From: dlnews_sender@DTIC.MIL



NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense



No. 173-03

(703)697-5131(media)

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 30, 2003

(703)428-0711(public/industry)



DOD ANNOUNCES MARINE CASUALTIES



The Department of Defense announced today the identification of

the following Marines who have been killed in action. They are:



Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa, 33, of San Jose, Calif. He was

assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine

Division, Camp Pendleton, Calif.



Lance Cpl. Jesus A. Suarez Del Solar, 20, of Escondido, Calif.

He was assigned to the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance

Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Calif.



The Department of Defense announced today it has changed the

status of the following Marine casualties from missing in action

to killed in action. They are:



Lance Cpl. Thomas A. Blair, 24, of Wagoner, Okla. He was

assigned to the 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine

Air Control Group-28, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point,

N.C. His unit was engaged in operations on March 24 on the

outskirts of An Nasiriyah in Iraq. His remains were recovered

on March 28.



Lance Cpl. Michael J. Williams, 31, of Yuma, Ariz. He was

assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine

Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C. His unit was engaged

in operations on March 23 on the outskirts of An Nasiriyah in

Iraq. His remains were recovered on March 28.



The Department of Defense also announced today the identities of

four Marines whose status has been listed as missing in action.

They are:



Staff Sgt. Donald C. May, Jr., 31, of Richmond, Va.



Lance Cpl. Patrick T. ODay, 20, of Sonoma, Calif.



Pfc. Francisco A. MartinezFlores, 21, of Los Angeles, Calif.



These three Marines are assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st

Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center,

Twenty-nine Palms, Calif. They were last seen while conducting

convoy operations in the vicinity of the Euphrates River on

March 25. A search and rescue effort is continuing.



Sgt. Fernando Padilla-Ramirez, 26, of Yuma, Ariz. He was

assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron-371, Marine Wing

Support Group-37, Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz. He was

last seen conducting convoy operations in the vicinity of Al

Nasiriyah on 28 March. A search and rescue effort is

continuing.



The Department of Defense also announced today that Lance Cpl.

William W. White, 24, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was killed in a

non-hostile vehicle accident on March 29 in Iraq. He was

assigned to the 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marine

Division, Camp Pendleton, Calif. The accident is under

investigation.



[Web version: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2003/b03302003_bt173-03.html]