October 3, 2007
October 7, 2007


No workout info today. Sadly, a college friend of mine was killed serving in the Army. Here is the info.

To the Army, he was a hero. But to his family, Zach Tellier was a carpenter, a rock music fan and a “brave, loving, kind, generous” young man.

He “cared about everybody else in the world other than himself,” his mother, Pamela Morse of Falmouth, said yesterday.

The 31-year-old paratrooper died Saturday in Afghanistan after being shot while on ground patrol.

Morse said her son was a hard worker who wanted nothing more than to be on base with “his guys.”

“It ended up being the most rewarding job he ever had,” she said.

In April, he saved the lives of two fellow paratroopers by pulling them from a burning Humvee that had driven over a bomb. He was hospitalized for burns on his arms and hands, and was awarded the Bronze Star with valor.

“We are all very proud of him. He was a brave individual for doing what he did,” said his father, David Tellier of Groton. “He wouldn’t consider himself a hero, but a lot of other people would consider him one.”

Tellier grew up in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He graduated from Manchester West High School in Manchester, N.H.

Tellier’s wife, Sara Tellier, lives in Atlanta.

As a teen, Tellier played the drums and formed a band with his friends.

“(He) was a rock fan,” his mother said. “A fan of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors and Jimmy Hendrix.”

Morse said her son also was a history buff, an avid reader and fluent in German, which he taught to children while in high school.

He went on to study communications at American University in Washington, D.C.

Tellier, who last spoke to his son a month and a half ago, said his son had worked as a carpenter before joining the Army.

“He enjoyed creating things with his hands,” he said.

His stepmother, Lauren Tellier, remembers him as, “the best stepson you can ever have. . . . He loved people, he loved his family, he took care of everybody.”

His funeral will be held later this week at Bourne National Cemetery.

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0 Comments

  1. Russ says:

    That fucking sucks. I am very sorry Tom.

  2. Allen Y. says:

    I’m sorry Tom.

    My condolences to his family. The true definition of a hero:

    “He wouldn’t consider himself a hero, but a lot of other people would consider him one.”

  3. Moondog Mai says:

    Tom, I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts are with you and his family.

  4. Tom Brose says:

    I hadn’t seen Zack in a long time, and its really something to see what kind of a soldier he turned out to be. I feel so bad for his wife, but proud of him as a man.

  5. John Frazer says:

    Tom,

    I’m very sorry to hear about this. Maybe CFDC can do something for his family?

    John

  6. Jerry Hill says:

    Hey Tom,
    Sorry to hear about Zach…
    It sounds like he found himself quite a bit alive on a daily basis through his action in Afghanistan.

    Risk your life pulling 2 buddies from a burning Humvee? I’ll celebrate and honor that kind of Hero anyday over what our culture chooses to put up in headlines.

    Thanks for sharing his story…

    Strength and honor,
    Jerry

  7. Adrienne says:

    Tom,

    I sorry to hear about the loss of a man who was truly a hero.

    Thank you for sharing his story.

    My thoughts for his family and his friends.