Hopatcong to Honor Borough Man Killed in Afghanistan

Hopatcong hopes to give a borough man a tribute he deserves.

Mayor Sylvia Petillo said Friday morning that Hopatcong will honor Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr. at after its Memorial Day parade on May 28. Kirspel, 23, was killed on Oct. 27 when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.

"It'll be an opportunity for the community to be involved and to show appreciation for the sacrifice he made for all of us," Petillo said. "We want to invited the entire community to be part of that."

Petillo said Hopatcong will close streets for the parade, so if people hoping to attend the service should arrive at Veterans Park before 10 a.m.

Hundreds of people, including military members,

Kirspel graduated from Hopatcong High School in 2006.

Kirspel died near the village of Khwaja Kinti. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (Strike), 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

An Army press release said Kirspel joined the army in July 2006 and that he had previously deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2007 through November 2008.