Local soldier laid to rest

More than 100 family, friends and military members from all branches of service gathered to say their last good-byes to Private First Class Matthew Colin Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Navarre resident was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He was killed Nov. 16 when an improvised explosive device detonated near him in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.

Colin was buried with full military honors at Barrancas National Cemetery, aboard NAS Pensacola.

The Rev. Chris Butera said during Colin’s eulogy that he had learned a great many things about Colin’s life from talking with his family and in particular, his mother Kathy. What emerged was a picture of a young man who touched many lives during his brief one.

For more on this story, see the Dec. 1 issue of the Navarre Press.