The families and friends of several of the soldiers who died in Tuesday's Black Hawk helicopter crash in Afghanistan are speaking out about the loved ones they lost.
The Department of Defense has not released yet the names of the five soldiers who were killed when their UH-60 Black Hawk went down in Southern Afghanistan.
But loved ones are talking to their local media outlets about some of the men who died.
Army Staff Sgt. Marc Scialdo, 31, grew up in Naples, Florida. His older sister, Jackie Nelson, told NaplesNews.com:
“He was that guy. Everybody loved him. And he loved to serve his country.”
Nelson said her brother was assigned to the 603rd Aviation Support Battalion.
He leaves behind a wife, Kara.
Another soldier from Florida was killed in Tuesday's crash, according to WCAX.com. Army Specialist Zachary Shannon, 21, of Dunedin, Florida was assigned to Company B, 4th Battalion, 3d Aviation Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.
Doreen Del Corpo, a longtime friend of Shannon, told the Tampa Bay Times he was proud to serve, even during the holidays:
"At Christmastime when he was deployed to Afghanistan, I asked him, 'Aren't you bummed you won't spend Christmas with your family?' His reply was, 'When I go over there, another soldier gets to come home and spend Christmas with his family.' That's just the type of guy he was — he sacrificed for others."
