Marine Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier, 25, of Charlotte, N.C.

LCpl Pier was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died Feb. 16, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A 25-year-old Marine from Charlotte died Tuesday while serving in Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.

Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Pier, a machine gunner who joined the Marine Corps in 2007, died in the ongoing combat offensive in Helmand province, the Department of Defense said.

He had served one previous tour in Iraq and deployed to Afghanistan in November.

Pier has been awarded the Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Lance Cpl. Noah Pier always wanted to be a Marine, and his family said they'll miss his "laughter and love of life."

Noah Pier "was our son, brother, grandson, uncle and cousin. He believed in what he was fighting for and he died for your freedom," the family said in a statement late Thursday.

Noah, 25, of Charlotte, died Tuesday while serving in Afghanistan in the combat offensive in Helmand province, the Department of Defense said this week. He was a machine gunner assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Lance CPL. Pier, who joined the Marine Corps in 2007, had served one previous tour in Iraq and deployed to Afghanistan in November.

"Lance Cpl. Noah Miles Pier was our son, brother, grandson, uncle and cousin. He believed in what he was fighting for and he died for your freedom. Noah proudly served his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The oldest of 10 siblings and the first grandson on both sides of the family, Noah always wanted to be a Marine.

"Noah was such a happy man and he loved to laugh. He greatly anticipated coming home from Afghanistan to marry his childhood sweetheart, Rachel Black. His laughter and love of life will be sorely missed.

"Noah will be escorted home to Charlotte by family member (gunnery sergeant) Michael L. Kiernan, U.S.M.C.

"Noah will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Charlotte services are pending.

"We truly appreciate the outpouring of support from our friends and neighbors in the Charlotte-area.

"Lance Cpl. Noah Miles Pier, our hero."

Lance Cpl. Noah Pier is survived by his parents Mark and Vikki Pier, 9 siblings, maternal and paternal grandparents as well as his fiance Rachel Black, nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Marine Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier was killed in action on 2/16/10.