Massachusetts Soldier Killed In Egypt Remembered For Helping Others

Flags outside Marlborough City Hall flew at half staff, and traffic signs offered condolences to the family of a local soldier who was killed in a helicopter crash this week while on a peacekeeping mission in Egypt.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Marwan Sameh Ghabour, 27, of Marlborough, died Thursday along with four other American soldiers from Texas, North Carolina, Ohio and Illinois. They were part of an international force that monitors the four-decade-old Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement and were said to be a routine mission when the Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Sharm el-Sheikh, a resort on the Red Sea.

Ghabour's younger brother, Muhaned Ghabour, said Saturday the family was still processing the news of his death but were feeling proud of who he was and what he was doing.

“He loved helping people,” he told NBC Boston. “He was part of something that was bigger than himself, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without him. He taught me so much. He was such a caring person.”

Strong morals always guided Ghabour, and he was proud to be a Muslim fighting for his country, his brother said.

“He had a very strong moral compass," he told the Boston Globe. “He did the right thing at all times even when it was hard."

The Army said Saturday that the cause of the crash was still under investigation. A French peacekeeper and Czech officer also were killed, and a sixth American on the helicopter was injured.