Nicholas J. Greer
Profile
Age: 21
From: Monroe, Mich.
Assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Incident: Army Pfc. Nicholas J. Greer died Oct. 7 of injuries sustained when his dismounted patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Haqlaniyah, Iraq.
Died: October 07, 2005
Monroe soldier dreamed of becoming a paratrooper
Associated Press
MONROE, Mich. — Army Pfc. Nicholas J. Greer was only 2 years old when he decided he was going to be a paratrooper.
The youngster made the decision after taking a ride in a helicopter during an air show at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti.
“He said, ‘Momma, I’m going to jump out of these one day. I’m going to be a soldier,”’ his mother, Kelly Greer, told The Detroit News for a Tuesday story.
Greer died Friday of injuries received in western Iraq, the Defense Department said Monday. The 21-year-old soldier died of a gunshot wound suffered when insurgents attacked his patrol unit in Haqlaniyah, Iraq.
He was part of an operation working to stop the infiltration of insurgents from Syria.
Sgt. Eric A. Fifer, 22, of Knoxville, Tenn., was wounded in the same attack and died at the Asad Air Base, military officials said.
Both soldiers...