Marine Lance Cpl. Marty G. Mortenson

Died April 20, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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22, of Flagstaff, Ariz.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed April 20 when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. Also killed was Marine Cpl. Kelly M. Cannan.

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Arizona Marine killed in combat

Associated Press

PHOENIX — A 22-year-old Marine from Flagstaff has been killed while serving in Iraq.

Lance Cpl. Marty G. Mortenson died when an improvised explosive device detonated during a combat operation in Ramadi, the Defense Department said in a statement Thursday.

Details of the incident were unavailable.

Cpl. Kelly M. Cannan, 21, of Lowville, N.Y., also died in the blast.

Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. Their unit was attached to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Mortenson is the 48th soldier from Arizona to die in Iraq.

“He stood up for his family, his God and his country,” said Andrew Trujillo, Mortenson’s brother-in-law, who spoke Thursday night on behalf of the soldier’s family. “He died with honor and that’s something few people get to do in this world.”