Body Of Abington Marine Killed In Afghanistan Returns Home
ABINGTON (CBS) - The body of a U.S. Marine sergeant from Abington who was killed in Afghanistan last week returned home on Tuesday.
The body of Sgt. Daniel Vasselian arrived at Logan Airport around 11 a.m.
From there, State Police escorted his remains to his hometown.
Residents lined highway overpasses and streets along the route to pay tribute. The hearse stopped briefly outside Vasselian's boyhood home during the procession.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Doug Cope reports
Body Of Abington Marine Returns Home
Vasselian, 27, was killed in combat in Helmand province December 23.
He and his wife Erin had just celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary just four days earlier.
He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Vasselian, a 2004 graduate of Abington High School, served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch.
Visiting hours will be held Wednesday at Quealy and Son Funeral Home in Abington.
The funeral Mass is set for Thursday at St. Bridget's Church in Abington. Burial will be at Mount Vernon Cemetery.
Vasselian is the second Marine from Massachusetts killed in Afghanistan in the past two weeks. Lance Cpl. Matthew Rodriguez, 19, of Fairhaven, died in combat December 11.
Sean Reilly, who is on the planning committee for local services for Vasselian, said this has been difficult for the community.
"Abington hasn't lost a serviceperson in action in over 50 years and this really hit hard and hit home. It's a small town with a lot of big hearts and Danny was one of them," he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
WBZ-TV's Ken MacLeod Reports
