Army Sgt. Christopher A. Wagener

Died July 1, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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24, of Fairview Heights, Ill.; assigned to the 10th Aviation Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; killed July 1 when his convoy vehicle hit a land mine in Mosul, Iraq.

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Illinois soldier killed in Iraq

Associated Press

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — An Illinois native who recently reenlisted to serve a longer tour of duty in Iraq was killed Thursday in a landmine explosion, his family said.

Sgt. Christopher Wagener, 24, of Fairview Heights, died near Mosul, Iraq, and appeared to have been killed instantly, according to his father, Ken Wagener. He added that the family was seeking more information about the incident.

“We are trying to find out whether he suffered or not,” Ken Wagener said, speaking by telephone Thursday night from his home in Fairview Heights, a town about 10 miles from St. Louis.

Christopher Wagener was a helicopter repair technician from an aviation unit based in Fort Drum, New York. He graduated from Belleville East High School and immediately joined the military, his father said.

After six years in the Army, he had the chance to leave the service after a short stint in Iraq, but chose to re-enlist in February, his father said.

“He often e-mailed or called, the last time last week,” his father said. “He loved what he was doing. He had no complaints.”

Wagener is survived by his father, mother and sister.