Story Created:
Sep 14, 2009 at 2:13 PM AKDT
Story Updated:
Sep 17, 2009 at 1:47 PM AKDT
Army officials say a Fort Richardson-based soldier from Illinois died a week after being attacked in Afghanistan.
The Army identifies the victim as 20-year-old Pfc. Matthew M. Martinek of DeKalb, Ill., who died Friday.
He was a member of a mounted patrol whose vehicle was hit by a
roadside bomb Sept. 4 in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. When the six soldiers and their lieutenant dismounted to secure the vehicle, it was hit by a rocket propelled grenade. Also killed in the attack was 2nd Lt. Darryn Andrews of Dallas. The other soldiers were wounded.
All were assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division from Fort Richardson.
Martinek joined the Army in March 2008 and was assigned to the Alaska base the following September.
