Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 25, 2005, 20-year-old Army Sergeant Gregory L. Tull of Pocahontas died in Anbar Province, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. 1 of 64 Iowans killed in Iraq during the conflict, others remembered Tull as ‘The Go-To Guy.’
Before Tull graduated from Pocahontas in 2003, he joined the Iowa National Guard in April 2002. For the year after graduation, Tull served in the Guard while attending South Dakota State University. A volunteer for Operation Iraqi Freedom in November 2004, Tull’s year of active duty was slated to end just weeks after his death.
During his tour of duty, Tull found himself stationed on temporary assignment with the 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery of the Mississippi Army National Guard. On the fateful day in November 2005, Tull stood atop a Humvee while serving as a gunner. In a vulnerable position with little protection aside from his protective gear, Tull died after an explosive device detonated near the vehicle.
Posthumously promoted to sergeant from the rank of specialist at a ceremony prior to his funeral, the government also awarded Tull the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, Mississippi Medal of Valor, and the Combat Action Badge. Family and friends gathered for a military funeral for Tull at Faith Lutheran Church in Pocahontas before internment at Indian Mound Cemetery near Humboldt. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
