Unsung Heroes highlights service members who lost their lives in post-9/11 operations. With these conflicts fading from view it is easy for the remarkable service of these Americans to be overlooked. Their backgrounds and commitment to service are representative of the young men and women who continue to fill our military today.
Eric Kavanagh was raised in Severna Park, Maryland. According to local reporting, friends and family described him as a gentle soul who loved playing guitar and spent time helping neighbors with small chores. He had a large friend group and adored his younger brother and sister.
News reports said his ambitions for Army service became known in his early high school years. Even before enlisting, he began preparing his body for the rigors of basic training by running and working out.
According to Stars and Stripes, fellow Soldiers remembered him taking on many of the less glamorous tasks associated with Army life, even when it was not his job. One said, “Eric was the type of Soldier that, no matter what time the mission ended, he would be outside with his flashlight, checking the fluids on the vehicle.” Another recalled him “out in the cold motor pool, complaint-free, changing track pads.”
He had been in Iraq a little over a month at the time of his death.
Official DoD release from September 25, 2006:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pvt. Eric M. Kavanagh, 20, of Glen Burnie, Md., died of injuries suffered in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 20, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Kavanagh was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
Local reports quoted his father describing his son as a confident man and hero. His mother keeps a dog tag with his photo as a way of remembering him.
Eric Kavanagh is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He is one of more than 2,500 service members under the age of 22 killed after 9/11, according to Military Times. His service reflects the character of the generation that answered the nation’s call after 9/11.
Doug's Desk 
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