brother got into a wrestling match and Chris ended up hurting some ribs. Before his deployment, Chris spent most of his time visiting friends and family. “When it came to his family, he put them before everything else,” said his good friend Beth Pratt, who remembered him as a lively presence. “Even when there was nothing to do Chris would turn a boring evening into an unforgettable memory.” Reed is survived by his brother Brian and parents, Keith and Tammy Reed.