22 years ago today, 1st Lt. Therrel Shane Childers became America's first casualty in the Iraq war.

Childer's name is certainly not one of any particular game, but it definitely should be. The only reason I know is because my father (USMC 1984-2004) remembers hearing the announcement over the radio that the Marine Corps, and America, had lost their first servicemen in the opening stages of the ground campaign to decapitate the Ba'athist Regime.

If I'm not mistaken, Lt. Childers very well may have led the first ground-combat engagement of the entire Iraq war.

Childers was a highly educated and highly respected mustang officer and veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf. On March 21st, 2003, he was fatally wounded following an assault on an Iraqi oil pumping station when a pickup truck full of Iraqi soldiers sped by their position and sprayed automatic rifle fire from the windows. Childer's Marines quickly neutralized the threat and took the vehicle's survivors prisoner.

He was posthumously promoted to 1st Lieutenant and awarded the Purple Heart after his death. He was only 30 years old when he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and the Marine Corps.

The American public may have largely forgotten him, but we never will.

An extremely detailed account of Shane's life and final mission (as told by those who were there) can be found here: https://www.mensjournal.com/travel/the-first-to-die-20120906

We'll never forget you, Shane.