Spc. Alan N. Dikcis
Born July 20, 1988 in Amherst, NY
Died March 5, 2010 in Kandahar, Afghanistan
Alan was one of six boys in his family. A classic young man growing up, Alan was into four-wheeling, motorcycles and hiking. He was proud of his country and his hero’s in life were those who made something of themselves; those that made a difference. Alan looked up to his older brother Stanley, who was serving in the Army, something Alan wanted to do himself from an early age. He graduated from high school in 2006 and a year later enlisted in the Army. In January of 2008 he was assigned to Fort Drum, New York. Close enough to home that Alan made it home for Christmas 2008, joining his brothers Stanley and Thomas who were also serving in the Army. Stanley had been severely injured in Afghanistan a year earlier by a roadside bomb, and Alan’s specialty in the Army was clearing roadside bombs and repairing the equipment used in the searching for them. A hard worker, his pride in his specialty was evident to all his fellow soldiers. His job was one of the most risky specialties, and Alan was able to put any fears he had aside because he knew he was making that difference he expected in others and himself. In July of 2009 he deployed to Afghanistan with the 630th Engineer Company (Clearance), 7th Engineer Battalion (Combat Effects), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat) (Airborne). Alan was a vehicle mechanic and his jobs were to upkeep and repair the vehicles that searched for and destroyed IED’s. On March 5, 2010, Alan was riding in a vehicle near the Taliban stronghold of Marjah when it hit an improvised explosive device. He died in the medical helicopter while being transported to the hospital. Alan had planned on making the military his career, having just reenlisted for seven years. He hoped to become a helicopter mechanic after his tour of duty in Afghanistan was over in July 2010. Alan was survived by his father Robert; his stepmother Gigi; his daughter Sophia; three brothers and two stepbrothers. His mother preceded him in death.
Burial: White Chapel Memorial Park in Amherst, NY
The Spc. Alan N. Dikcis by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
