November 03, 2003
Ben Colgan
Three weeks away from Baghdad, I received an email from 2/3 informing me that LT Ben Colgan was killed. The news hit me hard. Just weeks before, I had been out with him and his Tombraiders when an IED exploded behind the Abu Hanifa Mosque—one of two IEDs that were meant for his patrol. He was killed in the same spot.
I knew where he died, but I also knew where he lived. He came from the Seattle area like me. I knew the kind of house he grew up in and the landscape he dreamt of going home to.
Everybody in 2/3 loved Ben—they felt safe with him.
From 2/3 TOC
Dear Mike,
It is my sad duty to inform you that 1LT Ben Colgan has been Killed in Action. He was killed while trying to block the bridge by the Abu Hanifa mosque to catch a vehicle associated with a RPG attack on our compound. His vehicle ran over what we believe was an anti-personnel mine that was placed just off the road. He died from head wounds as a result of the mine strike. The valiant efforts of our medics and those of the SOF team next door to save Ben's life kept him alive for several hours after the attack, but were not enough to overcome the seriousness of his injuries. He died knowing that we loved and respected him for who he was and what he was doing. I know that you had a special affinity for Ben... We all mourn his loss.
