Desert Storm & Iraq War Veterans of Arenzville, Illinois
Operation Desert Storm: 1990–1991 | Operation Iraqi Freedom: 2003–2011
From the deserts of Kuwait to the streets of Fallujah and Haqlaniyah, Arenzville’s most recent generation of veterans served in two of the defining conflicts of the modern era.
Four served in Desert Storm. Ten served in the Iraq War.
One did not come home.
| 4 | 10 | 1 | 100 days | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Desert Storm Veterans |
Iraq War Veterans |
† Killed in Action |
Duration of Desert Storm Ground War |
Year Devon Seymour Fell |
| 4 | 10 | 1 | 100 days | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Desert Storm Veterans |
Iraq War Veterans |
† Killed in Action |
Duration of Desert Storm Ground War |
Year Devon Seymour Fell |
Desert Storm & Iraq War Veterans of Arenzville
14 documented veterans – search and filter by name or branch of service.
Eric Stock
Matt Stinson
Devon P. Seymour
Lance Corporal Devon P. Seymour served with the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. He was killed in active duty.
Joe Schnake
Andrew Poe
Aaron Poe
Ryan Nobis
Cale Neff
Operation Desert Storm: 1990 – 1991
The 100-Hour War
On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein invaded and occupied Kuwait. The United States – leading an international coalition of 35 nations – responded with Operation Desert Shield, a massive military build-up in the Persian Gulf region that lasted through the autumn and winter of 1990.
On January 16, 1991, the coalition launched Operation Desert Storm – a swift, devastating air campaign followed by a ground offensive that lasted just 100 hours. By February 28, Kuwait had been liberated and the ceasefire declared. It was one of the most decisive military victories in modern history – and one of the fastest.
Fewer than 400 Americans were killed during the Gulf War combat operations. But the more than 650,000 Americans who deployed to the theatre, and the hundreds of thousands more who served stateside and in support roles during the same period, carried home a conflict that would define their lives – including the still-poorly-understood cluster of conditions known as Gulf War illness, which continues to affect veterans today.
From Arenzville, four men and women answered the call – among them Kathleen Taylor, one of the women from this community whose military service is documented in this archive.
The Iraq War: Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003 – 2011
A New Generation Goes to War
On March 20, 2003, a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq, citing intelligence claims about weapons of mass destruction and the regime of Saddam Hussein. Baghdad fell within weeks. But the war that followed – an insurgency, a sectarian conflict, and a prolonged occupation – would continue for nearly a decade.
More than 4,400 Americans were killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2011. Tens of thousands more were wounded. Hundreds of thousands returned home carrying the invisible wounds of repeated combat deployments – traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, and losses that no formal record fully captures.
From Arenzville, ten men served during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Among them were brothers Aaron and Andrew Poe, who served together. Among them was Joe Schnake – a name carried by three generations of Arenzville family across this archive. Among them was Devon P. Seymour.
Devon did not come home.
Lance Corporal Devon P. Seymour
United States Marine Corps – Killed in Action
June 9, 2005 · Haqlaniyah, Iraq
Age 21
Lance Corporal Devon P. Seymour served with the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve.
On June 9, 2005, Devon was killed in an explosion while conducting combat operations with the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Haqlaniyah, Iraq. He was 21 years old.
Also killed in the same action on that day were:
- Lance Corporal Dustin V. Birch
- Lance Corporal Daniel Chavez
- Lance Corporal Thomas O. Keeling
- Corporal Brad D. Squires
Five Marines. One moment. Five families changed forever.
Devon P. Seymour’s name is carried in this archive – not as a footnote marked with an asterisk, but as a man whose life and service are worth knowing. He was part of this community. He gave everything.
“He was killed June 9 in an explosion while conducting combat operations… in Haqlaniyah, Iraq.” – Military Times, The Fallen
These Are Our Most Recent Veterans. Their Stories Are Still Being Written.
Unlike the Civil War or World War II, many of the veterans on this page are still living – and their stories are still unfolding. Their service is recent. Their sacrifices are fresh. And their record in this archive is still incomplete.
If you served, or if someone in your family served during Desert Storm or the Iraq War and has ties to Arenzville, please reach out. Help us make sure this generation of service is preserved alongside all the others.
And if you knew Devon P. Seymour – please share what you know. Every memory contributes to a record that honours him completely.