'Things are starting to get crazy': Last words of U.S. 兵士 to family before he was killed in Afghan （激しい）反発 over Koran 燃やすing

By Damien Gayle
Updated:


A U.S. 兵士 発射 dead during a 暴動 誘発するd by a Koran 燃やすing 出来事/事件 told his family 'things were starting to get crazy' as the Afghan （激しい）反発 spiralled.

Corporal Timothy Conrad from Roanoke, Virginia, was killed after an Afghan 兵士 turned his gun on foreign 軍隊／機動隊s on Thursday during a 暴動 outside a U.S. base in Nangarhar 州.

The 22-year-old's sister said he had spoken to his family just a day earlier about the violent 抗議するs 誘発するd by the Koran burnings, but he seemed in good spirits.

Stars and Stripes: Soldiers carry the flag-draped coffin containing Corporal T.J. Conrad for transfer to the mortuary at Dover Air Force Base yesterday

星／主役にするs and （土地などの）細長い一片s: 兵士s carry the 旗-draped 棺 含む／封じ込めるing Corporal T.J. Conrad for 移転 to the 霊安室 at Dover 空気／公表する 軍隊 Base yesterday

'He was doing good. He had his chin up,' she told the Associated 圧力（をかける）. '... He did say that things were starting to get crazy from the （激しい）反発.'

The 団体／死体s of Corporal Conrad and Sergeant Joshua Born, 25, who was killed in the same 暴動, were returned yesterday to Dover 空気／公表する 軍隊 Base, Delaware.

In a sombre cerem ony, white white-gloved 軍の teams 解除するd the 旗-draped 事例／患者s 耐えるing the remains of the two men from an arriving 計画（する） and transferred them to the 軍の 霊安室.

More than two dozen people, 含むing four U.S. 軍隊／機動隊s, have been killed since Tuesday, when it first 現れるd that Korans and 宗教的な 構成要素s had been thrown into a 解雇する／砲火／射撃 炭坑，オーケストラ席 used to 燃やす garbage at Bagram 空気／公表する Field, a large U.S. base north of Kabul.

大統領 Barack Obama and other U.S. 公式の／役人s apologised and said it was a terrible mistake, but the 出来事/事件 has sent thousands into the streets in Afghanistan.

Sombre: Corporal Conrad and Sergeant Sergeant Joshua Born were killed in a riot outside their base in Nangarhar province on Thursday

Sombre: Corporal Conrad and Sergeant Sergeant Joshua Born were killed in a 暴動 outside their base in Nangarhar 州 on Thursday

Corporal Conrad, the father of a 7-month-old baby, had only （軍隊を）展開する，配備するd to the country last month and was to have celebrated his 23rd birthday on March 6.

Ms Meland said Corporal Conrad's 未亡人, Holly, was not at the couple's house when 軍の 公式の／役人s 最初 （機の）カム to 通知する her of his death.

'They had come earlier, but she was not there. She had 現実に just mailed out his birthday 一括,' Ms Meland said.

Violence: An Afghan policeman uses his baton to disperse demonstrators during a protest against Koran desecration in Kabul

暴力／激しさ: An Afghan policeman uses his baton to 分散させる デモ参加者／実演宣伝者s during a 抗議する against Koran desecration in Kabul

Corporal Conrad was born in Newport News, Virginia, and was still a toddler when his family moved to Roanoke, where he was a member of the 格闘するing team at Northside High School.

After high school, he joined the Army Reserve, switching a short time later to active 義務.

Ms Meland said her brother 手配中の，お尋ね者 to make the 軍の his career, planning to re-enlist and hoping to be 駅／配置するd at Fort Eustis, Virginia, to be closer to family.

He was also hoping to have another baby.

Corporal Conrad's family has 地位，任命するd a ビデオ 尊敬の印 to him on YouTube.

'We're very proud of our T.J.,' said his aunt Shannon Lemm. 'We want everyone to know his 指名する and see his 直面する.'

Backlash: An Afghan policeman walks by a burning police truck set alight by protestors during an anti-US demonstration over burning of Korans

（激しい）反発: An Afghan policeman walks by a 燃やすing police トラックで運ぶ 始める，決める alight by protestors during an anti-US demonstration over 燃やすing of Korans

Ms Meland 述べるd Corporal Conrad as a joker and class clown, always able to bring a laugh to those around him.

'He could barely sit still,' she said. 'Even when his wife was in 労働, he was doing karate moves in the 配達／演説／出産 room.'

'When we Skyped with him Wednesday morning, he was doing the same thing, making all his jokes,' she said.

Ms Meland said the deaths of Corporal Conrad and Sergeant Born, whose 親族s also …に出席するd Saturday's 死傷者 return, have left both families 荒廃させるd.

'You see it on TV, you see it in the movies, but you just never 推定する／予想する it's going to be your family or your 兵士,' she said.

Most watched News ビデオs

Comments 8

株 what you think

The comments below have not been 穏健なd.

The 見解（をとる）s 表明するd in the contents above are those of our 使用者s and do not やむを得ず 反映する the 見解（をとる）s of MailOnline.

We are no longer 受託するing comments on this article.