Army Staff Sgt. Richard L. Morgan Jr.

Died October 5, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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38, of St. Clairsville, Ohio; assigned to the 660th Transportation Company, Army Reserve, Cadiz, Ohio; died Oct. 5 in Latifiyah, Iraq, of injuries sustained Oct. 4 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle.

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Ohio reservist killed in Iraq

Associated Press

MAYNARD, Ohio — An eastern Ohio Army Reservist was killed in Iraq when he drove a Humvee over a land mine on Monday, family members said Wednesday.

Staff Sgt. Richard L. Morgan, 38, of Maynard, served in the 660th Transportation Company based in nearby Cadiz. He had been stationed in Iraq since December 2003.

Bonita Girty, Morgan’s sister, described him as a loving father and devoted husband.

“He just was a special person,” Girty said. “He had many friends and many people liked him. His whole reserve unit, they just were very, very close.”

Military officials notified Deanna Morgan, Richard Morgan’s wife, Tuesday morning at the nursing home where she works, Girty said. Morgan died Tuesday after hitting the land mine the previous day.

Friends say Morgan joined the Army right after he graduated from St. Clairsville High School in 1984. He served in the Gulf War and was in his second tour of Iraq when he was killed.

“He just loved what he did,” Girty said. “He wanted to go back and he said if no one wanted to volunteer he would go back.”

He met and married his wife Deanna while stationed in Germany, Girty said, and Morgan returned from Iraq in August for two weeks to celebrate his 16th wedding anniversary and Deanna’s birthday.

Morgan also leaves two children, ages 12 and 15.