- George Alexander (US Army soldier)
Infobox Military Person
name= S/Sgt. George Alexander United States Army
born= birth date|1971|08|01
died= death date and age|2005|10|22|1971|08|01
placeofbirth=Killeen, Texas
placeofdeath=Samarra, Iraq
caption=On Duty in Iraq
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|United States United States of America
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=1991-2005
rank= Staff Sergeant
commands=
unit= 3rd Infantry Division
battles=War in Iraq
awards=Purple Heart
laterwork=
Staff Sergeant George T. Alexander Jr. (August 1 ,1971 -October 22 ,2005 ) was the 2,000th Americansoldier killed in combat inIraq since the beginning of the2003 Invasion of Iraq , according to theAssociated Press .Alexander, an
African-American , diedOctober 22 ,2005 at theBrooke Army Medical Center inSan Antonio, Texas after being treated for injuries sustained five days earlier, when animprovised explosive device detonated near hisM2 Bradley in the city ofSamarra .A 1989 graduate of
Chilton County High School , Alexander spent two years working as a construction labourer before joining the military asDesert Storm began. At the time of his death, he was serving his thirdtour of duty in Iraq, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, ofFort Benning , Georgia.He is survived by his wife Fina, and two children Jsai and Alexandria. His body was laid to rest at the Agee Memorial Garden in
Clanton, Alabama .Media Attention
The United States media noted this death above many others, as it was the 2,000th since the start of active combat, a number generally recognized as significant. Articles ran on such sites as CNN.com [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/25/iraq.main/index.html] featuring the soldier. In contrast,
the Pentagon downplayed the death — Lt. Col.Steven Boylan , chief spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, told the Associated Press that "the 2,000 service members killed in Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom is not a milestone, It is an artificial mark on the wall set by individuals or groups with specific agendas and ulterior motives."Fact|date=September 2008Alexander's death sparked Senators and Congressmen to debate the merits of the war again, something that had not been done in months, with Senators such as
Dick Durbin making statements on the war. Peace activists cast the 2,000th combat death as a milestone in what they believe to be an unnecessary and unwinnable war. Immediately following the report of his death, six hundred anti-war protests and candlelightvigil s were held in the United States onOctober 26 ,2005 . [http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/top/2_1_AU27_VIGIL_S1.htm]ee also
*
2003 invasion of Iraq media coverage References
* Faulk, Kent. " [http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/113040497267990.xml&coll=2 "Soldier fought to make difference"] ", The
Birmingham News .October 27 ,2005 . RetrievedOctober 30 ,2005 .
* Salles, Andre. " [http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/top/2_1_AU27_VIGIL_S1.htm "Vigil notes 2000 U.S. war dead"] ", The Beacon News.October 27 ,2005 . RetrievedOctober 27 ,2005 .
* Cannon, Jason. " [http://www.clantonadvertiser.com/articles/2005/10/26/news/a-news.txt "Roadside bomb kills Clanton soldier"] ", The Clanton Advertiser.October 26 ,2005 . RetrievedOctober 26 ,2005 .
* Parsons, Claudia & Quinn, Andrew. " [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-10-25T194546Z_01_YUE544037_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ.xml "US military death toll in Iraq reaches 2,000"] ",Reuters .October 25 ,2005 . RetrievedOctober 26 ,2005 .
* " [http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051025-4982.html "DoD Identifies Army Casualty"] ",United States Department of Defense .October 25 ,2005 . RetrievedOctober 29 ,2005 .
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