39 year old Mark Stets Junior was killed in Pakistan near a school when a bomb was detonated on Wednesday. Much of his family is from Western New York and still live here since his father was born in Niagara Falls. His dad grew up in Lewiston and then moved to Virginia where Mark was born.
Mark Stets Junior was part of the US Army Special Forces and stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with his wife and three daughters. His parents were with them at Dover Air Force Base Thursday evening where they received his body. Mark's aunt Mary Ann May lives in Lewiston. "At the time he was being received by his family at Dover... I went out and raised our flag and brought it back down to half mast because I would have given anything to be there and support the family," Mary Ann said.
Mary Ann lives in the house that Mark's grandfather built, where his father grew up, and where Mark would visit the family often over the years.
His uncle Eric Stets lives in West Seneca and says he sent a care package to Mark in December not long after he was deployed to Pakistan for this latest tour of duty. Eric was planning on spending time with his nephew when he came back home this summer. "In December I talked to him... and we had plans when he got back. We were gonna work on his motorcycle and get it fixed up with some custom parts," Eric Stets said. "But... he's in our thoughts and prayers now."
At Eric's house, the US flag in his front yard is flying at half staff in honor of his nephew. Mark also has an uncle in Rochester.
A memorial is scheduled for Stets at Fort Bragg on February 12th, which happens to be the birthday of his mother, his eldest daughter, and his aunt. "Very proud of him, very proud of all our troops," Mary Ann said. "All gave some, but some gave all."
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