Captain Gregory A. Ratzlaff served in the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California. He died serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom in a non-combat-related incident at Forward Operating Base Duke, Iraq.

“My husband was a dedicated and hard worker. He always wanted to be a pilot and he made that happen,” recalled his wife. Greg was about making memories rather than collecting objects. He was a kind and caring man and did his job well and was very accountable. Greg was a good friend to many. Most importantly he loved his family.