R.I.P. Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier

Name: Army Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier

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Age: 25

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From: St. Joseph, Mo.,

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Assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.,

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Incident: Army Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier died Nov. 19 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide car-bomber attacked his unit. Also killed was John J. Cleaver.

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Died: November 19, 2009

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(Taken from www.wndu.com)Family and friends gathered Monday with heavy hearts to remember a man the Army is calling a "great American hero."

25-year-old Sgt. Daniel Frazier was killed in action Nov. 19th during a suicide attack near his base in Afghanistan.

More than 200 people came to Sgt. Frazier’s funeral Monday in Niles to remember his life; including his wife, his parents, his six brothers and sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.

An Army two-star general was also at the ceremony to help stress how remarkable Frazier's sacrifice was and to thank his family for their sacrifice.

The flag-draped casket is a military family's worst fears realized.

“I can't know the depths of your sorrow, I can’t even pretend to know,” said Maj. Gen. Scott West as he spoke at Frazier’s funeral.

Despite their significance, the Bronze Star and Purple Heart presented to Frazier’s family during the ceremony are little consolation for what was lost.

“I pray that you hold on to your love and your memories, because they truly last forever,” said Army Chaplain Larry McCarty

The 2003 St. Joseph Michigan high school grad was an ‘everyman.’ Frazier liked to play video games, enjoyed "mud bogging" on the weekends, and just 8 months ago he became a husband.

Now, he's something else.

“This is a great American hero,” Maj. Gen. West said.

“Dying itself does not make someone a hero. It's what someone dies for that makes them a hero,” said Pastor Jerry Solis, who officiated the funeral.

Reports say Frazier and another soldier may have saved more than 40 lives as they tried to prevent a suicide attack near their base.

“Because of Daniel's actions, parents will be able to welcome their kids home, wives will hold their husbands, children will play with their daddies and future generations will be born,” Solis said.

Maj. Gen. West said that during a ceremony in Afghanistan, Frazier's fellow soldiers remembered him as ‘a quiet professional,’ and a ‘perfect friend’ who followed the military's values.

“He didn't just talk them. On that final day he lived them, placing himself in harm’s way. He lived them, a true warrior and American hero. Never forget that he lived his values to the very end,” McCarty said, addressing Frazier’s parents and wife.

“His Army family shares in your sorrow and in your loss, we share your pain. Just like you, his Army family will never forget him,” Maj. Gen. West said.

Frazier enlisted in the army in 2006, and this was his second tour of duty.

His family says he was considered a "big brother" to many of his fellow soldiers over the years, and the Army says even his superiors remember him as a great leader.

Frazier’s body is being cremated and transferred to Virginia, where he'll be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on December 22nd among thousands of others who have died serving their country.