Former Cheshire Man Killed in Friendly Fire Incident in Afghanistan

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CHESHIRE, Mass. — A former Cheshire man was among three Army service members killed by an errant bomb from a B-52 aircraft north of Kandahar, Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Henry Petithory was 32 years old.

Also killed in the friendly fire incident were Master Sgt. Jefferson Donald Davis, 39 of Tennessee and Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser, 28 of California. All three deceased soldiers served in the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Twenty service members were injured in the incident, which is being investigated by the Department of Defense. Pentagon officials said a B-52 bomber dropped a 2,000-pound precision-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition about 100 meters from the troops at about 12:30 a.m. EST Wednesday. Navy Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem estimated the blast radius to be about 4,000 feet.

Two of the men died immediately and the third died on a plane while being evacuated from Afghanistan. Five Afghan opposition fighters also died in the incident and several others were wounded. All the injured were immediately evacuated to a U.S. base in southern Afghanistan and some were sent on to other regional medical facilities.

Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said the deaths and injuries underscored the dangers involved in military life.

"Every day the men and women of the military put their lives at risk defending our freedoms and our way of life," she said. "For that we are very grateful."

Stufflebeem said the men died fulfilling the motto of special operations forces: "To liberate the oppressed." He added: "These men died as heroes and were wounded as heroes, and our prayers are with them and their families."

He said a U.S. forward air controller had called for an air strike after fighting erupted between Taliban and opposition forces in an area north of Kandahar.

"It takes very fine control and coordination and precision," the admiral explained. U.S. Central Command officials are investigating the cause of the accident.

Petithory, who enlisted in the Army when he graduated from high school, was not married and had no children.

(Excerpts from a Department of Defense news service story were used for this article)


Tags: 9/11,   afghanistan,   military,   

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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.

Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.

We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.

In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.

Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear. 

The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.

"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."

Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.

In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.

The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.

"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.

They are hoping their display carries on the tradition of the Arnold Family Christmas Lights Display that retired in 2022.

The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.

In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.

"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said. 

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