"He was a leader, and he was the bravest person we ever knew," his family said in a prepared statement released by the office of U.S. Sen. John Kerry.
A sign outside Ludlow High School Friday pays tribute to Marine Sgt. Joshua Desforges, who was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
This is a 4:45 p.m. update of a story published at 2:07 this afternoon.
The late Joshua D. Deforges is seen in his uniform.LUDLOW –When Frank Evangelista, owner of Frank’s Diner on East Street, thinks of the late Marine Sgt. Joshua D. Desforges he thinks of a smiling young man in a Santa Claus hat.
That memory comes from a time, perhaps a year or more ago, when the 2004 Ludlow High School graduate walked into the dinner with a buddy collecting donations for the U.S. Marines’ Toys for Tots program.
Desforges was killed Wednesday in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced on Thursday.
| Ludlow mourns death of Marine Sgt. Josh Deforges |
“The brave young men and women who voluntarily serve in our armed forces have the respect and gratitude of our entire nation, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Mass., said from Washington in a prepared statement. “Sgt. Desforges was a courageous and charismatic native of Ludlow who joined the United States Marine Corps to defend our cherished freedom in the first line of defense. He performed his duties with honor and distinction. ... . Our country can never repay the debt we owe him and his family for their extraordinary sacrifice.
Back in Ludlow, Evangelista said he didn’t know Desforges well, but added that the handful of times he came through the diner doors was enough to forge a positive impression.
“He was a happy-go-lucky kid ... a nice kid, a good kid,” Evangelista said.
Desforges’ tragic death, which came while he was supporting a combat operations, has been the talk of the eatery, a Ludlow fixture for well over half a century, since the news broke, Evangelista said.
“Kids are dying over there,” Evangelista said of the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. “People are sad that it happened and it’s continuing.”
People throughout this close-knit community are mourning the 23-year-old’s death that came while he was supporting combat operations in the province, which is the southwest corner of Afghanistan, roughly 100 miles west of the city of Qandahar. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
A message board at the entry to Ludlow High School reads “Semper Fi - Sgt. Josh Desforges - Our Hero.”
American flags outside the high school and town hall next door hung limply at half-staff.
Joshua Desforges is seen in an undated family photograph. In the veterans’ office at town hall, Desforges was also on people’s minds.
“As a former marine, every time I hear of one of our guys dying over there it bothers me,” Antonio Salvador said. “Having been a former Marine, it kind of sticks you a little bit harder in the heart.”
Salvador said he did not personally know Desforges. “I know of him,” he said. “By all accounts he was a good kid.”
Donald J. Couture, director of Veterans Services, said he has yet to talk with the family.
“The town of Ludlow is offering all it’s support,” he said.
Roger Savoie, sitting next to Salvador, said he served in the Marines in Korea.
“I made it back,” Savoie said. “Here’s a young kid, just starting life and he didn’t make it.”
Savoie spoke of strong feelings of community in Ludlow. “When somebody from town dies, it hits you in the heart because he’s your neighbor, he’s here. ... I feel badly for the family.”
“Like everything else, sometimes it doesn’t sink in until it gets close to home,” Salvador said. “It was one of Ludlow’s own and it kind of hits home,” said William Shea, who served in the Navy and made three trips Korea during the war.
Desforges was one of two Marines killed Wednesday in the same area of Afghanistan during combat operations, the Defense Department said.
The other was identified as Sgt. Donald J. Lamar II, 23, of Fredericksburg, Va., who was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Prior to enlisting in the Marines, Desforges was a member of the Westover Young Marines program, based in East Longmeadow.
Statement from Desforges family
The following is a statement released by the Desforges family released through the office of U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry:
"Today, we mourn the death of Sergeant Joshua Desforges - a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, an American hero - but most of all, our best friend."Josh loved life and he lived it at full throttle. And everyone who knew him or was touched by him in someway knew that to be true.
"He was a leader, and he was the bravest person we ever knew. One of his friends said he was made of steel. He was the best friend to so many people.
"We cherish the time we had with him, especially those times when he was home on leave. When he was home on leave - everything stopped, nothing else mattered and it was like the most magical holiday you could imagine.
"In the Marines, in Afghanistan and throughout the world, he was Sergeant Desforges. At home, he was Josh, he was our boy. To call him a hero just doesn't seem to be enough.
"Josh wanted to be a Marine since he was 11 years old. At 13, after having tried every sport and activity around, he found his niche in the Westover Young Marines. It was his calling in life and like everything else, he took to it at full throttle. Josh loved being a Marine.
"Josh was larger than life and he will be dearly missed.
"We are getting through this because of our family and friends, and because of our son, Sergeant Joshua Desforges.
"We truly believe our son would want us to be standing up at this most painful moment in our lives, not hiding from the world. We are standing up for him because we want to make sure he's as proud of us as we are of him.
"People have asked "how do you do this?" We do this because we want to be strong for our family, strong for our friends and strong for our son. We are all helping each other through this.
"Don't ever think you have tomorrow. Go home tonight and hug those whom you love and let them know how much they mean to you. And don't let go.
"We kindly ask that in the coming days you respect our privacy and the privacy of our family and friends, and help us to honor our son with the dignity and respect which every American hero deserves. We thank you in advance for that and we thank you for the support and love you've shown us during this difficult time."
More details coming in The Republican.