BRECKSVILLE -- United States Marine Corps Sgt. Dennis Kancler, has been killed in action in Afghanistan. Kancler, 26, was the son of Dennis Kancler, who recently retired as Police Chief of Brecksville.
The younger Kancler was killed in action along with an unknown number of other servicemen on Sunday, according to sources.
His parents were traveling to Dover, Delaware on Monday to receive their son's remains.
Sgt. Kancler graduated from Brecksville Broadview Heights High School in 2003, and joined the Marine Corps in September of that year.
He stated in an article in 2008 that after 9/11 he wanted to serve his country.
He served his first two combat tours in Iraq in 2005 and 2006 and is the recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat "V" and the Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat "V," both earned for his service in Iraq.
Current Brecksville Police Chief Richard Mannarino knew the Kancler family well, having worked with his predecessor 32 years.
"When he joined the Marine Corps he was very happy about that. He was very proud of him," Mannarino told WKYC.
"He was always making trips to various camps he was at and he would come back and tell us stories about it. He was just proud. Proud of his son, proud of what he was doing, proud to be involved with him in any way that he could," Mannarino said.
Arrangements will be handled by the Nosek-McCreery Funeral Home of Brecksville. It was not clear when Sgt. Kancler's body would be returned to Northeast Ohio.
WKYC-TV
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