Freedom Remembered

Born: June 22, 1981 in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Died: March 9, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq

Spc. Matthew A. Koch of West Henrietta, New York was a 1999 graduate of Parkland High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania and a member of Greenawalds United Church of Christ, Allentown. He enlisted in the Army in January 2002 after the attacks on September 11, 2001 and re-enlisted because he wanted to help the Iraqi people. Matthew had been stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas since June 2002 and deployed for a second rotation to support Operation Iraqi Freedom in January, 2005. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He previously was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Service Ribbon and medals for service in the fight against terrorism. Matthew was the son of Diane L. Fenstermaker Worman and Dale B. Koch and the stepson of James J. Worman and Madeline Koch. He is also survived by a sister, Stephanie L. Koch; half brother, Aric E. Koch; half sister, Gretchen Koch; and a step-brother Marine Lt. Col. John G. Worman. He was predeceased by his maternal grandfather, Dale H. Fenstermaker, and paternal grandparents, Stanley B. and Lydia B. Koch. Matthew was on his second tour of duty when he died at age 23 from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Taji, Iraq, just north of Baghdad.
Army
70th Engineer Battalion
Fort Riley, Kansas

Burial is at Cedar Hill Memorial Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania

The Spc Matthew Alan Koch by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.