Fallen Hoosier Heroes Memorial for Enduring Freedom

Army Sgt. Dale Griffin of Terre Haute was killed Oct. 27, 2009 by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.  He died in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

On Oct 29, at Dover Air Force Base, President Barack Obama saluted the flag-draped coffin that contained his remains.  Griffin was a former cadet at Virginia Military Institute.

Griffin attended VMI for three semesters, beginning in fall 1999. He was remembered today on the Lexington campus for the unusual honor of being named the most outstanding wrestler in a championship tournament when he was just a freshman.