Sergeant Arūnas Jarmalavičius,
Alytus Grand Duchess Birute Motorized Infantry Battalion of Lithuania.
Aged 34, he was serving with NATO ISAF forces in Ghor province, western Afghanistan.
He and at least two Afghan civilians were killed when hundreds of rock-throwing protesters tried to break into an airfield base in Chaghcharan in protest over an American soldier's use of the Koran for target practice in Iraq. Other soldiers, Afghan police and civilians were wounded in the incident. The soldier was killed by gunfire, but it was unclear if the shots came from the crowd, Taliban insurgents or security forces. The area is remote and it was impossible for media to independently verify what had happened.
Sgt. Jarmalavičius was an experienced soldier having served in the Lithuanian army since 1992. For courage and dedication in fulfilling his duties, he was posthumously awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Cross of Vytis. He is survived by his mother Vida, wife Danguole, daughter Greta, son Justas and other relatives.
Repatriation ceremony held 25 May 2008 at Vilnius Airport attended by family members, the President of Republic of Lithuania, Defence Minister, Foreign Minister and other dignitaries. The coffin was met by forty soldiers of a Guard of Honour. Funeral service held 27 May 2008 in St. Casimir's Church in Alytus. Sgt. Jarmalavičius was buried in Maple Street Cemetery in Alytus.
*Deepest gratitude to Danguole Jar for the photo of Arūnas.
*Sincere thanks to grainne for so generously sponsoring this memorial.
Sergeant Arūnas Jarmalavičius,
Alytus Grand Duchess Birute Motorized Infantry Battalion of Lithuania.
Aged 34, he was serving with NATO ISAF forces in Ghor province, western Afghanistan.
He and at least two Afghan civilians were killed when hundreds of rock-throwing protesters tried to break into an airfield base in Chaghcharan in protest over an American soldier's use of the Koran for target practice in Iraq. Other soldiers, Afghan police and civilians were wounded in the incident. The soldier was killed by gunfire, but it was unclear if the shots came from the crowd, Taliban insurgents or security forces. The area is remote and it was impossible for media to independently verify what had happened.
Sgt. Jarmalavičius was an experienced soldier having served in the Lithuanian army since 1992. For courage and dedication in fulfilling his duties, he was posthumously awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Cross of Vytis. He is survived by his mother Vida, wife Danguole, daughter Greta, son Justas and other relatives.
Repatriation ceremony held 25 May 2008 at Vilnius Airport attended by family members, the President of Republic of Lithuania, Defence Minister, Foreign Minister and other dignitaries. The coffin was met by forty soldiers of a Guard of Honour. Funeral service held 27 May 2008 in St. Casimir's Church in Alytus. Sgt. Jarmalavičius was buried in Maple Street Cemetery in Alytus.
*Deepest gratitude to Danguole Jar for the photo of Arūnas.
*Sincere thanks to grainne for so generously sponsoring this memorial.
