Fallen soldier memorialized in upstate NY
Muslim prayers joined American military honors in upstate New York as family, friends and fellow soldiers remembered Mohsin Naqvi, a U.S. Army officer killed in Afghanistan.
About 350 people gathered Monday for a Shia funeral service before his burial with full military honors in a nearby cemetery.
Naqvi, who was born in Pakistan and came to the U.S. with his family as a child, was one of four soldiers killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol last week.
An Army honor guard from Fort Drum's 10th Mountain Division carried Naqvi's flag-draped coffin into a prayer hall on the outskirts of Albany, where mourners remembered the 26-year-old, who had been married in the same mosque.
"He was married here a day before he was deployed," said Shakil Virjee, a member of the mosque's board of trustees and a friend of the family.
Naqvi was born in Pakistan and came to America when he was 8 years old. His family settled in the Hudson Valley city of Newburgh, where he grew up and went to school. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen when he was 16.
His wife, Raazia, and her family are from the Albany area, and the Naqvis frequently traveled from Newburgh to worship at the mosque, Virjee said.
Naqvi joined the Army Reserve a few days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and went on to serve in Iraq. He later re-enlisted for active duty and become a first lieutenant.
During part of his military service, Naqvi was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company at Fort Benning in Georgia, where he worked under the command of Capt. Carl Purgerson.
"Lt. Naqvi was my (executive officer) for about six months," Purgerson said as he stood outside the mosque Monday. "He made it a joy to come to work, very dedicated and a true patriot to the core."
New York Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Eric Hunt also knew Naqvi, though they never served together. They were next door neighbors in Newburgh for years.
"I've known him since he was a teenager," Hunt said, fighting back tears as he spoke.
"Whenever he was home we'd get together and talk about Army stuff. We had that in common," Hunt said. "He was always cracking jokes. We went to his brother Hassan's high school graduation party last year, and he was the life of the party."
Some who knew Naqvi said he hoped his Muslim faith and heritage could help bridge cultural divides, but often struggled against people who questioned his patriotism.
"We were really proud of him joining the forces," said Aziz Ahsan, a Hudson Valley lawyer who survived the attack on the World Trade Center and is active in the area's Muslim community.
"He's the most patriotic person I've known, and he sacrificed his life for all Americans, not just Muslim Americans."
Link:
Fallen soldier memorialized in upstate NY -- Newsday.com
