Wheatfield, NY ( WKBW ) "He was an amazing soldier. His sergeants loved him, anyone that worked with him loved to work with him, he was funny but he got the job done," Gricela Dikcis told Eyewitness News about her stepson Army Specialist Alan Nathan Dikcis.
The Fort Drum Office Of Public Affairs issued this release:
7th Engineer Battalion Soldier killed in Afghanistan
FORT DRUM, NY - A 7th Engineer Battalion Soldier was killed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Friday, March 5, when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle.
The Fort Drum Soldier killed is Spc. Alan N. Dikcis, 21, of Niagara Falls, NY.
Spc. Dikcis served as a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 630th Engineer Company (Clearance), 7th Engineer Battalion (Combat Effects), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat) (Airborne). He deployed in July 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This was Dikcis' first deployment.
Spc. Dikcis joined the Army in June 2007 and arrived to Fort Drum in January 2008.
Spc. Dikcis is survived by his daughter and father.
Spc. Dikcis' awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and NATO Medal.
21-year old Dikcis was killed in Afghanistan when the vehicle he was in was blown up by an improvised explosive devise.
"They were out on a mission, Alan was in the vehicle, I don't know how many people were with him, how many other soldiers were with him and it was blown up by an IED. He was pronounced dead en route by Medivac on the way to the hospital," Dikcis said.
Dikcis says her stepson loved his job so much he decided to re-enlisted after serving three years. He had dreams of becoming a helicopter mechanic. Dikcis says she was talked to Alan just before the mission. She says he expressed concern for their safety.
"He was saying that he had to go because they just informed him that he was gonna be going out again and he didn't understand why because they weren't prepared and he knew somebody was gonna get hurt," said Dikcis.
An Army official told her Alan had been killed.
Dikcis says Alan loved his family, friends, the beach and riding his motorcycle with his buddies. But most of all he loved his three-year old daughter Sofia.
"He had a little black car that he'd drive around in. He liked taking his daughter to the park," said Dikcis.
Dikcis and her husband Robert have six children. Three of their son's joined in the military, including Alan's step brothers Thomas and Randolph. With three sons in the military they always knew that something like this was possible but they never thought in would happen to their family.
Now as the family prepares to bring Alan home, she tries to find solace in knowing he died doing what he loved.
"He died for his country he was very proud of what he was doing. He believed in what he was doing, he was just the same as any other kid, father, son, daughter that's in the service. They're doing it for a reason so we can be free," said Dikcis.
Dikcis says her husband is in Dover, Delaware to his son's body when it arrives late Saturday night. Army Specialist Alan Nathan Dikcis' body will then be flown to Western New York.
Dikcis was a 2006 graduate of Niagara Wheatfield High School.
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