Frank Gasper Tribute

Another Valley soldier has been killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Department of Defense confirmed on Tuesday that 25-year-old Sgt. Frank Joseph Gasper of Merced was killed in action.

Gasper died on May 25th, when his vehicle struck an IED near Diwaniyah, Iraq where he had been conducting resupply operations.

 Gasper had been a Radio Operator assigned to the Headquarters Support Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colo. Gasper enlisted in the Army back in October of 2002. He was two weeks into his fourth tour of duty at the time of his death.

Gasper is survived by his wife, Breanna of Colorado Springs.  He is also survived by his mother, Anita Richards, and his sister, Victoria Gasper of Calif.