A Marine Corporal from Louisville who was a graduate of DeSales High School has died in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense announced April 17 that U.S. Marine Cpl. Aaron M. Faust, 22, died April 15 during combat operations. He served as a food service specialist assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Faust joined the Marine Corps in November 2007. He was promoted to the rank of corporal in August of 2010.
Doug Strothman, president of DeSales, said Faust’s senior year was Strothman’s first at the school, “so I didn’t have a great deal of contact with him. But he was a likeable individual, very quiet, who wasn’t involved in a lot of things around school.”
Strothman said Faust had what he called “something of an epiphany” following a Christian Awakening Retreat his senior year. “He kind of blossomed and came into his own then,” he recalled. Faust also returned to his alma mater two years ago “wearing his dress blue uniform,” Strothman said.
“He was a completely different person, very confident and very proud of himself,” he added.
Faust’s family released a statement April 17 that said: “We appreciate the concern from out neighbors. As you must understand, our family is still in shock and we are grieving the loss of our son and brother. It comforts us to know that we have the support of our community, citizens and country that Aaron died to protect.”
Faust had been awarded the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and NATO Medal-ISAF Afghanistan, according to a press release from the 2nd Marine Division Public Affairs Office.
A release from the Department of Defense said the incident is under investigation.
