Spec. Frederick Greene, 29

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Sunday, November 8, 2009

Spec. Frederick Greene was a Tennessee native so quiet and laid-back that he earned the nickname "Silent Soldier" while stationed at Fort Hood preparing to go overseas.

He hoped to spend the months before his deployment to Afghanistan with his wife of less than two years. She had made arrangements to leave their home in Mountain City, Tenn., next week and move to Fort Hood until January, when Greene was to ship out.

Instead, Greene's wife and family are planning his burial in the northeast corner of the state where he grew up.

The 29-year-old enlisted in the Army six months after getting married because the military seemed like the best way forward, said Howard Nourse of Kentwood, Mich., who said he considered Greene a grandson. Rural Mountain City offered relatively few opportunities to advance, and he wanted to build a career, perhaps in engineering.

Greene's mother died when he was a boy, and he was raised by her twin sister Karen Nourse, and Karen's husband, Rob Nourse. Family members are leaning on their Christian faith as they grieve, said Howard Nourse, Rob's father.

"God is still in control," he said. "Even though we don't understand why something happens, He's still in control."

-- Emma Brown