Final Respects to Sgt. Vasselian

 Remembering Sgt. Vasselian
I took the time to pay my last respects to Sgt. Danny Vasselian this afternoon. Sgt. Vasselian is local Marine from Abington, Massachusetts, who served with Bravo Company, 1st Marine Regiment 9th Battalion, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. 
While serving his third deployment in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, Sgt. Vasselian was tragically killed in action just two days before Christmas and only weeks after his fourth wedding anniversary with wife, Erin Vasselian.

Arriving an hour early, on New Year's day, I waited outside for more than three hours in the bitter cold. Well worth the time when considering the sacrifice that he and his family have made for our country.

Many people over the past few days have asked "did you know Danny personally?" While I never knew him or his wife Erin personally , anyone within the military community knows, we are small and tight knit family. We stick together, when the deployments are done, the enlistment orders are up, the resignation papers are handed in; and well beyond the the days of war tragedies and untimely deaths: we always stick together. It is a life long bond that creates a family well beyond the years of service.

Being a member of military community means that not everyone will always be available to attend important life events like birthdays, weddings, holidays or in this case: final arrivals. We come together as a community not for ourselves; but as a show of support as a collective military community, in whole. That's what make us, MilitaryStrong

Boston Fire and Police officers line an expressway overpass in the Back Bay
to render a final salute to fallen Marine Sgt. Danny Vasselian.
© Greg Derr/ The Patriot Leger