KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Fallen Alaska Marine comes home

Fallen Alaska Marine comes home

by Christine Kim
Monday, November 2, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The family of an Anchorage fallen Marine grieves for their loved one.

Cpl. Gregory Fleury was one of four U.S. Marines who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan last week. Monday his body was returned home to Anchorage.  

Maj. William Allen, the commander of the Marine forces in Alaska, says the helicopter crash left everything in ruins, but that they were able to retrieve one item that belonged to Fleury, which was an Alaska flag.

Allen says this shows how much of a true Alaskan Fleury was.

Fleury's remains arrived at the Great Circle Flight Services around 4 p.m. Monday.

His family and fellow servicemen met him with a flightside military honors ceremony as his body was transferred into a hearse.

Allen says Fleury is the first U.S. Marine Corps Alaska Native to be killed in action with either Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.

His unit was stationed out of Camp Pendleton in California.

Allen says Fleury's family is receiving a lot of support from the community.

"Marines traveled as far as from Camp Pendleton, California and are going to be here for Friday's ceremony to pay their final respects in tribute to their fallen brother," Allen said.

"The day of the funeral, the sorrow and the grief will come forward again, and that's usually the hardest time" said Albert Fleury, Cpl. Fleury's grandfather.

Cpl. Fleury's remains are now at the Witzleben Legacy Funeral Home.

The funeral will take place Friday at noon, and Fleury's final resting place will be at Fort Richardson.

Contact Christine Kim at ckim@ktuu.com