The body of Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony Denier arrived at Albany International Airport just after 11am Monday and was escorted home to Mechanicville by a procession of fifty motorcycles, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department and Mechanicville Police Department.
The twenty-six year old India Company marine was killed December 2, by enemy fire in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, the largest and most violent of the thirty-four provinces in the country.
Mary Morgan, Denier’s mother, heard from her son only a few hours before his death, in the form of a Facebook message sent Saturday night, December 1. It read: “All is well … I’ll call you in the morning.”
But Morgan did not hear from her son the next morning; instead, she heard from the Marines, informing her of her son’s death.
Denier, who was born in Troy, joined the Marines almost two years ago. He was deployed to Afghanistan Oct. 26 as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines (Regional Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Division Forward) of the 2nd Marine Division.
Since US and British forces began airstrikes on Afghanistan in October 2001, after the Taliban refused to hand over Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, there have been 3,215 US and coalition casualties.
According to his family, he always wanted to be a US Marine and practiced at the shooting range at Schaghticoke’s Rod and Gun Club with his friends. He was assigned to the infantry, an assignment of his choosing.
“When he found out he was being deployed, he was excited. He said he was finally going to do what he was getting paid to do,” Morgan said. “I think the military made my son a man and I am extremely proud of him.”
Attended by his company commander, platoon sergeant and his peers, a memorial service for Denier was held Sunday at Combat Outpost Hanson in Afghanistan.
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