Mark S. Kidd
Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps Reserves
April 14, 1980 – January 25, 2007
Age – 26
Milford, MI
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine Forces Reserve’s 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Mt. Clemens, MI
Killed by sniper fire while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar, Iraq
The second Gulf War lasted a little more than eight and a half years. In that time more than 4,400 service members lost their lives in combat.
But during a particularly brutal stretch between October of 2006 and February of 2007, 22 Marines from Selfridge Air National Guard Base were killed in action.
These Marines went there with the purest of intentions to serve in the cause of freedom and that’s what they did. And I just think it’s something that we have to do. I don’t want them to be forgotten.
U.S. Marine Cpl. Mark David Kidd, 26, of Milford, was shot in the neck killed at a dangerous checkpoint between Fallujah and Baghdad the morning of Thursday, Jan. 25. He was the very definition of what it means to be a true American. He was proud of his accomplishments, he was completely selfless and would help his fellow man at a moments notice, and he loved his country.
Kidd joined the U.S. Marines on Jan. 1, 2000, and was on active duty until Dec. 31, 2005. He had served in Iraq for two active tours of duty; however, one person in his unit was shot and Kidd chose to stay and do another tour and replace him.
Kidd was honorably discharged and started attending Eastern Michigan University, where in 18 months he earned enough credit to graduate with only one semester to go. Kidd planned on attending law school, where he was going to major in international law.
In April of 2006, Kidd was called back to duty with the Michigan Marine National Guard. He had technically served three tours of duty in Iraq when he was called to serve a fourth, but told his father, “If I don’t go and serve someone will have to, so I will go and serve with honor.”