McCandless, Rodney    

Age:                       21

Hometown:        Camden

Rank:                     Private 1^st Class: United States Army - 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

Cause:                  Died in Zaganiya, Iraq, on April 7, 2007, from wounds suffered in combat

Pfc. Rodney L. McCandless, of Camden, Arkansas, died on April 7, 2007, in Zaganiyah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near his unit.  He was 21 years old. Pfc McCandless was assigned to the 5^th Squadron, 73^rd Calvary Regiment, 3^rd Brigade Combat Team, of the 82^nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.   

In March 2007, Pfc. McCandless returned home for a two-week leave to visit relatives in Camden following six to eight months of service in Iraq.  He was killed just one week after returning from home. His grandfather, Orris Renfro, stated that his family was devastated.  Pfc. McCandless’s parents currently live in Livingston, Texas. At the time of his death, he was the fourth servicemember with Ouachita County ties to be killed in Iraq.