After several depressing stories coming out of Afghanistan, this one certainly deserves telling and should make us feel proud.
It is about Sgt. Dennis Weichel Jr., 29, a Providence, Rhode Island guardsman, who recently deployed to Afghanistan and who was serving with the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, 56th Troop Command, in Laghman Province, in northeast Afghanistan.
While the official Pentagon news release says that Sgt. Weichel died “from injuries suffered in a noncombat related incident,” the full story says much more about Weichel — and about our troops.
According to the Stars and Stripes, Weichel died March 22 after being struck by an armored vehicle when he rushed to push a little Afghan girl out of the way of that vehicle, saving her life.
Army officials called his actions the epitome of selfless service and sacrifice. U.S. and state flags in Rhode Island will be flown at half-staff until the guardsman’s funeral on Sunday.
Weichel, who deployed to Afghanistan just a few weeks ago, was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant and awarded the Bronze Star.
CNN.com provides some more details:
According to the Rhode Island National Guard and the U.S. Army, Weichel was in a convoy a week ago with his unit in Laghman Province, in northeast Afghanistan. Some children were in the road in front of the convoy, and Weichel and other troops got out to move them out of the way.
Most of the children moved, but one little girl went back to pick up some brass shell casings in the road. Afghan civilians often recycle the casings, and the girl appeared to aim to do that. But a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle was moving toward her, according to Lt. Col. Denis Riel of the Rhode Island National Guard.
MRAPs, as they are known, usually weigh more than 16 tons.
Weichel saw the massive truck bearing down on the girl and grabbed her out of the way. But in the process, the armored truck ran him over, Riel said.
The little girl is fine. Weichel died a short time later of his injuries.
Weichel was the father of three children. On a Facebook page run by his family they wrote: “We are so proud of our daddy …We love and miss you. Daddy you are our hero.”
We are all proud of him
Image: Shutterstock.com
