Flags outside Marlborough City Hall flew at half staff, and traffic signs offered condolences to the family of a Massachusetts soldier who was killed in a helicopter crash this week while on a peacekeeping mission in Egypt.
Gov. Charlie Baker said in a tweet on Sunday that he and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito "are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Army Chief Warrant Officer Marwan Ghabour of Arlington, MA who tragically lost his life while serving our country."
"We extend our condolences to his family and friends during this incredibly difficult time," Baker said.
Ghabour, 27, who grew up in Arlington but lived in 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.
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"He loved helping people,'' he said. "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."
Ghabour was planning to return to the United States next month.
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.
