RIP Sgt. Daniel Vasselian

ABINGTON, Mass. —The second Massachusetts Marine in two weeks has been killed in action in Afghanistan. Sgt. Daniel Vasselian, 27, of Abington, was killed Monday, his family said. He was ambushed, two days before Christmas, as he was getting off a Humvee, they said. “I do know he volunteered for this mission after just coming back from a 3-day mission because he didn’t want to see anybody in his platoon get hurt and this is where it ended up,” said his father, Mark Vasselian. Vasselian’s death came on the same day Lance Cpl. Matthew Rodriguez, of Fairhaven, was buried. Family members said this was Vasselian’s third combat tour of duty. He had served both in Iraq and Afghanistan after his enlistment in 2006.”I do know on this third tour that he took responsibility for each and every person under his belt and he had a lot of young men working under him,” said his father.Vasselian had just celebrated his fourth wedding anniversary, having married his high school sweetheart, Erin Doyle, who also grew up in Abington.Vasselian was a 2004 graduate of Abington High School.

Just a sad reminder that while you’re celebrating Christmas with your loved ones it’s guys like Sgt. Daniel Vasselian who make Christmas and everything else we take for granted on a daily basis possible. RIP to a true hero. Thanks for service and for paying the ultimate sacrifice for our country.