Manuel A. Ruiz

Died: February 7, 2007

Rank: Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class

Unit: 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force

Branch: U.S. Navy

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Manuel A. Ruiz died on February 7, 2007, in Al Anbar Prov­ince, Iraq, from injuries he sustained in a helicopter accident. He was a passenger in a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter that experienced difficulties about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad. Seven military personnel died in the crash. The failure of the aircraft was attributed to either mechanical malfunction or hostile fire. Ruiz was assigned to the 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group in support of the II Marine Expedi­tionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.