Desforges died Wednesday as the result of a hostile incident in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Joshua Desforges is seen in an undated family photograph.LUDLOW – A military funeral service for Marine Sgt. Joshua D. Desforges will be held Friday morning at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee.
Desforges, 23, a six-year veteran of the Marine Corps, died Wednesday “as a result of a hostile incident while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan,“ according to a statement issued by the 2nd Division Office of Public Affairs.
Friends and family are asked to attend the ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m. Mourners should enter the base through the James Street gate.
Due to the expected turnout, Ludlow police are asking people who are not planning to attend the wake to avoid driving on East Street during calling hours. Police are anticipating between 5,000 and 10,000 people could turnout to pay their respects, and the increase in traffic could cause traffic tie-ups, police said.
Desforges, a Ludlow native and a member of the Ludlow High School Class of 2004, is the first town resident killed in action since Lance Cpl. Douglas Walker, a helicopter pilot, who was shot down in Vietnam in 1968, said Don Couture, Ludlow's Director of Veterans' Services.
In his time in the Marines, Desforges earned several commendations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and NATO International Security Assistance Force Medal.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Desforges’ memory to Westover Young Marines, 51 Terry Lane, East Longmeadow, Ma 01028. Donations can be made online at www.ludlowfuneralhome.com.