Posted By Scott Fontaine on March 17, 2010 at 5:29 pm
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Photo by Lui Kit Wong/Staff photographer
Sgt. Anthony A. Paci was a dedicated soldier, a veteran of two wars and a lover of fast cars.
But, friends said, above all things Paci was proud to be the father of three children and shared his dreams of a big family.
"He was always happy when he was talking about his children," said Paci's friend, Spc. Eric Tapia. "Even though Sgt. Paci just had a third child in November, he always spoke of having one more so the Paci family could be complete."
But the war in Afghanistan intervened. Paci, 30-year-old Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier, died March 4 during a vehicle rollover in Gereshk, Helmand province. His family told the Washington Post the Rockville, Md., native was riding in a hatch of a Stryker when he yelled for his driver to swerve to avoid hitting an oncoming passenger car.
The vehicle rolled, killing Paci and handing his 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment its 22nd casualty of the war.
Friends and comrades gathered at a memorial service Wednesday at Lewis-McChord to honor Paci, who is survived by his wife, Erica, and his children: 2½-year-old Judah, 1½-year-old Tallulah and 3-month-old Mila.
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Categories: 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Tags: 5/2
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