Saturday, Sep. 12, 2009

Marine from Gaffney dies of war wounds

Injured in Afghanistan fighting, man dies in Germany

A 20-year-old Marine from Gaffney has died of wounds suffered while fighting in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Friday.

Lance Cpl. Chris Fowlkes was injured Sept. 3 in Helmand province and died Thursday morning at the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. His parents, Steve and Donna Fowlkes, were at his bedside, according to reports.

“Chris fought a long, hard battle and is a true American hero,” the family said in a statement published in the Spartanburg Herald Journal. “We are a family of deep faith, and through our pain and loss we are steadfast in God’s love and plans.”

Fowlkes was injured when he and four other troops got out of their vehicle after coming under attack. One of the troops stepped on a land mine. Another Marine and Navy corpsman also died in the attack.

Fowlkes, who had fought in Iraq, was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.

He is the 17th member of the U.S. military with S.C. ties to die in Afghanistan since fighting started in 2001.

Fowlkes also is the second South Carolinian in the past two weeks to die in Afghanistan. Army Spc. Abraham S. Wheeler III, 22, of Columbia was killed Aug. 28 by a bomb in Logar province.

— Chuck Crumbo

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