Thursday, 4:30 PM
Maine soldier dies in Iraq
By Globe Staff
A 26-year-old soldier from Maine who went to Bangor High School died last week in Iraq, according to an announcement from the Department of Defense.
Staff Sergeant Kristofer R. Ciraso, 26, was killed by a bomb that exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad on Dec. 7. He served with the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas.
Maine Governor John Baldacci and members of Maine's congressional delegation issued statements of condolence, saying Ciraso served his country honorably and will be missed.
Ciraso served in the high school's junior ROTC program and recognized early on that he wanted to join the army, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Kurtzman told the Portland Press Herald.
"He seemed to take a lot of pride in, at least for that age, wearing a uniform," Kurtzman said.
Almost 3,000 American troops have been killed since the Iraq war began, according to a count by the Associated Press.
