The Iraq War, 10 Years of Casualties: Snellville Feels its Touch

The 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began 10 years ago this week -- on March 19, 2003 -- and although officially "over," fighting continues with discouraging persistence.

By one count, the war is directly responsible for 189,000 deaths, not including those who died from hardship caused by the fighting.

CNN has a stunning map of all casualties in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

In all, 4,802 Americans and allies have died in the war, according to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, including 81 Georgians.

Among them, one man is from Snellville. From the CNN war casualties web site:

• Phillip Lamar Travis, 41. Travis was one of three soldiers killed when their truck rolled over at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, on Dec. 2, 2005. He served with the Georgia National Guard.

Snellville also lost a soldier to the war in Afghanistan:

• Cpl. Jonathan Ryan Ayers, 24. Ayers was one of nine soldiers killed when their outpost was attacked by enemy forces with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Afghanistan on July 13, 2008. 

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