'For him, there was no other choice'

Image courtesy: U.S. Army

Moments after Spc. Joseph Caron was born, he had a permanent link to the U.S. military. He was named after his grandfather, who served honorably in Vietnam. The Army would also be a part of the future soldier's childhood, as his father served as well.

The Olympian reports that Spc. Caron never had any doubt about the path he would take in life.

"For him, there was no other choice," [wrestling coach Jason] Wiklund said. "What he wanted to do in life was to serve his country."

While Caron served with dignity, his deployment to Afghanistan ended in tragedy. According to the Pentagon, Caron, 21, was killed on April 11 by an improvised explosive device planted by terrorists in Char Bagh, Afghanistan. The paratrooper was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

Kris Sherman's article said that Caron joined the military almost immediately after graduating high school in Tacoma, Washington, in 2007. While Caron believed this was his duty, we cannot lose sight of this brave act. The young man enlisted fully knowing that two wars were in progress.

He was "always there with a joke when you needed it most and always putting forth 110 percent with fiery intensity," said Bravo Company commander Capt. Adam W. Armstrong in a news release.

"We knew we could depend on him in times when he was needed most," he said.

While the pain being felt by Caron's mother, father, stepmother, brother, sister, friends, and fellow troops is almost incomprehensible, they will hopefully be comforted by his legacy of service. The young man loved his family, but also loved the men and women he served alongside, whom he pledged to protect in a violent war zone.

As the Pacific Northwest mourns this American hero, a man who shares the same name is also saluting his grandson for a job well done. Spc. Joseph Caron was brought up amid the strong possibility of future military service, but it took a selfless personal decision to make that dream a reality. A quote by one of the soldier's favorite movie characters, Forrest Gump, may sum it up best:

"I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I think maybe it's both."