ROCHESTER, NY, US
U.S. Army
PFC,CO D, 1ST BN, 503RD INF REG, 173RD ABCT, CAMP EDERLE, IT
07/27/2012, KHARWAR, AFGHANISTAN
Private First Class Theodore Matthew Glende died trying to give medical aid to one of his fellow soldiers according to his family. He attended McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester and Niagara University before serving overseas in the Army.
When enemy fire hit his unit, he was helping a wounded soldier in his group, his family said. Private First Class Glende helped save five lives. He sacrificed his own to save his comrades and that’s who he was, he put everyone else first. The Glende family explained that Theo was someone who loved to tell stories and make others laugh and that he never judged others.
Theo married Alexandra in the spring just months before deploying. Alexandra recently graduated from nursing school and visited Theo and the men she describes as his brothers in Italy before he left for Afghanistan.
She will now use her degree to care for one of those soldiers that her husband saved when he comes to Rochester to pay his respects at a military funeral. The Glendes say it’s impossible to put their feelings into words, but say they’re extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support, and hope people will remember Theo the way they do.
“We’re very proud of our son, the sacrifice that he gave was ultimate. While we are dealing with the grief of losing him, we understand that anyone of those young men would have done the same for him.”
Theodore Glende was a “very fun loving, jokester, storytelling, a man that just was passionate about what he did, loved fiercely and he was very brave, a brave young man that we will all miss, all miss,” added his mother.
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