The war in Iraq has claimed the life of an Army soldier who grew up in western Iowa.
The Defense Department says 21-year-old Corporal Llythaniele Fender was among three soldiers killed in Sunday’s roadside bombing in Karbala.
Fender was a 2004 graduate of West Monona High School in Onawa. He was assigned to Battery B of the 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, based at Fort Lewis, Washington.
Fender’s mother, Ellen, released a statement, saying her son "had a huge heart and served his country with great pride."
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Fender is the 55th Iowan to die in Iraq.
