Dan's Papers - May 6, 2008 - Jordan Haerter, 19

Two weeks ago, while stationed at a checkpoint in Ramadi, Iraq, a local teenage boy, a son of Sag Harbor, lost his life in the line of duty. U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, a recent graduate of Pierson High School who enlisted in the Marines in 2006, is the first soldier from Sag Harbor killed in the Iraq war, the first military loss to the Village since World War II. The only child of Joann Lyles and Christian Haerter will now join an honor roll of men and women who have lost their lives while committed to a line of service that is respected and cherished by many on the East End.

On Saturday morning, a motorcade traveled down Main Street in Sag Harbor, returning Haerter's body to his hometown. One local resident who watched the proceedings said, "It was like a baby was being taken through the town." On Saturday and Sunday, a long line of people wanting to pay their respects extended for blocks down 114 from Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in Sag Harbor. The Patriot Guard Riders, a biker group that pays respects to soldiers killed in battle, held a vigil across from the funeral home, holding American flags as they stood in straight line. Busloads of veterans from surrounding areas were dropped off at the site.

The shock to those who knew Haerter is only matched by their grief and sorrow for his family. The town gathered at the First Presbyterian Church in Sag Harbor last Monday afternoon to pay their respects and give tribute to a teenage boy they watched grow into a young man. The details of the cause of death, possibly a roadside or suicide bombing, were not yet fully disclosed by the U.S. Department of Defense at the time of this writing.

The loss of the future of such a young man has touched the hearts and souls of many members of the community. Over the years there have been many memorials erected to honor members of the U.S. military who have died in service. We honor them again as we honor Jordan Haerter, who was proud of his uniform, home, community and family.

On Monday at the Oakland Cemetery in Sag Harbor, Jordan Haerter's coffin was draped with an American flag. Now part of this historic village's long legacy, he was laid to rest among other Sag Harbor residents before him, While his mother and father may never truly understand the loss they must live with, they witnessed the respect and honor so many genuinely felt about their child.

Haerter was the 30th Long Island resident who lost his life in the Iraq war. More than 4,000 members of the U.S. military have been killed since the war began five years ago.