|
|
|
(Photo: AP/Family/Burlington Free Press)
|
 Click here for video.
Capt. Pierre Piche, 28, of Starksboro, Vt., was among those killed Nov. 15, 2003, in the crash of two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in Mosul, Iraq.
Piche was assigned to the 626th Forward Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Whether he was leaving love notes for his wife or saving stray dogs while serving in Iraq, Piche was intent on caring for others. "He had a deep conviction to leave the world a better place," Lisa Johnson said of her only child.
After returning from Iraq, Piche planned to give up his promising Army career so his wife could pursue her dream of becoming a school principal. Piche's devotion extended to everyday gestures: He brought his wife flowers regularly and pasted their home with notes telling her he loved her.
Three days before his death he sang the song "I Just Called to Say I Love You" into her answering machine.
Cherish Piche did not discover some of the notes her husband had left her, hidden in the sleeves of her coat, until she put on the garment to head to his funeral.
"This was not supposed to happen," Johnson said. "He was supposed to grow old with his wife. That's what he was supposed to do."
|
|
|
