Remembering Army Sergeant Zachary D. Tellier ~ NH Hero
Remembering Army Sergeant Zachary D. Tellier. He was KIA on 09/29/2007 when insurgents attacked his unit at Firebase Wilderness, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC.
Zach grew up in Bedford, NH where he enjoyed drams, skateboarding, and producing videos. He was an accomplished drummer in a rock band and a fan of rock artists such as Led Zepplin, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and Dropkick Murphy’s.
In the summer of 1993, Zack was chosen to participate in a small student exchange program in Poland where the students produced documentaries together in order to learn each other’s languages and cultures. He returned to Poland for two more summers to teach video production and American History. During his high school years, he taught children at the German Language School in Manchester. He graduated from Manchester West High School in 1994 and from American University in 1998 with a degree in Communications and History. During college he interned at National Geographic Magazine where he helped to choose photos for publication. He was president of the American University Rugby Club.
In September 2005, Zack made the decision to enlist in the US Army. He wanted to be responsible for his own success at a job he knew he could do well while serving his country. His dedication to the Army was obvious to his fellow soldiers and commanding officers. He stated in one of his blog entries that h “never felt more alive” than he did while he was in Afghanistan doing his job.
In April, Zack suffered serious burns while pulling two buddies from their exploded vechicle. He spent two weeks in Baghram Air Force Base Hospital in Afghanistan, but he complained daily how he needed to get back to “his guys”. In his brief time in the Army, Zack was awarded two Bronze Stars, one with Valor, two purple hearts, and several other awards and decorations.
His wife Sara says, “I just want Zack to be remembered as a person with a huge heart, a strong sense of morality and integrity, and someone who did what he believed in, right up until the last moment. He was a hero in all of our eyes, but he never would accept being called one.”
Forward Operating Base Wilderness was renamed “FOB Tellier” in Zack’s honor.
