Staff Sgt. Louis Bonacasa, 31, died when a suicide bomber attacked their patrol in a village outside Bagram Air Base in Parwan Province on December 20, 2015. He was serving his fourth and final military tour. He was from Coram, New York, graduated from Newfield High school in 2002, and a member of the New York National Guard.
He left behind a beautiful wife, Deb and his 5 year old daughter Lily. Bonacasa was serving his fourth military tour, this time in Afghanistan. He had previously served in Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Bonacasa was apparently planning on retiring from the armed forces after the end of his deployment, set for April of next year. A statement released by Middle Country School Supt. Roberta Gerold said Bonacasa was “a hero who died protecting the freedoms we enjoy each day.” Bonacasa’s brother, Vinny, who remained stoic in the face of his tremendous loss, stated “This was supposed to be his last tour. He was just going to come home, buy a house, and raise a family. The way that. The way that it should have been,” Vinny Bonacasa said.