HOUSTON (AP) — Three of four bodies found near the site of an attack on a fuel convoy in Iraq earlier this month were contract workers for Halliburton Co., the company said yesterday.
Stephen Hulett, 48, of Manistee, Mich.; Jack Montague, 52, of Pittsburg, Ill.; and Jeffery Parker, 45, of Lake Charles, La., “were brave hearts without medals, humanitarians without parades and heroes without statues,” Houston-based Halliburton said in a statement confirming the identities of the workers.
Thomas Hamill of Macon, Miss., the Halliburton worker seen on video footage after the convoy attack, remained unaccounted-for.
The fourth body has not been identified, Halliburton spokeswoman Wendy Hall said.
Mr. Hulett, Mr. Montague, Mr. Parker and Mr. Hamill were among seven employees of Halliburton subsidiary KBR, formerly known as Kellogg, Brown & Root, missing since an April 9 attack on their convoy west of Baghdad. The bodies of Mr. Hulett, Mr. Montague, Mr. Parker and the unidentified victim were found near the site of the attack.
Two military men, Pfc. Keith M. Maupin and Sgt. Elmer C. Krause, also were unaccounted-for, and Pfc. Maupin, like Mr. Hamill, has been seen on video footage.
“We grieve today for the tragic and sudden loss of our co-workers,” Halliburton Co. said. “There is no road map for something like this and we are doing everything we can to assist the families as well as our employees to cope with this huge tragedy.”
Mr. Hamill’s wife, Kellie, has repeatedly appealed for her husband’s safe return but said yesterday she had no immediate comment on the company statement about the three other workers.
Previously, the company had said about 30 Halliburton contractors died while working in Iraq and Kuwait, performing jobs for the government that range from extinguishing oil fires to delivering fuel and food. Thousands of people have signed on as contract workers because of the good pay. Workers can earn up to $120,000 tax-free for a year’s work, including overtime.
The company declined to release additional information about Mr. Hulett, Mr. Montague and Mr. Parker or the missing workers for privacy reasons.
On Saturday, insurgents released two Japanese hostages unhurt. That leaves 15 foreigners missing or confirmed abducted in a string of kidnappings alongside some of the worst violence in the country since the U.S.-led invasion began. A Dane and a businessman from the United Arab Emirates were reported seized and an Italian security guard was killed last week.
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