Two Georgia Marines killed in Afghanistan

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Marine Staff Sgt. Aaron M.  Kenefick was wounded, but he kept on fighting.

“He was injured, and he had to fight one last time. He went right back out,” said his sister, Jade Myszka. “That’s just the person he was.”

Kenefick, 30, recently received a Purple Heart after he was injured by shrapnel. But he went back into combat. Earlier this week, he was one of two men with Georgia ties killed in Afghanistan.Marine Gunnery Sgt. Edwin W. Johnson Jr., 31, of Columbus, was also killed on the same day.  They were assigned to 3rd Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

Myszka said she talked to her brother, Kenefick, the day before he died. Now, she and sister Jaque are finalizing the arrangements for their big brother’s funeral.

“He told me he loved me and he told me about his injuries and not to worry,” Myszka said. “I’m very grateful I had the opportunity to hear his voice one last time.”

Kenefick graduated from Roswell High School in 1997 after moving there as a 10th grader when he and his mother moved  from  Williamsville, N.Y.  He joined the Marine Corps after high school.

Kenefick did not brag about his achievements and numerous missions. Friends and family were drawn to him because of his sense of humor.

“He was a very comical person, yet sensitive and knew how to be strong when he needed to be,” Myszka said.

Last year, Kenefick and a high school girlfriend, Kerry Crosby, had reunited. Despite Kenefick being stationed in far away war zones, he was constantly in touch with his family, and Crosby.

This week, Kenefick’s parents, Donnie Kenefict and Susan Price, traveled to Dover, Del., where his body arrived. His sisters helped plan his funeral, and shared his story repeatedly with others.

Myszka said she wants others to know just how dedicated her brother was to his mission. “He was a hero.”