Marine Cpl. Adrian Valentine Soltau was born in May 1983 in Jamaica. He moved to the United States when he was 10 years old and attended school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He dreamed of one day becoming an electronics engineer, and he enjoyed watching war movies and playing video games.

He and his older brother, Andre Soltau, motivated one another as they grew up via good-spirited sibling competition. This led Soltau to play football and baseball and to be an honor student upon graduation from Milwaukee Madison High School in 2001. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 2001 with the same reasoning; since his older brother had been serving in the Marines since 1999, he wanted to follow in his footsteps. His fellow platoon members called him “Salty.”

Soltau was a motor transport driver for the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Pendleton, California. He was deployed to Iraq twice to take part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the first phase of the Iraq War under President George W. Bush. Soltau served until September 2004, when he was killed in action in his second deployment by an explosion in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was the first African American from Wisconsin to be killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He had attained the rank of corporal. His courage in combat earned him a Purple Heart posthumously, and his other decorations include a Combat Action Ribbon, a National Defense Service Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Soltau’s funeral was held at the Christian Faith Fellowship Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his remains are buried in Wood National Cemetery, also in Milwaukee.

To post a tribute this Memorial Day for Adrian Valentine Soltau, please visit the Veterans Legacy Memorial at https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/ADRIANVSOLTAU/A1370AE.

We honor his service.

In 2022, VA is joining forces with Carry The Load to honor veterans during the “Memorial May” March, a national relay visiting 50 VA national cemeteries to honor our nation’s fallen service members. A link to this webpage is here. The complete list of participating cemeteries can be found here. Volunteers are encouraged to register in advance.



Wood National Cemetery

Thank You God rest ye brave Gentleman and Peacekeepe! Thank You Tommy much love!

It was an honor for us on the Carry The Load Midwest Relay to honor your sacrifice during our visit today.

Your baby sister loves you brother! I will forever keep your name alive. Rest in love twin. 

As the Marines say say every Marine is your Brother. I just want to Thank You for your sacrifice. I did the same thing as I followed my Brothers footsteps and also joined the Marines. Semper Fidelis Brother RIP

Your honor is kept alive in our memories.  Thank you for your sacrifice.

ADRIAN V SOLTAU

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