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​​Welcome to the
iHonor American Flag
remembering U.S. Marine
Gunnery Sergeant Scott Koppenhafer
iHonor GWOT (Global War on Terror) Fallen:
U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant
Scott Koppenhafer of Mancos, Colorado
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Gunnery Sergeant Scott Koppenhafer, age35, served in Operation Inherent Resolve 
Assigned to 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Forces Special Operations Command
 based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Killed in action, by small arms fire, on August 11, 2019, while advising and accompanying Iraqi security forces in Ninewah province, Iraq
We honor and thank U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Koppenhafer for defending our freedoms and fighting to liberate the lives of others. 
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Scott Koppenhafer
Born on February 13, 1984 in Mancos, Colorado

Smart, hard working rancher and leader​ 
All around athlete played football and wrestled for Mancos H.S. Blue Jays


Inspirational story that reveals Scott's traits all in one moment: While riding horseback on the cattle range, a coyote wandered across the meadow. With “reins in his teeth and both guns blazing,” Scott did not hesitate to chase it down to protect the herd.  “That is how he went at life, reins in teeth, sank spur, always tilting forward,” -Rhodes (friend)

2002 Mancos High School graduate
Earned wrestling scholarship to attend Adams State University - continuing his impressive athletic career with his older brother as a teammate
2005 Adams State graduate with B.S. in Business Marketing
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[ Scott signing National Letter of Intent to wrestle for Adams State with dad and coach at side ]
Koppenhafer enlisted in U.S. Marine Corps in 2005 and attended boot camp and School of Infantry
Assigned as 0331 Machine Gunner to 1st Battalion / 5th Marine Regiment (1/5)

From January 2006 to July 2008, he deployed at sea twice - with 31st and 11th MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) where rose to Corporal and then Sergeant
From Fall 2008 to Spring 2009, Scott attended MARSOC's (Marine Special Operations Command's) first Individual Training Course to become an elite Marine Raider
While at the course, he learned Special Operator skills, tactics, and graduated at the top of his class (Honor Graduate)
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After the Advanced Language Course, in 2010, where he learned the Urdu language (official language of Pakistan), he joined 2d Marine Raider Battalion
Served and deployed 4 times with a variety of Marine Special Operations Teams (MSOT) from 2011 to 2019 while moving up to rank of Gunnery Sergeant - as a MSOT Team Chief

On August 11, 2019, while on deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, he was shot and killed while leading an Iraqi forces raid
GySgt Koppenhafer survived by his wife, Renae, and two children, Colt and Penelope; his parents, Gerald and Carla; brother, Travis (Ashley); sister, Kelleen (Travis); and 3 nephews, Grant, Augustus, and Michael.
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[ Marine Unit Patches: 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (left) and 2d Marine Raider Battalion (right) ]
Inspirational Quotes about Scott Koppenhafer
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"Koppenhafer, known by many as “Kope,” used 'sandpaper love' to motivate those around him to work harder and smarter.  If he was kidding you, it meant he loved you and wanted your best effort.”
- Mike Montoya, longtime friend of Scott K.

“The most important thing for Kope was that the entire team came home alive.  His sole purpose was to help his fellow Marines.  He made us better, elevated us to perform. By pushing us, he was saying he cared.”
- Marine teammate (unnamed)


"While serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, his (Koppenhafer's) mantra was "Just do your job."
- Marine Lieutenant (who served with Koppenhafer)
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[ U.S. Marine Raider emblem ]
Military Awards & Decorations for GySgt Koppenhafer
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[ GySgt Koppenhafer's military decorations as displayed on TogetherWeServed.com (unofficial) ]
Military Decorations include:
2 Bronze Star Medals with Combat Distinguishing Device,
2 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Combat Distinguishing Device,
one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal,
2 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals,
one Humanitarian Service Medal, two Combat Action Ribbons, four Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and six Sea Service Deployment Ribbons
Bronze Star award citation highlights:
According to military citations, Koppenhafer won his first Bronze Star after helping rescue Afghan civilians by attacking insurgents in October 2012, and by aiding teammates who were pinned by insurgents in December 2012.

