Two of the soldiers killed in Tuesday's Black Hawk helicopter crash in Afghanistan have been identified as helicopter crew chief Chris Bohler, 29, and Staff Sgt. Jesse Lee Williams, 30.
While, the Department of Defense has not officially named the six soldiers who died in the crash, the families of Bohler and Williams have spoken out to local media outlets about their fallen loved ones.
Williams' mother Debbie Bussard Passerallo told the Indiana newspaper The Elkhart Truth her son was on his third deployment to Afghanistan. Passerallo said Williams always had a positive outlook:
“He was big and strong. He didn't let things get him down. When he was a friend, he was a friend forever.”
Williams leaves behind a 6-year-old daughter, Madison. Passerallo said of her son's relationship with his little girl:
“They would go to the beach, they would go to the zoo, he would take her to the bounce houses, and they would go out to the park. He was very active with her.”
The Raleigh News & Observer reports Bohler grew up in Johnston County, North Carolina.
He was the oldest of three children.
Bohler's mother Deborah wrote on her Facebook page upon learning of her son's death:
"At 5:30 this morning my heart shattered into a million pieces. Dear God gives us strength to get through this pain."
Mrs. Bohler worked for Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby. He spoke with Raleigh-Durham television station WTVD-TV about the devastating loss Bohler's death brings to the tight-knit community:
