York County historical war deaths top 1,000: York Town Square

Charles E. Williams was one 570 or more men in uniform who died in World War II, probably the highest county death toll in any war. He was one of six brothers to serve in uniform in World War II.

The tally of deaths of fighting men in uniform in Iraq with York County ties thus far stands at a dozen.

Add Neil Roberts, who died on a ridge in Afghanistan, and the War on Terrorism count stands at 13. See Roberts Ridge.

How does that count compare with casualties in other wars? The total far surpasses the thousand mark.

Civil War: No count ever made, but historian Charles Glatfelter wrote that more than 6,000 York countians served in uniform. The death toll probably was in the hundreds. At least, the casualty numbers had enough community impact that an orphanage was built after the war - the Children's Home of York.
World War I - 195
World War II - More than 570
Korean War - 63
Vietnam War - 101
Persian Gulf War - 1
(For a list of names on the county honor roll for these wars, see appendix in my "In the Thick of the Fight" available at the museum shop, www.yorkheritage.org.)

Here is a list of those with local ties killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2003: ...

• 1st Lt. Robert Seidel III, 23, of Emmitsburg, Md., died May 18, 2006, after he was fatally injured with three other soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter in an armored Humvee that was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion in the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division, out of Fort Drum, N.Y., as a rifle platoon leader. His parents live in Gettysburg.

• Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, 20, of Westminster, Md., died March 3, 2006, in a Humvee crash after less than four weeks in Iraq with his unit. He was assigned to the Combat Service Support Group-1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. His father, Albert Snyder, lives in Spring Garden Township.

• Spc. John N. Kulick, 35, of Montgomery County, died Aug. 9, 2005, in Bayji, Iraq, when a bomb exploded under his Humvee. Kulick was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized), Philadelphia. His daughter lives in Dillsburg.

• Sgt. 1st Class Brett E. Walden, 40, of Dover Township, died Aug. 5, 2005, in Rubiah, Iraq, when a civilian fuel truck collided with his Humvee while performing a convoy mission. Walden was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Pfc. Kenneth E. Zeigler II, 22, of Dillsburg, died May 12, 2005, in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. Zeigler was assigned to the Army’s 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

• U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Jeffery S. Blanton, 23, of Georgia, was killed Dec. 12, 2004, fighting in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. His wife, Amber, is from Conewago Township.

• Cpl. Michael R. Cohen, 23, of Jacobus, died Nov. 22, 2004, as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

• Army Spc. Nicholas Zangara, 21, of Philadelphia, died July 24, 2004, when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. His wife, Melanie, is from York County.

• Henry A. Doll III, 56, formerly of York, died May 13, 2004, in a vehicle accident in Iraq. He was working as a police liaison officer for Computer Sciences Corporation’s DynCorp International business unit as part of a U.S. Department of State program.

• Army Spc. Martin Kondor, 20, of Lower Windsor Township, was killed April 29, 2004, when a makeshift bomb exploded near the Humvee he was riding on near Baqubah, a town about 40 miles northeast of Baghdad.

• Army Spc. Ryan G. Carlock, 25, of Macomb, Ill., was shot and killed in Iraq on Sept. 9, 2003, while driving a fuel truck for the 416th Transportation Company, 260th Quartermaster Battalion. His wife, Heather, is from York.

• Army Pfc. Corey Lee Small, 20, of East Berlin, died July 3, 2003, of a non-combat cause, according to the U.S. Department of Defense in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 502nd Military Intelligence Company, 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment.

William L. Glatfelter, of the family that owned the Spring Grove paper mill, was probably the most prominent of all York countians who died in World War II. His three brothers also served in uniform.