Army Pfc. Jose Casanova

Died October 13, 2003 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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23, of El Monte, Calif.; assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 13 in Baghdad when an Iraqi dump truck swerved and rolled over on top of his Humvee.

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Soldier dies in vehicle accident

Associated Press

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A second Fort Bragg soldier died this week when an Iraqi garbage truck rolled over a Humvee in Baghdad, the military said Oct. 15.

Pfc. Jose Casanova, 23, of El Monte, Calif., died Monday in the accident, the Department of Defense said.

The military earlier said Spc. Douglas J. Weismantle, 28, a Pittsburgh native, died in the incident.

The accident is under investigation, officials said.

Weismantle and Casanova were assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. Efforts to contact Casanova’s family were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Nine paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division have died in Iraq. All the deaths have come since major combat operations were declared over in May.

Seven of the paratroopers were from the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, which will be one of the first units to complete a yearlong tour. The unit has been in Iraq since March.