Defense Department officials confirm that one of the four Americans killed by a suicide bomber at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan was a Southern Illinois soldier. 20-year-old Army Private First Class Tyler Lubelt of Tamaroa was killed. He was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas. Pinckneyville High School Superintendent Keith Hagene reflects on the memory of Lubelt.
Lubelt suffered a major knee injury as a freshman, derailing his high school athletic career. He was able to rehab the knee in time to join the military after graduating.
