Coconut Creek soldier killed by explosive in Iraq
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (AP) -- A Florida soldier was among five killed in an explosion in Iraq, military officials said.
Pfc. Daniel J. Agami, 25, of Coconut Creek, died June 21 from injuries he suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, the Department of Defense said Monday.
Agami and the others killed were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based in Schweinfurt, Germany.
Agami was quoted in a Newsweek magazine article in April about Adhamiya, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baghdad. He told the magazine an Army plan to put more soldiers on foot patrol in the capital would leave troops more vulnerable to attack.
"Walk out of here in the middle of the day without enough firepower and you have to retreat? Guess what, your whole platoon is (screwed)," Agami told the magazine.
On a recent visit home, Agami said he faced "bloody battles with insurgents. I go on daily or nightly missions raiding Iraqi homes to find weapons and bombs. The deaths of my friends have been traumatic. I lost six of my closest friends. America fights for freedom and survival for the souls of the entire world."
Relatives and friends in South Florida remember being shocked when Agami, a music lover with a sunny personality, enlisted two years ago.
"He felt a responsibility to his country," said his father, Itzhak Agami.
Since deploying to Iraq a year ago, he communicated with friends daily through e-mail and his MySpace page, said his girlfriend, Gina Mulligan.
"He was always happy, even in Iraq. He'd tell me, 'Baby, it's OK, it's fine. Baby, I'm your warrior, I'm protecting you,"' Mulligan said.
Lt. Col. Doug Maddox, the Army's casualty assistance officer, said Agami's parents will be presented with his Purple Heart, Bronze Star and an Army commendation medal at his funeral Tuesday.
Agami is survived by his parents, a brother and sister.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
