Public hero, private grief

Russell Durgin, an Army sergeant, died June 13, 2006, defending the sniper team he had led on a mission in the remote Korengal Valley. In the weeks that followed his death, his body was received home with honors befitting a hero: a flag flown in his name above the State House, a candlelight vigil attended by hundreds and a flag-lined funeral procession. Friends and strangers alike turned out to salute him. But those who feel Durgin's absence in their daily lives mourn more than the hometown hero. Their grief is daily and consuming.