Providence Marine dies in Afghanistan

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Eyewitness News has learned that a Providence Marine has died while serving in Afghanistan.

According to the Department of Defense, Lance Corporal Abraham Tarwoe, 25, died Thursday.

Officials say Tarwoe died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was a mortarman with 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Tarwoe joined the Marine Corps in 2009 and was promoted to Lance Corporal in August of 2010.

Friday night, Tarwoe's family described him as a great man with a wonderful sense of humor.

"He was very funny," said his brother, Randall Karr, "and he always kept everyone laughing, and he was just a really good person."

Tarwoe leaves behind a wife and one year-old son, who live near Camp Lejeune. Karr says the family is worried about how Tarwoe's death will affect his son in the future.

"It's hard because he's just a little kid," Karr said.  "He's going to be growing up. He's going to want his dad around, and I guess someone will have to explain to him what happened. So it's going to be really tough."

Governor Lincoln Chafee has ordered the flags to be lowered to half staff in Tarwoe's honor.

The body of Tarwoe returned to United States soil Monday morning. A photo from the Associated Press shows a coffin carrying Lance Cpl. Abraham Tarwoe as it arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before dawn.