[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 219]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                       Sergeant Daniel Vasselian

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life and 
service of U.S. Marine Sgt. Daniel Vasselian, who was killed in the 
line of duty on December 23, 2013 while conducting combat operations in 
Helmand province, Afghanistan. Sergeant Vasselian was assigned to 1st 
Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine 
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejune, N.C., and was serving his third tour 
of duty when he was killed at the young age of 27.
  ``Danny'', as he was known by family and friends, was a proud son of 
the small Massachusetts town of Abington, where he was known as a kind, 
courageous and fun-loving young man. Danny graduated from Abington High 
School in 2004, and was fortunate to have already met the love of his 
life, Erin, whom he went on to marry. Erin and Danny celebrated their 
fourth wedding anniversary in December. A tribute to his standing in 
Abington, thousands of people lined the town's streets to escort 
Sergeant Vasselian's casket to the funeral service.
  In 2006, Sergeant Vasselian enlisted with the Marines and was 
assigned to 
2/3 Echo Company Infantry, eventually deploying to tours in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. The heroism and professionalism of Sergeant Vasselian and 
his Marine Corps units merited numerous awards, including a Purple 
Heart Award, a Combat Action Ribbon, a Presidential Unit Citation and a 
Navy Unit Commendation. Sergeant Vasselian's love for his Marine 
brothers was infallible, and ultimately led him to volunteer for the 
mission that cost him his life.
  Sergeant Vasselian's outsized personality and good heartedness will 
not soon be forgotten by those who were lucky enough to have known him. 
It is my hope that during this extremely difficult time, his family and 
friends will find comfort in knowing that Americans everywhere 
appreciate deeply his vow to defend our country so that the rest of us 
may continue to live in peace and freedom.
  Along with his parents Mark and Karen, as well as his step-mother 
Alice, Danny is survived by his wife Erin (Doyle) Vasselian; his 
siblings Jeannine, Julianne and Joseph; his grandmother Jeanne 
Vasselian; his grandfather Thomas P. Connor; his mother and father-in-
law David and Patricia Doyle; his nephew and niece Cayleb and Shaelyn 
Barrio; also aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. This patriot will be 
missed by all.
  I ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in honoring the life 
and service of this brave young American, Daniel Vasselian.

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