Queens Soldier Dies in Iraq In Noncombat-Related Incident
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
An American soldier who lived in Bayside, Queens, died in a noncombat-related incident while stationed in Iraq on Saturday, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Specialist Chirasak Vidhyarkorn, 32, died of injuries sustained in an incident in Diwaniyah, Iraq, which is located 90 miles southeast of Baghdad. Government officials said in a statement that details surrounding the unspecified incident were under investigation.
Vidhyakorn was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 142nd Field Artillery Regiment from Camp Shelby, Miss., according to a release from the Department of Defense.
Vidhyarkorn’s parents still live in his native Thailand, and are scheduled to come to New York in the next few days, an aunt who also lives in Bayside, Saipun Kunatee, said.
Ms. Kunatee said his parents told her they did not want to share details about Vidyarkorn’s life or what they know of the incident. There have been at least 3,806 U.S. causalities in Iraq since March 2003, according to the defense department.
