Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday ordered flags at half-staff over the state capitol in honor of Navy Chief Petty Officer Jason Finan, a Coronado-based explosives ordinance disposal technician who was killed last week in Iraq.
The governor and first lady Anne Gust Brown issued a statement extending condolences to the family of the 34-year-old Navy sailor from Anaheim who enlisted in August 2004. He is survived by a wife and 7-year-old son.
The Navy said Finan died Thursday from wounds caused by a blast of an improvised explosive device while supporting operations to clear Islamic State forces from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Around 100 U.S. personnel are backing the Iraqi army's offensive.
The publication Stars & Stripes reported that Finan spotted a roadside bomb and was directing a group of Navy SEALs around the device when his own vehicle hit another IED and exploded. Finan and the SEAL team were moving toward a more secure position when Islamic State fighters advanced.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Finan's family. The effort has raised more than $25,000 to date.
