For most who grew up in New England, “Blizzard of ‘78” needs no explaining. What has become known as the benchmark storm for New England has since been outdone – at least in the record books – by a higher snow total and, as of this January, a higher coastal flood level, but February 6, 1978, has yet to be outdone in New England memory and lore.
The three U.S. Marines who were killed in a roadside bombing of an American convoy in Afghanistan on Monday were based at Fort Devens.
Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware; Sgt. Benjamin Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania; and Cpl. Robert Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York were killed after their convoy hit a roadside bomb near the main U.S. base just north of Kabul.
They were assigned to the 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division of the Marine Corps Reserve, based at Fort Devens, Massachusetts.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Slutman was a 15-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
The U.S. and NATO Resolute Support mission said the bomb hit the convoy near Bagram Airfield, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan.
The Taliban said they launched the attack and that one of their suicide bombers detonated his explosives-laden vehicle near the NATO base. The conflicting accounts could not be immediately reconciled.
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Monday's attack brings the number of U.S. soldier fatalities in Afghanistan so far this year to seven. Thirteen U.S. service members were killed last year in the country.
