Humayun Khan (soldier)

Humayun S. M. Khan (1976 – June 8, 2004) was a Pakistani American U.S. Army Captain who was killed in action during the Iraq War. He posthumously received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Khan was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Pakistani immigrants Khizr and Ghazala Khan. He enlisted in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) at the University of Virginia, where he earned a degree in psychology and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army.

Captain Khan was assigned to the 201st Forward Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division. He died on June 8, 2004, in Baqubah, Iraq, when a car bomb detonated at his unit's gate while he was inspecting security. He is credited with saving the lives of numerous soldiers under his command by directing them to take cover.

Khan's parents, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, gained national attention in 2016 when they spoke at the Democratic National Convention, criticizing then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States. Khizr Khan held up a copy of the U.S. Constitution and offered to lend it to Trump. Their speech sparked a national debate about patriotism, sacrifice, and religious freedom. Humayun Khan's story became a symbol of Muslim Americans' contributions to the United States military and the sacrifices made by their families.