Posted on 01/24/2007 7:35:55 AM PST by Flightdeck
DAYTON — A Carroll High School and University of Dayton graduate was among 13 U.S. troops killed in a helicopter crash Saturday in Iraq, a family member said Tuesday.
Col. Paul Kelly, 45, had been scheduled to return home to Stafford, Va., in March following an extended deployment with the Army National Guard, said Peggy Kelly of Beavercreek, who is married to Col. Kelly's brother Patrick.
He's believed to be the first UD graduate killed in Iraq.
"They're heartbroken and just grieving terribly," Peggy Kelly said of Col. Kelly's parents, who live in Beavercreek.
"One thing his mom did say: 'I just can't believe there are 12 other mothers in the same situation I'm in.' "
Investigators probing the scene of the helicopter crash found evidence it may have been shot down, a senior military official said this week.
Area residents recall slain soldier's selflessness, bravery
Ben Sutherly
BEAVERCREEK — Col. Paul Kelly was a Civil War buff who hoped to teach high school history after retiring from the military, his sister-in-law said Tuesday.
"It was perfect for him to live in Virginia because he could visit the (battle) sites," Peggy Kelly of Beavercreek said of her brother-in-law, who graduated from Carroll High School in 1979 and the University of Dayton in 1984.
Col. Kelly, 45, was one of 13 U.S. troops killed Saturday in a helicopter crash in Iraq. He's survived by his wife, Maria, and two sons, Paul David, 9, and John Joseph, 5, all of Stafford, Va.
Kelly, who deployed to Iraq this past fall and had been scheduled to come home in March, is believed to be UD's first graduate killed in Iraq. A graduate of the university's business school with a degree in management, he was a member of Alpha Nu Omega fraternity.
Col. Kelly has family in Beavercreek: his parents, John and Mary Rose Kelly; brother Patrick; and sister Theresa Kelly. He also is survived by brothers John of Boston and Tony of Maine; and sister Brita Kelly of Portland, Ore. His siblings are UD graduates.
Kelly, a former Blackhawk and Apache helicopter pilot, was with the Army National Guard, which on Tuesday declined comment on his death.
"He was a really good person — my husband would say a 'solid' person," Peggy Kelly said. "He loved his job; he loved his career in the military. He thought it was the right thing to do."
Col. Kelly's family in Beavercreek learned of his death late Sunday and is now in Virginia to assist with funeral arrangements and to support his widow and children, she said.
"He was very giving ... always looking out for others," she said. "He just had it together."
Col. Kelly's father flew fighter jets in Vietnam, Peggy Kelly said. He served as UD's assistant director of graduate and alumni placement from 1977 to 1989, according to university records.
"The University of Dayton community is deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Col. Paul Kelly," Daniel J. Curran, University of Dayton president, said in a prepared statement. "We know that he bravely served his country. May his life serve as a example of selflessness and love. We offer our prayers and support to his family. They are such a part of UD's family."
You are probably already aware of this, but FYI.
I did not know him, and I was here at UD then. Sad.
What a great loss.
Eternal rest grant him, O Lord. Let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Prayers for the soul of COL Kelly and for his family. May he rest in peace.
Prayers.
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