Latter-day Saint Life

LDS Soldier and Hero Killed in Afghanistan

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Latter-day Saint and Special Forces soldier Aaron Butler was killed in action in Afghanistan on August 16, 2017, after entering a booby-trapped building. While Butler and his 12-member team were clearing a building, an explosion went off, killing Butler and injuring 11 other members of the National Guard.

A four-time high school state wrestling champion, a Special Forces Green Beret, and a returned missionary who served in Ghana from 2009 to 2011, Butler always dreamed of serving his country.

“Aaron was absolutely fearless, selfless, courageous and relentless,” his father, Randy Butler, told theSan Juan Record.

After Aaron Butler's death, his family released the following statement:

“The Army values are: ‘Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless-Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage’. Aaron Butler personified those values in everything he said and did.
“In a life that was all too brief, our dear son and brother made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. While we are heartbroken to become a Gold Star family, we honor Aaron’s service and sacrifice.
“Aaron was a strength to us, an inspiration to those around him, and a joy to have in our family.”

Our prayers are with the Butler family.

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