Soldier killed in Afghan crash buried in Ozarks

NEOSHO, Mo. -- A soldier killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan was remembered Saturday as a dedicated but fun-loving crew chief.

About 300 civilians and service members packed a tiny country church near Neosho to say goodbye to a fallen hometown hero, Army Staff Sgt. Daniel L. Kisling Jr.

Kisling, 31, was a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, a secretive unit known as the "Night Stalkers" that flies special forces commandos behind enemy lines. He was among four soldiers killed Jan. 30 when their helicopter crashed seven miles east of Bagram Air Base while on a training mission. The cause remains under investigation.

Kisling's awards and decorations -- including his Legion of Merit and Bronze Star -- were displayed on one side of his flag-draped casket, and pictures of his family members and fellow soldiers were on the other.

Army chaplain Robert Glazener joked that Kisling's glasses were so thick that fellow soldiers believed he could see into the future.

"He was clearly the best mechanic, and the best crew chief," Maj. Michael Gawkins, Kisling's unit commander, told mourners. "He was a pleasure to be around."

After the church service, Kisling's casket was carried to the cemetery behind Oakwood Christian Church for burial.

There, seven soldiers from Fort Campbell, Ky., where Kisling was stationed, fired three synchronized rounds for a 21-gun salute.

The flag from the casket was folded and presented to Kisling's pregnant wife, Georgie. Another was given to his mother, Velinda Kisling.

After the service, Velinda Kisling remembered her son's curiosity and sense of adventure. She recalled how he had once taken his sister outside on a warm, sunny day and used his glasses to "cook ants."

"He had a good sense of humor," she said. "He was a prankster, but he was brave."

Kisling and his wife began dating in high school in Neosho, and have three children: Nathan 13, Jessie 10, and Riley, 3. His parents still live in Neosho.

"My son was proud to be an American," Velinda Kisling said. "He stood for freedom, and he gave his life for freedom."

Kisling had been in the United States for Christmas and had returned to Afghanistan less than a month ago for his second assignment to the county since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"Danny was a patriot, a very dedicated man and a team player," Maj. Gen. William Boykin said during the service. "He was with people who loved him, who respected him and admired him."

Kisling was the third soldier with ties to the Ozarks killed in operations against the Taliban and al-Qaida terrorist forces in Afghanistan.

Army Sgt. Philip Svitak of Joplin was killed March 4 when his helicopter came under attack. Two days earlier, Chief Warrant Officer Stanley L. Harriman, who was born in Springfield and graduated from nearby Strafford High School, was killed by friendly fire.