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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2009
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Contact: Zach Goldberg
202-225-5801 (office) |
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HOLT MOURNS LOSS OF SGT. BILL CAHIR
Former Newhouse Reporter, Congressional Candidate
Killed in Action in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province
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(West Windsor, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today expressed sadness over the death of United States Marine Corps Sgt. William J. Cahir of the 4th Civil Affairs Group (CAG), who was killed in action yesterday in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. As a reporter for the Easton Express-Times, Cahir frequently covered events in Central New Jersey. Cahir enlisted in the Marines at age 34 after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and he completed two tours in Iraq (from August 2004 to March 2005 and from September 2006 to April 2007). Cahir had deployed to Afghanistan this spring with the 4th CAG. In January 2008, Cahir left journalism to run in the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District.
“Our country has lost a great Marine, a family has lost a son and a husband, and I have lost a friend and colleague. Bill had to lobby the Marines to let him enlist at age 34, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He was determined to serve his country in its hour of need, and he did so with honor and distinction.
“Bill was a skilled, diligent, and determined journalist – one of the best I’ve encountered. When we spoke in between his tours in Iraq, his insights and observations helped me understand what was happening on the ground in Al Anbar province and in the rest of the country. He also helped me understand the daily lives of our troops – their concerns, needs, and hopes. He would have been an outstanding member of Congress, and I hope his example of service will inspire others. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Rene and his entire family.”
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