Koppenhafer's second Bronze Star came for heroic actions in September 2017, when he and his team established a forward position in a sandstorm against ISIS militants.  “Throughout the day, he supported his partner force from a series of over-watch positions while enduring enemy machine gun fire, small arms attacks, and an attempted dynamic armored vehicle borne improvised explosive device attack that detonated several hundred meters from his position,” the award citation reads.
Sources for Tribute:
​​CLICK HERE to review Gunnery Sergeant Koppenhafer's tribute at the Military Time's Honor the Fallen site

GO HERE to see Koppenhafer's TogetherWeServed.com page

CLICK HERE to examine the Marine Raider Foundation tribute to GySgt Scott Koppenhafer


GO HERE to read the local news article about Koppenhafer​ 

​​CLICK HERE to review the article about MARSOC's first Individual Training Course and its honor grad - Scott Koppenhafer

GO HERE to see the obituary for GySgt Koppenhafer

CLICK HERE for the old local newspaper sports article about Scott K.
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Other iHonor American Flags to visit include:
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CLICK HERE to visit the Interactive American Flag HONORS GWOT FALLEN: for Marine Capt Edge - a VMI grad from Va. Beach, VA

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CLICK HERE to visit the Interactive American Flag HONORS FALLEN OFFICER: for Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Zack Parrish of Highlands Ranch, CO

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CLICK HERE to visit the Interactive American Flag HONORS GWOT FALLEN: for Marine LCpl Newman of Bend, OR

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CLICK HERE to visit another Interactive American Flag HONORS GWOT FALLEN: for Army SGT Shields of Atlanta, GA

Thanks for visiting this Flag Steward  iHonor American Flag and reviewing the stories of its inspirational Patriots.  We appreciate your support of our nonprofit program and mission to build better ( more informed, inspired, patriotic) student-citizens.
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  • iHonor Flag
    • iHAF-V3-000231 - iHonor WWII Vet Ernest L. Komarek >
      • iHAF-V3-000231a - iHonor WWII Vet Ernest L. Komarek
    • iHAF-V3-000230 - iHonor USMC Capt Maloney
    • IAF-V3-000229 - iHonor GySgt Koppenhafer
    • IAF-V3-000227 - iHonor SPC Carrasquillo
    • iHAF-V3-000226 - honoring Deputy Parrish at Heather Hill
    • IAF-V3-000225 - iHonor LCpl Lara at H&H Auto
    • iHAF-V3-Stud00002 - iHonor SPC Kiehl at CHS
    • iHAF-V3-Stud00001 - iHonor Capt Hall at PCHS
    • IAF-V3-000224 - iHonor SSgt Tejeda at MVP - NYC
    • iHAF-V3-000222 - iHonor Navy AO2 / SEAL Marc Lee
    • iHAF-V3-000221 - iHonor USNA 00 / USMC Capt Jennifer Harris
    • iHAF-V3-000133rev - iHonor USMC Capt Matthew Bancroft
    • iHAF-V3-000220 - iHonor USNA 06 / LT Caleb King
    • iHAF-V3-000219 - iHonor SPC Conde
    • iHTF-CU1-000001 - iHonor CU Buffs Sal Aunese
    • IAF-V1-000172 - honoring USMC Vet Dan Manrique
    • iHAF-V3-000213 - iHonor GWOT Fallen SPC Dietrich
    • iHAF-V3-000218 - iHonor 1LT Tyler Brown
    • iHAF-V3-000217 - iHonor Benghazi 4
    • iHAF-V3-000216 - iHonor SSG James Moriarty
    • iHAF-V3-000215 - iHonor GWOT Fallen SSG Jordan Bear
    • iHAF-V3-000212 - iHonor Vietnam War Fallen: USMC Capt. Thomas Lee Carter
    • iHAF-V3-000205 - iHonor GWOT Fallen USAF Capt 'Pyro' DuBois at CU
    • iHAF-V3-000214 - iHonor Fallen Patriot Kendrick Castillo
    • iHAF-V3-000211 - iHonor GWOT Fallen Cpl Max Donahue
    • iHAF-V3-000210 - iHonor GWOT Fallen SSG Falkel
    • iHAF-V3-000208 - iHonor GWOT Fallen SGT Stiles
    • iHAF-V3-000207 - iHonor GWOT Fallen Cpl Degiovine
    • iHAF-V3-000206 - iHonor GWOT Fallen USAF Capt 'Pyro' DuBois at hometown
    • IAF-V3-000071 - iHonor SGT Joya at MVP HQ
    • IAF-V3-000153 - IAF at the UNC Studs who had mistreated US Flag
    • IAF-V3-000132 - IAF at CU Fball Champions Ctr
    • IAF-V3-000194 - IAF FLAG HONORS Capt Edge for Coach Quinn
    • iHAF-V3-000209 - iHonor VADM Henry Mustin
    • iHAF-V3-000204 - iHonor GWOT Fallen SPC Shea
    • iHAF-V3-000203 - iHonor GWOT Fallen Cpl Marler
    • iHAF-V3-000202 - iHonor GWOT Fallen SGT Lutters
    • IAF-V3-000200 - FLAG HONORS LCpl Newman of Bend OR
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