Conor Gerard Masterson was born on March 22, 1986, in Germany, and later grew up in Vadnais Heights and Woodbury, Minnesota. He was the son of Sandy and Mark Masterson. He was married to Lorena Masterson. He graduated from Woodbury High School in 2004, where he studied Spanish and developed an interest in other cultures. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 2005 and trained as a medic. He served as a medic with the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, based in Hohenfels, Germany. He deployed to Afghanistan in September 2005 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl Masterson died in eastern Afghanistan on April 8, 2007, from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while he was on patrol. He is now buried in the Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Fort Snelling, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, thefallen.militarytimes.com