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vets4ever
Member
35 Posts |
 Posted - 06/18/2009 : 06:09:30 AM
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Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Dupont, who grew up in Chicopee, dies from injuries following explosion in Afghanistan
Posted by dbshepar June 17, 2009 14:41PM
By HOLLY ANGELO
hangelo@repub.com
CHICOPEE - Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin A. Dupont succumbed to his battle injuries Wednesday morning following a three-month fight for his life.
Dupont, a 1976 Chicopee High School graduate, was burned over 65 percent of his body on March 8 after the Humvee in which he was riding in Afghanistan ran over an improvised explosive device. He died at Brooke Army Medial Center in San Antonio, Texas, where he had been treated for deep third-degree burns and had undergone weekly skin grafts.
"He developed bacteria in his blood," said Bruce E. Socha, a close family friend who went to high school with Dupont. "I always held out hope because Kevin was never a guy down for the count. I realize his quality of life would have been an issue if he pulled through, but we just wanted to hear his voice."
Dupont was 52 and was stationed in Afghanistan with the Massachusetts Army National Guard. He lived in the Boston area with his wife, Lisa, but his parents, Herbert R. and Gwendolyn A. Dupont, still live in Chicopee. Gwendolyn Dupont was too upset to talk about her son's passing.
More than 1,000 people attended a spaghetti dinner fund-raiser for Dupont's family on May 31. While at the dinner, the family received news that Kevin had taken a turn for the worse. They traveled to Texas and stayed for a week, Socha said. Kevin's wife was at his side when he died, he said.
"We all loved him so much. We hoped against hope," Socha said.
Kevin suffered burns on his hands, face and legs and also had lung damage. Last month, Christopher R. Dupont, Kevin's younger brother who lives in Belchertown, said it was a race against time to cover his brother with new skin because of the constant threat of bacterial infections.
Kevin enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduating from high school and served two tours of duty. He then joined the National Guard. In Afghanistan, he worked with tribal leaders to identify insurgents.
"I still had hope," said Linda M. McCarthy, a cousin of Kevin's who lives in Chicopee and helped organize the fund-raiser with Socha and others. "I know Lisa was trying to keep it upbeat, but I knew things were not good."
Doctors had told the family that Kevin would need to be hospitalized for the next two to three years.
Funeral arrangements have not been finalized. Updates will be posted at You must be logged in to see this link.
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TAPS - SFC Dupont
