Soldier from Eugene dies from wounds he received in Iraq
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A soldier from Eugene has died from wounds he suffered in Iraq this month.
Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston died Friday at Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland. The 21-year-old was hit by shrapnel from a mortar on Oct. 16 in Baqubah, the Department of Defense said.
Eggleston joined the Army in July 2007, not long after his graduation from North Eugene Alternative High School, and was an infantryman assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
He is the second fatality from the attack on Oct. 16. Pfc. Heath Pickard of Texas died on the day of it.
Eggleston died with his wife, Karie, by his side, according to WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, S.C. He and Karie, who is from western North Carolina, were married in June in Alaska.
"They were very much looking forward to taking a honeymoon," family spokeswoman Alyse Aiken said in a statement to the television station. "Cody was amazing with Karie's 6-year-old daughter, Raegan. I remember spending the day with them the weekend after their reception, and I was blown away at how good he was with her."
Eggleston had only been in Iraq for a month.
His body is to be flown to Redmond on Wednesday.
