Loved ones honor soldier

Daniel Pratt was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and a service medal.
By KATIE LIBECCO
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- Friends and family of Sgt. 1st Class Daniel J. Pratt sang & quot;America, The Beautiful & quot; as members of the Army National Guard and the United States Marines Honor Guard stood outside St. Christine Church and church bells rang to conclude a burial Mass honoring the local soldier who died in Iraq.
Saturday morning was bright and clear for the service for the 48-year-old Austintown man who died Nov. 3 in Nasiryah, Iraq, while deployed with the 211th Maintenance Company, 129th Logistics Task Force. The military and Pratt's wife, Linda, have said his death was not combat-related.
Linda Pratt told The Vindicator her husband was responsible for a support group of about 13 or 14 soldiers and his work involved recovery and repair of fixed armored vehicles.
Pratt was scheduled to return home on leave Dec. 9. He was last home in June.
& quot;Just a day after Veterans Day, we come to pay tribute to Dan and all of the other men and women in Iraq and other places who are serving our country. As we thank God, we thank them for their service, & quot; the Rev. Monsignor David W. Rhodes told the gathering of about 200.
During the service, Pratt was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and the Ohio Distinguished Service Medal for meritorious service.
Monsignor Rhodes noted that Pratt was wearing a silver tag imprinted with the American flag and the Bible verse Joshua 1:9 when he died.
Many kind words
The verse, "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go, & quot; was repeated throughout the service.
Among those attending the service were U.S. Rep Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and Sgt. 1st Class Don Shiley, who told the gathering of his friend and colleague:
& quot;There's three things that come to mind when I think of Dan: dedication, commitment and 110 percent. I always wondered how someone could give more than 100 percent, because that's 100 percent. But Dan gave 110 percent, & quot; Shiley said in a brief speech.
He added: & quot;One other thing comes to mind when I think of Daniel. And that's my hero. & quot;
Pratt was laid to rest with full active-duty military honors in Resurrection Cemetery in Austintown. Before being deployed, he was a service foreman at Fyda Freightliner here for seven years.
He belonged to Fraternal Order of Eagles 3298 and American Legion Post 301, both of Austintown, and was an assistant soccer coach for St. Christine School, where his 11-year-old daughter, Lindsey, is a pupil. His son, Danny, 18, is a freshman at Kent State University.