News

Minnesota soldier killed in Afghanistan

Photo:

May 1, 2012 at 6:01 am

STEWARTVILLE, Minn. (AP) A 23-year-old Stewartville soldier has been killed in a firefight in Afghanistan. Sergeant Nicholas Dickhut died in Kandahar province, and his family learned of his death Sunday. It was Dickhut's second deployment to Afghanistan, and he was attached to the 82nd Airborne.

The Star Tribune reports Monday (http://bit.ly/Jtr15K) that Sgt. Nicholas Dickhut died in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province. The family learned of his death Sunday.

A man who answered the phone at the home of Dickhut's mother confirmed the death to The Associated Press, but said there was a gag order and the family would not be talking further.

The Star Tribune reports Dickhut was a forward observer with an Army unit from Fort Lewis, Wash., and was attached to the 82nd Airborne. This was his second deployment to Afghanistan.

His mother, Jacqueline Carson, told the newspaper that both she and Dickhut's step-father were in the Army and Dickhut joined to serve his country and gain new experiences.