Oregon Public Broadcasting

An Oregon family is mourning the death of a young soldier wounded in Iraq earlier in the month. April Baer reports.

Private First Class Cody Eggleston was known as C.J. to his friends.  He joined the Army shortly after graduating from North Eugene Alternative.

Most of his high school years were spent in Redmond.  He'd only been in Iraq a few weeks, stationed in Baqubah.

Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Allen explains the October 16th attack that led to Eggleston's fatal wound.

Jonathan Allen: "They were working around a Stryker vehicle, and the mortars came in from the explosions resulting from that, several soldiers were injured."

A soldier from Texas -- reportedly a close friend of Eggleston's -- was killed instantly. Eggleston himself hung on another week.

He died Friday at Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland, with family close by.  He was 21 years old.

Eggleston's body will be flown to Redmond Wednesday. Funeral arrangements are still pending.