Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of Heaven,
Blossom the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I Got The News Today (IGTNT) , which is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos, provides members of this community a venue to pay their respects to those who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IGTNT title is a reminder that nearly every day the family of an active duty service member receives the terrible news that their beloved has died.
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Since 2001 we have lost 2344 American troops in Afghanistan and a total of 3469 American and coalition forces.
US Army Ceremonial Band performing
Taps
Day is done
Gone the sun
From the lakes
From the hills
From the sky
All is well
Safely rest
God is nigh
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Brian K. Arsenault, 28, of Northborough, Massachusetts, died Sept. 4, in Ghazni, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his unit was engaged by enemy small-arms fire.
Arsenault was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. ~ DoD News Release
Spc. Brian K. Arsenault, 28, of Northborough, Massachusetts
Brian Arsenault's family are among the most beloved and respected residents of the small town of Northborough, Massachusetts, thus the entire community is mourning the loss of one of their favorite sons. Throughout the town flags at businesses, town hall, parks and the high school fly at half-staff. Arsenault is the first active duty death from Northborough since the Vietnam War when two residents were lost.
Brian was a 2004 graduate of Algonquin Regional High School where he was a member of both the baseball and hockey teams and was named "most likely to be seen at the gym" in the school's yearbook.
Many of Brian's friends described him as a handsome charmer with a wide range of hobbies and interests. He loved hockey of course, was passionate about Star Wars, enjoyed painting, sampling adventurous foods, viewing '80s action movies and singing off-key renditions of '80s and '90s love songs.
Brian's cousin, Cayce Arsenault Gray recounted the time Brian's hockey teammates shaved his eyebrows as a joke which led the principal to suspect hazing:
Brian said he shaved them off himself because he liked the way they looked. That’s what he told the principal. Brian didn’t mind being the butt of the joke. He enjoyed seeing other people laugh — whether it was at his expense or not. He was the most colorful person I ever met.
Brian earned an Associate's degree and worked at various jobs, including the local gym for a few years after high school, but according to family and friends he kept coming back to a desire to serve in the military. In November 2011 he enlisted in the Army and after basic training he completed the airborne course at Fort Benning, Georgia. He arrived at Fort Bragg in 2012, and was assigned to 1st BCT in November of 2013. He deployed to Afghanistan in January and was due home in late November.
Spc. Arsenault's father, Dan, since receiving the news of his son's death, has kept a hockey puck in his pocket as a reminder of the hours the two spent playing together. He also spoke of his son's devilish good looks, his smile and his wit which will be in the family's memory forever:
Something in him, he wanted to be a soldier.
Brian was a vibrant free spirit that has forever touched so many lives.
As a family, the sorrow is unbearable. But we must be strong for our son who has given his life for a cause that he believes in.
Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Chris Hockenberry released the following statement:
We have suffered a great loss in the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment and express our deepest condolences. Spc. Arsenault was an exceptional Paratrooper and a valued member of our team. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.
Dozens of comments can be found from family, friends, neighbors, teachers and those with whom he served. Here is just a small sampling of those comments to illustrate how profoundly this exceptional man impacted those who knew him:
Thank You Brian.
He was such a nice kid. He was always so sweet to us.
He was adventurous.
[He] was always a nice guy.
It is devastating to lose him.
It was nice to see a high school boy who cared about his little sister so much.
He is a perfect example of an all-American young man and hero.
He was very upbeat and personable. He could talk to anybody and he enjoyed talking to everyone. He was always positive.
I always knew he would go on to do great things and he did.
He is a good hometown boy, my heart is broken. He will be missed.
A light in Northborough went out when he died.
We lost an amazing person and solid warrior today. Brian you were one of the funniest and most level headed people I know. You were a breath a fresh air, especially when life was sucking. My heartfelt condolences goes out to your family. You will be sorely missed and never forgotten. Rest easy brother.
He was just the type of guy that would give the shirt off his back and unfortunately, he gave the ultimate sacrifice — his life.
Great kid; lot of heart.
The Arsenault family is a bedrock family in Northborough. We’re reeling from this thing today. It’s hitting home.
Brian was amazing.
Spc Brian K. Arsenault's awards and decorations include the Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal (one oak-leaf cluster), Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
Spc Brian K. Arsenault leaves behind his father, Dan; mother, Leslie; and sister, Lindsey. No funeral arrangements have been announced as yet.
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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 in 2004 and now is maintained by Sandy on Signal, i dunno, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Ekaterin, TheFatLadySings, Joy of Fishes, and me, JaxDem.
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.
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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.