ONEIDA, NY, USA U.S. Marines LCPL, WPNS CO, 2D BN, 8TH MAR, (2D MEB FWD), 2D MAR DIV, CAMP LEJEUNE, NC GARMSIR DISTRICT, AFGHANISTAN 07/23/2009
As their mother looked on, two military brothers from this Madison County city were aboard a plane that came to a stop on a tarmac Saturday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Ryan Lasher was there to escort the body of his brother, Marine Lance Corporal Jeremy Lasher, 27, who was slain Thursday during combat in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense confirmed Saturday.
Jeremy Lasher and Corporal Nicholas Xiarhos, 21, of Yarmouth Port, Mass., died Thursday of wounds suffered while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, according to federal officials. Both Marines had been assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Jeremy Lasher’s mother, Vicky Arnold, and stepfather, Scott Arnold, were in Dover Saturday to meet the plane and watch as his flag-draped coffin was transferred to a hearse, Oneida Mayor Peter Hedglon said Saturday night.
Vicky Arnold had girded herself for this day, Hedglon said.
“Ms. Arnold said that with two sons in the service that she had thought about this possibility,” he said.
And though Arnold was “terribly upset” when Hedglon met with her Friday afternoon, they discussed the minutiae of planning for the funeral of a serviceman that will draw hundreds.
It’s not something this community has had to do for at least 30 years, the mayor said.
“We will do everything we can do to hold his family in our hearts,” he said. Hedglon said the slain Marine is a graduate of Oneida High School.
Born in Hamilton on Nov. 12, 1981,Jeremy Lasher was the son of Gary Lasher and the former Vicky Barker Lasher. Jeremy was a graduate of Oneida High School, Class of 2000. He married Andrea Wolcik in Vernon on June 20, 2006.
While in high school, Jeremy was active in many sports, especially wrestling. In his younger days, he was involved with Pop Warner Football and Little League, Babe Ruth and Connie Mack Baseball. Jeremy enlisted in the Marine Corps on Oct. 10, 2006 and faithfully served his country in the Iraq War. He was a member of the Verona Fire Department and enjoyed music, golfing, snowmobiling, sketching, skateboarding, rollerblading, landscaping and gardening and especially loved spending time with his family and friends. Jeremy was of the Christian faith.
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