James C Wright

James C. Wright

Headquarters Battery 4th Battalion 42nd Artillery

4th Infantry Division (Mechanzied)

KIA September 18, 2003

Last Primary MOS
13F-Fire Support Specialist/Automatic Weapons Crewman

Army Spc. James C. Wright

Died September 18, 2003 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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27, of Morgan, Texas; assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; killed Sept. 18
during an ambush by small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Tikrit, Iraq. Two other soldiers from his unit also were killed.
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Spc. James C. Wright was looking forward to becoming a father for the first time and was hoping to get home a few months after the birth of his son, expected in December.

“He was so excited about the baby,” said his brother, Edward Wright II. “Now he won’t ever have the chance to see him.”

Wright, from suburban Cincinnati, was killed Sept. 18 during an ambush in Tikrit, Iraq. He had served two years in the Army after four years with the Marines.

Edward Wright II said he had been planning for his brother’s return. “I was going to let him think I couldn’t get off work and then we were all going to be there
in Texas when he got off the plane,” he said.

His wife, Alina Wright, also based at Fort Hood, knew one thing for sure: “I am going to tell our baby what a great dad he was,” she said, “and how good of a man he was.”

— Associated Press

SPC Arriaga, SGT Thompson and SPC Wright were all ambushed just south-east of Tikrit along the Tigris River
on the night of 18 September 2003.

They were all assigned to HHB 4/42 FA, and were attached to G Troop 10th Cav.

The vehicle they were riding in was a standard hard-back HMMWV, not an up-armored version. They were hit by RPG and small arms fire.

One RPG round penetrated the door on SPC Arriaga's side of the vehicle, passed through him, and struck SGT Thompson
in the passenger side - without detonating, killing both men.

SPC Wright was in the gunner hatch, and was caught by shrapnel from another RPG that detonated on the vehicle.

A fourth member of the Crew, PFC Cross (I think was his name) was able to exit the vehicle and return fire, killing some of the ambush force.
He was the lone survivor of the vehicle, and was recognized for valor.

All 3 men were great soldiers, knew their jobs, and were great to work with. We miss them all.

AG Franklin, Trey (DA Civilian), SSG USA(Ret)

SPC James C. Wright's decorations

James Wright as a Corporal in the US Marines

Photo by Brenda N from the Find A Grave website

James C. Wright

Photo by Brenda N from the Find A Grave website

Birth: Jan. 9, 1976
Delhi
Hamilton County
Ohio, USA
Death: Sep. 18, 2003, Iraq

Army Spc. Wright was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment,
Fort Hood, Texas. Wright was killed in an ambush by small arms fire and rocket propelled grenade in Tikrit. James, known as
Jimmy by his family and friends, loved cars. When he was still in high school, he bought a low-riding pick-up truck and
spent hours upon hours outfitting it. In Iraq, Jimmy was the proud driver of a Humvee. He graduated in the early 1990’s
from Oak Hills High School and Diamond Oaks Vocational School and entered the Marines in 1996, serving four years
on a tour that took him to Bosnia, Greece, Turkey and Italy. Jimmy met his wife while they both were stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. -
where she also was in the Marines at the time. He was assigned to be her escort around base for security reasons.
After both finished four-year tours in the Marines in 2000, they briefly lived in Delhi Township until April 2001, when they moved
to Waco, Tex., where Jimmy worked as a landscape equipment operator. But after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, both decided
to re-enter the military and join the U.S. Army. He told his wife it was time for him to put the uniform back on. He couldn't sit back
and not do anything. Jimmy was looking forward to becoming a father for the first time and was hoping to get home a few months
after the birth of his son, expected in December. He received the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Armed Forces Services Medal,
and the Good Conduct Medal.

Burial:
Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery
Dallas
Dallas County
Texas, USA
Plot: Section 25, Site 466A

Grave marker for James C. Wright

Photo from the Find A Grave website

Quilt made for the family of James C. Wright by Marine Comfort Quilts

Marine Comfort Quilts

Marine Comfort Quilt Group is a not for profit ministry whose objective is to provide a memorial quilt of comfort to the next of kin of our fallen military.
Our quilts are made from thirty quilt squares, each containing an inspirational message from it's donor or another serviceman.
Our quilts are stitches of love from those who want so badly to bring comfort, but don't know how to help.

For tributes to James C. Wright click on the following links:

Together We Served

Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom

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