R.I.P. Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier

Marine Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier
Died February 16, 2010 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom

25, of Charlotte, N.C.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died Feb. 16 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

(The following was taken from www.carolinaweeklynewspapers.com of March 5, 2010) A 25-year-old Marine, who grew up in the Mountain Island area, was killed in Marjah, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier died while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province. Pier, a machine gunner, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, a U.S. Department of Defense news release said.

Pier’s parents, Mark and Vikki Pier, said in a statement that their son had always wanted to serve his country.

“Lance Cpl. Noah Miles Pier was our son, brother, grandson, uncle and cousin. He believed in what he was fighting for, and he died for your freedom,” the family’s statement said. “Noah proudly served his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The oldest of 10 siblings and the first grandson on both sides of the family, Noah always wanted to be a Marine.

“Noah was such a happy man, and he loved to laugh. He greatly anticipated coming home from Afghanistan to marry his childhood sweetheart, Rachel Black. His laughter and love of life will be sorely missed.

Pier’s body was flown home from Dover Air Force Base Monday, Feb. 22. A memorial service was held at McEwen Funeral Home in Charlotte Tuesday. Pier will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington in March.

Pier’s unit deployed to Afghanistan in November and joined Regimental Combat Team 7 to conduct counterinsurgency operations with the Afghan National Security Forces, the Hawaiian Marine base newspaper Hawaii Marine reported.

Pier’s unit recently helped seize key terrain in support of combat operations in or near Marjah, Afghanistan, the newspaper reported. Pier joined the Marine Corps in August 2007 and had previously deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Marine Division. His awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Pier was an avid outdoorsman and was involved in the Police Explorers Program at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, his obituary said.

Pier is survived by his parents, Mark and Vikki Pier; his fiancee, Rachel Black; his brothers and sisters, Erin Stalnaker, and her husband, Gary; Katti Bieck, and her husband, Dean, Tara Shelton, and her husband, Airman 1st Class Vermaine; Mark Jr., Shawn, Luke, Nathan, Jacob and Ethan; nieces and nephews, Sydney, Soffi, Vermaine, Jr, Gavin and Noalani; grandparents, Burnice and Georgia Herring; future in-laws, DeWitt and Eileen Black; as well as numerous extended family members.

Memorials may be made to The Luke Pier Foundation, P.O. Box 88, Paw Creek, NC 28130-0088.