Marine from N.H. dies in Afghanistan

A Marine from Manchester, N.H., died Sunday while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense confirmed yesterday.

Corporal Michael W. Ouellette, 28, was killed along with Corporal Anthony L. Williams, 21, of Oxford, Pa., in Helmand province. The pair had been assigned to the Third Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force base camp in Lejeune, N.C.

The circumstances surrounding their deaths were unknown as of yesterday, said First Lieutenant Phillip W. Klay, a Marine spokesman.

Ouellette, who entered the Marines in June 2005, had completed two deployments in Iraq and was in the fourth month of his first deployment to Afghanistan.

He was trained as an infantryman and had received several awards.

Ouellette's parents could not be reached for comment last night.

Williams joined the Marines in June 2006 and was trained as a combat engineer. He served in Iraq from August 2007 to February 2008 and was deployed to Afghanistan last month.

At least 597 members of the US military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan as a result of the US invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.

JENNA NIERSTEDT