CPT John Kurth died in Tikrit, Iraq, on 13 March 2004 when his patrol encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, based in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Kurth, 31, a Columbus native, was killed by a bomb March 13 while on patrol in Tikrit, north of Baghdad. Kurth, who was serving in the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, had been in Iraq less than a month when his convoy was ambushed.

Proceeds from the CPT John F. Kurth bracelet will be donated to the American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation in his memory.