Iraq War Casualties Hit Home

The 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began 10 years ago on March 19, 2003, and although officially over, the fighting continues. 

By one count, the war is directly responsible for 189,000 deaths, not including those who died from hardship caused by the fighting, according to www.costofwar.com.

CNN has a map of all casualties in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

In all, 4,802 Americans and allies have died in the war, according to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, including 162 soldiers from Illinois.

Here is a look at Iraq and Afghanistan casualties from our area, according to the the CNN war casualties website:

• William Robert Newgard, 20, of Arlington Heights was killed on Dec. 29, 2006. He was one of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq. 
• Phillip Edward Frank, 20, of Elk Grove was killed on April 8, 2004 during enemy fire near Falluja in Anbar province, Iraq. 
• John Thomas Olson, 21, of Elk Grove Village died on Feb. 21, 2005 as a result of hostile action in Nassir Wa Al Salem, Anbar province in Iraq. 
• Adriana Nicole Salem, 21, of Elk Grove Village died on March 4, 2005 when her military vehicle rolled over near Tikrit, Iraq. 
• Peter John Giannopoulos, 22, of Inverness died as a result of enemy action in Mahmoudiya, Babil province, Iraq on Nov. 11, 2004. 
• Paul Miguel Latourney, 28, of Roselle was one of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle while on combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq on March 2, 2007. 
• William David Chaney, 59, Schaumburg died on May 18, 2004 in Landstuhl, Germany after he was medically evacuated from Iraq to Germany for surgery due to a sudden medical condition. 

Amie Schaenzer contributed to this article.