SSG Kevin M. Witte, 27, U.S. Army, born in Minnesota July 23, 1979, was killed in action on October 20, 2006. Witte was an Infantryman with 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol in Baghdad, he passed away when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle. For his service, he was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and has a memorial highway named in his honor. Rest easy, Hero! Til Valhalla, Brother!