Tonight we honor an Army Sergeant who died in Afghanistan.
Since 2001, 2171 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan; since 2003, 4486 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) series is a remembrance of U.S. servicemembers who will not be coming home from war.
~ Photo Credit Timroff
The Department of Defense has announced the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari, 39, of Baldwin, N.Y., died Dec. 14 in Logar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to HHC 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany. This incident is under investigation.
Please join me for a remembrance of his life.
Sgt. 1st Class Lipari's death remains under investigation, according to the Army.
A native of Long Island, Kevin was the middle of three brothers who grew up in Baldwin, NY. He loved sports, and played baseball, football and hockey.
Kevin graduated from Oceanside High School in 1991. He studied English and mass communications at Nassau Community College and SUNY Oswego.
He joined the Army in 1999, and served as a paratrooper until 2009, when he suffered back injuries during a jump. He retrained as a satellite communications specialist. He had been deployed to Afghanistan at least twice, according to a family member.
Kevin married Jessica Wilson of Canada in 2008, and in 2010 they moved to Germany.
Sgt. Lipari and his wife Jessica
His aunt, Loretta Lipari, said of her nephew:
"He was an outgoing person, very lovable, full of life....He spoke Italian and had been to Italy. His grandfather was born in Palermo."
Another aunt, Marie Lovenheim, said simply:
"He was much too young."
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said:
"I join our citizens in mourning the loss of Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari and send my deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. Nassau County honors Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari's supreme sacrifice and we will be forever grateful for his and his fellow soldiers dedication to our great nation."
Mangano has ordered all county flags to be flown at half-staff from December 20 until December 27 in honor of Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari and his fellow soldiers.
Kevin's family traveled to Dover AFB to receive his body:
An Army carry team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari of Baldwin, N.Y. , during a foggy day upon arrival at Dover Air Force Base, Del. on Monday Dec. 17, 2012.
Among Kevin's military awards are the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.
Kevin's wake will be held at Vanella's Funeral Home in Oceanside, NY.
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Rest in peace, Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari. You have served with honor.
About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, JaxDem, noweasels, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, and me, Ekaterin. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories. The US Department of Defense news releases are found at defense gov/releases. Icasualties lists the names of those killed, and shows the number of wounded. Published AP photos of the returning war fatalities are found on the Dover AFB site.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.