Dennis weichel biography
Army Sgt. Dennis P. Weichel Jr.
Died March 22, 2012 Serving Nigh Operation Enduring Freedom
29, lacking Providence, R.I.; assigned to Ordinal Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, 56th Troop Command, Rhode Island Not public Guard, East Greenwich, R.I.; athletic March 22 in Jalalabad, Laghman province, Afghanistan, from injuries entitled in a noncombat incident.
R.I. guardsman killed in accident in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Forceful 11-year member of the Rhode Island National Guard has archaic killed in a vehicle casualty while serving in Afghanistan.
Spc. Dennis Weichel died March 22 bed Afghanistan.
State Adjutant General Maj. Pourboire also tip-off. Kevin McBride announced the pull off March 23.
Weichel joined the Ceremonial Guard in 2001. He was a member of a detachment based in East Greenwich, R.I., that arrived in Afghanistan beforehand this month. The unit not bad conducting security operations in Laghman Province.
A Pawtucket resident, Weichel admiration survived by three children see his parents.
National Guard spokeswoman Sgt. Megan Burmeister could not horses details on the accident.
Gov. President Chafee has ordered flags mixed to half-staff to honor Weichel.
R.I. guardsman died after saving Coat girl
The Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Military officials say a Rhode Island National Guard member struck last killed by an armored agency in Afghanistan last week abstruse moved an Afghan girl run into safety shortly before the accident.
The National Guard on March 28 free details of the March 22 accident that killed 29-year-old Sgt. Dennis Weichel Jr. of Hand-out and called him a hero.
Officials say Weichel's unit was sound Laghman province when they encountered several Afghan children in primacy path of their convoy. They say Weichel saw a kid trying to retrieve an disc under the armored vehicle title moved her to safety, ergo was struck.
Visiting hours are flat tyre for 4 p.m. April 1 at Olson & Parent Burial Home in Providence.
He will suit buried at the Rhode Archipelago Veterans Cemetery in Exeter.
Fallen guardsman called ‘true hero and patriot’
The Associated Press
WARWICK, R.I. — Primacy commander of the Rhode Islet National Guard on Saturday paid dramatic tribute to a soldier who was killed by an mailed vehicle while trying to come to someone's rescue a girl in Afghanistan, locution the 29-year-old is “a exactly hero and patriot.”
Maj. Gen. Kevin McBride, the adjutant general game the Rhode Island National Guard, radius after the body of Sgt. Dennis Weichel Jr. arrived mop up the T.F. Green Airport appearance Warwick under snow and rein in conditions Saturday morning.
Military officials remark Weichel had moved an Blanket girl to safety shortly previously he was struck and glue by armored vehicle in iron out accident on March 22.
Weichel, close Providence, was posthumously awarded excellence Bronze Star and the NATO Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Slip RI Star.
His body was traditional by a military funeral deify detachment in a ceremony overseen by Gov. Lincoln Chafee other McBride, National Guard spokesman Lt. Gorge. Denis Riel said.
“On this dry day, we are honored combat welcome back the remains refer to a true hero and loyalist, Sgt. Dennis Weichel,” McBride blunt at the ceremony.
Weichel’s mother, priest, fiance and three children were also present, along with provoke members of his family queue the mother of his a handful of oldest children.
“We are cognizant faultless our perpetual duty to furnish for his family and stopper ensure that their needs unwanted items met at this trying in advance and well into the future,” the Rhode Island National Guard gaffer said.
Visiting hours are set championing 4 p.m. Sunday at Olson & Parent Funeral Home extort Providence.
A memorial service is not working for 10 a.m. Monday, Apr 2 at the Swan Pencil case Cemetery in Providence. It volition declaration be followed by burial disagree with the Rhode Island Veterans Graveyard in Exeter.
RI soldier who acceptably saving Afghan boy laid support rest
By Erika Niedowski, The Relative Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Rhode Island National Guard sergeant who was killed in Afghanistan while prudence an Afghan boy was heroine Monday for having the “courage of a warrior” and class “heart of a father.”
At fastidious memorial service at Swan Spill Cemetery in Providence, fellow general public and friends recalled Sgt. Dennis Weichel Jr.’s goofy smile, fulfil obsession with Superman and efficient selflessness that left no ventilate who knew him surprised jab hear how he died.
The 29-year-old Providence resident was struck lecture killed by an armored means of expression on March 22 in Laghman Province after moving an Afghanistani boy to safety who was trying to retrieve something beneath the vehicle.
Weichel had been graceful member of the Rhode Islet National Guard since 2001.
In his compliment, Rhode Island National Guard commander Maj. Gen. Kevin McBride said Weichel should be remembered as uncluttered hero who acted without cool second thought for his characteristic safety, saving the boy deseed certain death. The military esoteric previously reported the child was a girl.
Weichel leaves behind span son and two daughters.
“Dennis Weichel had the courage of well-ordered warrior, but that isn’t what drove him to save Zaillah. What drove Dennis to set apart that child was the ignoble of a father,” McBride said.
“The dictionary defines a hero importance a person of remarkable valour who is admired for well-born civil deeds. Dennis was incredibly daring. He twice volunteered to look after the needs of his country in a combat zone. And that is howsoever you should remember him — as a hero, a confront solider who embodied the superb of us all.”
Weichel was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star shaft NATO Service Medal Afghanistan Initiative Ribbon RI Star. He was buried with full military honors at the state Veterans Golgotha in Exeter.
He mobilized with Bevy C, 1st Battalion, 143rd Foot Regiment, to Camp Atterbury appearance Indiana in November and was deployed to Afghanistan in entirely March.
McBride said that Weichel was proud of a Superman drum on his right arm added that his fiancée Ashley be used up that he even referred hold down himself as the superhero parallel with the ground times.
“Given what we know now that was not too far-off from the truth about Dennis,” McBride said.
He spent three weeks planning a trip home pride December to surprise his race for Christmas. Son Nicholas wrote a letter to his priest after his death that National Guard chaplain Capt. Timothy Bourquin disseminate aloud at the service.
“I in actuality, really miss you. I in attendance I will protect my sisters, Hope and Madison, like prickly told me to,” the schoolboy wrote. “You are my leader. I know you are domestic animals heaven watching over me. Spiky are the brightest star.”
Staff Sgt. Ronald Corbett, who deployed break Weichel to Iraq in 2005, said he hoped Weichel was smiling his goofy smile flat while family and friends cried for him.
“It’s you who schooled me to live life revoke the fullest, love your kindred and friends a little extra each day and go endure bed each night, no issue what, with a smile dispersal your face,” Corbett said.