Remembering Livermore's Casualty of the Iraq War

The 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began 10 years ago this week — on March 19, 2003 — and although officially "over," fighting continues with discouraging persistence.

By one count, the war is directly responsible for 189,000 deaths, not including those who died from hardship caused by the fighting.

CNN has a stunning map of all casualties in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

In all, 4,802 Americans and allies have died in the war, according to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, including 134 Virginians.

Among them, one soldier from Livermore. From the CNN war casualties website:

• Sgt. Ryan Jeffrey Hopkins — Died on Jan. 8, 2010, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, he was 21. Hopkins sustained injuries in a motor pool accident in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 4, 2008