Local soldier dies in Afghanistan

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - A Williamsville family is dealing with tragic news Saturday night.

A 21 year old army specialist has died while serving in Afghanistan.

Army Specialist Blake Whipple attended Williamsville East High School.

He just joined the Army in March of last year where he served as a Combat Engineer.

He is survived by his parents and 3 siblings.

Blake Whipple graduated from Williamsville High School in 2007.

News 4 just spoke to his parents and two older brothers and they were extremely proud of him because when he made the decision to join the U.S. Army he was determined to follow through with it and committed to serve his country.

His father tells News 4 as his parents, they lived with a constant fear of when he joined the U.S. Army knowing that one day the knock on the door could come saying their son was gone.

They got the news yesterday afternoon, Blake was a combat engineer and his job was to clear roadside bombs and sadly that is what killed him.

Whipple's father tells News 4 that Blake's smile could light up a room and he made it a point to tell one story a couple of times in describing Blake.

"Blake was, I'll describe him the way I always describe him, if you found 100 people that didn't know Blake and put them all together in a room with Blake, in about an hour he'd have 99 good friends. He was just that gregarious and he cared a lot for other people."

Blake was back home in September for his birthday which was September 4th that is when he turned 21.

His father said Blake did not like Afghanistan but he was committed to serving his country.