Politics & Government

Update: Holland Soldier Killed in Afghanistan

The Department of Defense confirmed the sergeant's death in a release Monday. There will be a candlelight vigil Friday at 8 at the Dembowski Memorial Park in Richboro.

Sergeant First Class Kenneth B. Elwell, 33, of Holland, died on duty in Afghanistan on July 17, according to a release by the Department of Defense.

Elwell, along with Private First Class Tyler M. Springman, 19, of Hartland, Maine, were serving in the Kandahar province when "enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device," the release said.

Both were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division of Fort Wainwright, Alaska. They were participating in Operation Enduring Freedom at the time of attack, the release said.

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Veteran's Advisory Committee Vice Chairman Pete Palestina said the committee was not aware of Elwell's service overseas, so he does not have a flag in the Administration Building like other Northampton residents serving abroad.

The committee is attempting to verify that Elwell was indeed a Northampton resident when he joined the Army in October, 1997, Palestina said.

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Also, a blog post by author Peter Andrew on ConservativeAmerican.org reported that Elwell was the 1,300th soldier to die during Obama's presidency. The controversial full death count list can also be found on the site. 

Elwell had previously been deployed to Iraq twice and Bosnia once, the Courier reported. He is a Council Rock North graduate of 1997, Palestina said.

The veteran's committee will hold a private ceremony to place a flag for Elwell in the Administration Building Friday evening, and immediately following it at 8 there will be a candlelight vigil at the Robert H. Dembowski, Jr. Memorial Park in Richboro. 

The community is invited to attend and show support for Elwell's family and friends. 

Local funeral services have not yet been arranged, but the serviceman will be officially buried in Arlington National Cemetary in Washington, D.C. 

Patch will continue to post updates as the information is available.


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