Staff Sgt. Ivory L. Phipps

January 21, 1960 - March 17, 2004 

Sgt. Phipps of Chicago, Illinois had been in the Illinois Army National Guard for 15 years. He was the youngest of eight children and first joined the military when he was 18 years old. Sgt. Phipps re-enlisted in February 2003 and was assigned to the 1544th Transportation Company out of Paris, Illinois. Phipps leaves behind six children and a fiancée. He was killed only two days after arriving in Iraq in a mortar attack, of injuries sustained from the attack in Baghdad at age 44. Sgt. Phipps also served in Desert Storm. Sgt. Phipps drove light to medium trucks in the military. 

Sgt. Phipps first enlisted with his brother, Albert Phipps. They both wanted to serve because things were getting tough on the streets. The most important thing in Sgt. Phipps life was his family.

August 29, 1980 – May 23, 2004 

Spc. Ridlen of Maroa, Illinois had enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 1998 and was assigned to the 1544th Transportation Company - Detachment out of Decatur, Illinois. He leaves behind his parents, one sister and his twin brother; both twins were deployed together in Iraq. Spc. Ridlen died in East Fallujah, Iraq from small arms fire after a dump truck on the side of the road was detonated while his military convoy passed by. Spc. Ridlen drove light to medium trucks in the military.

July 3, 1978 - September 5, 2004 

Sgt. Shawna Morrison of Paris, Illinois joined the Illinois Army National Guard and was assigned to the 1544th Transportation Company in Paris while still in high school and then re-enlisted knowing she would likely be deployed with her unit to Iraq. Sgt. Morrison was studying psychology as a college junior at the University of Illinois in Champaign when her unit received orders for deployment in November 2003. Sgt. Morrison was the first woman from the Illinois Army National Guard to die in combat in Iraq and she was the first full-time UI female student to die in combat. Sgt. Morrison was killed in a mortar attack at age 26, on Log Base Seitz, walking back to the barracks from the chow hall. Sgt. Morrison was a communication specialist in the military. 

A plaque honoring Sgt. Morrison in in the courtyard at Lincoln Hall on the UI campus.

January 12, 1981 - September 5, 2004 

Spc. Charles Lamb of Casey, Illinois joined the Illinois Army National Guard and was assigned to the 1544th Transportation Company in Paris. Spc. Lamb was killed in a mortar attach at the age of 23 on Log Base Seitz, walking back from the chow hall, he is survived by his wife, Erin Lamb. Spc. Lamb was a mechanic in the military.

August 21, 1983 - October 6, 2004 

Sgt. Jessica L. Cawvey of Mahomet, Illinois joined the Illinois Army National Guard and was assigned to the 1544th Transportation Company - Detachment out of Decatur, Illinois. Sgt. Cawvey was a junior accounting major at Illinois State University when her unit was deployed to Iraq. She was killed in an explosion as her convoy traveled a main supply route in Fallujah, Iraq. Sgt. Cawvey is the second woman from the Illinois Army National Guard to die in combat in Iraq; she is survived by her daughter. Sgt. Cawvey drove light to medium trucks in the military.