Remembering San Marino's Casualty of the Iraq War

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.

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

Among them, one soldier from San Marino. From the CNN war casualties website:

• Second Lt. James Patrick Blecksmith, 24. Killed by enemy small arms fire in Falluja, Anbar province, Iraq, on Nov. 11, 2004. 

For more information, see CNN's stunning map of all casualties in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.