? A soldier from Wading River died Saturday after succumbing to injuries he sustained after being shot in a gunfight with the Taliban on the Pakistan border.
Specialist Jonathan Keller, 29, a guardsman from the famed Fighting 69th, remained in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to the arm.
Friends of Keller say the soldier underwent nine surgeries and had been fighting for months.
On Monday, friends and relatives gathered and grieved Keller at his home after learning he had passed away.
Fellow soldiers remember Keller with honor, calling him a warrior and leader.
"He's an example of what is great about our country; he's an all around good guy. I say to him, Hooah," says First Lt. Louis Delli.
Keller was a Purple Heart recipient.