Army Sgt. James D. Faulkner

Died September 8, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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23, of Clarksville, Ind.; assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; killed Sept. 8 when his military vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.

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Indiana soldier killed in Iraq

Associated Press

CLARKSVILLE, Ind. — A soldier from southern Indiana was killed in Iraq when his armored vehicle was hit by enemy fire, a family member said.

Sgt. James Daniel Faulkner, who had been on active duty in Iraq since March, was killed Wednesday, said his sister, Kathleen Kafzubski.

Faulkner, 23, visited Clarksville on leave two weeks ago and flew back to the Middle East on Sept. 1, she said. He was a 1999 graduate of Clarksville High School in the town just north of Louisville, Ky., and enlisted in the Army in 2000.

He had been stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, where he was a combat engineer with the 1st Calvary Division. With his initial four-year term of service set to expire in March, Faulkner had already re-enlisted for a six-year term that was to begin in April.

Faulkner is survived by his parents, James Faulkner of New Albany and Pam Gilkey of Clarksville, a stepfather, three sisters, two brothers, a stepsister, two nieces and a nephew. He was to be married in July to Lisa Moreno of McAllen, Texas.

Faulkner is the 27th person from Indiana to have died in the Middle East since the buildup for the invasion of Iraq began in early 2003.