Preach was a familiar face in Bridgewater, where friends, coaches, and teachers long believed he was destined to become a Marine. Preach was riding in a Humvee in Afghanistan on Jan. 24, when an improvised explosive device detonated. He lost both legs, a hand, and was badly burned. Preach had been in a medically induced coma until his death on Feb. 7. David Waugh, 47, said he often saw Preach at Emma's Pub, a popular hangout. Waugh said he never saw Preach with alcohol, only a soft drink, which he always ordered with a hamburger. "It's just the saddest thing in the world, for someone so young to die like that," Waugh said.