
NORTH BEND, Ore. — A soldier from North Bend died last week when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle southeast of Baghdad.
Sgt. 1st Class Adrian Elizalde, 30, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), out of Fort Lewis, Wash. A soldier from Pennsylvania also died in the explosion.
The Defense Department initially announced that Elizalde was from North Bend, Ind., which created confusion among friends and family members.
Jorge Elizalde said the mistake created a whirlwind of calls from people wondering whether his son had died.
“We’ve been dealing with a lot here,” he said. “My son was special to us and we know...