Mass Soldier Killed By Explosive In Iraq

86 Main Street, P.O. Box 305, Norfolk, Massachusetts 02056 (508) 528- 0170

Mass. Soldier Killed In Iraq
Was Parishioner at St. Jude In Norfolk

NORFOLK - Army Sgt. Adam Kennedy, a rock climbing enthusiast and Norwich University graduate who began his first tour of duty in Iraq last fall, was killed by a blast from an improvised explosive device south of Baghdad, the Defense Department said Monday.

Kennedy, 25, of Norfolk, was killed Sunday when his unit was hit with indirect fire while conducting combat control near Diwaniyah, Iraq, said Army Alaska spokesman Capt. Richard C. Hyde.

Kennedy, a paratrooper, was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Richardson, Alaska, and was sent to his first tour in Iraq in October. He joined the Army in August 2004 and was assigned to Fort Richardson in January 2005.

Kennedy’s family members did not immediately know any additional details of the circumstances of Sunday’s attack, his father, David Kennedy, and mother, Nancy Smyth, said by telephone from the family home in Norfolk.

”His lifelong ambition was to be in the military,” his father said. ”He really loved the discipline, and the physical conditioning.”

Kennedy’s unit provided security for an Army colonel, clearing hidden explosives and otherwise ensuring safe passage for convoys. The work frequently put Kennedy’s unit in danger _ a reality that became clear to his family when he returned for a 10-day leave late last year.

”He was obviously subdued, and changed by the danger,” his father said.

David Kennedy said his son telephoned him last Thursday and told him he would be on special duty requiring him to be out of contact for about a month.

Despite the risks, Kennedy in December made a commitment to remain with the Army for another six years, his father said.

Kennedy, who was single, graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood in 2000. He graduated from Norwich University, a private military college in Northfield, Vt., in 2004, majoring in computer science, according to a statement from the university. He was a parishioner at St. Jude in Norfolk.

At Norwich, he spent time away from his studies rock-climbing in the Green Mountains, and participated in a cold weather rescue team, his parents said.

Although he had little background as a runner, he last year finished a marathon during a break from military training in Alaska.

”He ran a respectable time his first time out,” his father said.

Sgt. Kennedy's Wake will be at St. Judes Church, Sunday 7-9, Monday 2-4, 7-9, with a Funeral Mass Tuesday at 10: 00am, also at St. Judes Church.

A scholarship fund has been created in Sgt. Adam P. Kennedy's memory that will benefit a Xaverian Brothers High School student who wishes to pursue a career with the United States military or continue his education at a military college. In lieu of flowers the Kennedy family kindly requests that donations be sent to:

Sergeant Adam P. Kennedy Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 100
Norfolk, MA 02056

Most of this article originally appeared here.

Home l Mass Schedule l Staff l Religious Education l Sacraments l Ministries l Weekly Bulletin
Directions / Map l News / Photo Gallery l Special Parish Events l Parish History l Links