MARLBOROUGH — The death of a young soldier who grew up here has hit folks in this small southwestern New Hampshire community hard this Memorial Day weekend.

Chief Warrant Officer Christopher R. Thibodeau died Thursday of injuries sustained in a helicopter crash during combat operations in Paktika province, Afghanistan, according to a Department of Defense news release. He was 28.

An Army helicopter pilot, Thibodeau was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas.

Thibodeau is the son of Robert and Doreen Thibodeau, who were active in this community until they moved to Ohio about 15 years ago, according to friends. He married his wife, LeeSandra, last June and was deployed to Afghanistan a month later.

Thibodeau was due to come home in three weeks, friends say. He and his wife were looking forward to celebrating their first wedding anniversary.

Instead, his family was en route to Dover Air Force Base Saturday to receive Thibodeau's casket. The funeral will be in Ohio, where Thibodeau will be buried.

Family friend Tim Miner said he and his wife plan to attend the funeral of the young man they watched grow up in this town. The families have stayed close; just a year ago, they attended Chris' wedding.

“Chris was an exemplary human being,” Miner said. “Even when he was a young man, he set goals for himself, and come hell or high water, he would meet those goals.”

Thibodeau had talked about becoming a pilot since he was a little boy, Miner said. “He wanted to fly. And finally, his dream came true when he became a helicopter pilot.

“If there is any solace in this at all, it's that he was doing what he loved to do.”

Thibodeau's mother told the Cleveland Plain Dealer her son was a proud soldier and knew the risks. “He told me that, 'If I die in Afghanistan, I want you to remember that I loved to fly and ... you have to promise that under no circumstances that you will be mad. I died doing what I loved to do.' ”

His hometown will honor Thibodeau during Memorial Day ceremonies today. A wreath will be thrown into the Minnewawa River from a bridge not far from the home in which he grew up.

Sue Bemis, a family friend, said the death of one of Marlborough's native sons brings the meaning of this holiday in sharp focus.

“I think we all tend to forget that there are young men over there until it hits you at home,” she said. “For Chris to die so close to Memorial Day, doing what he loved for this country, no better gift could he have given anyone.”

Thibodeau was in the front co-pilot's seat Thursday when something happened to the pilot, Bemis said.

“For some reason, the pilot could not fly the Apache, and Chris had to crash land,” Bemis said. “He did it in such a way that he saved the pilot, is what [Doreen Thibodeau has] been told.”

Chris Thibodeau was a kid with curly dark hair “and a little grin that just kind of melted your heart,” Bemis said. “Chris was just a really fun kid. He was all boy.”

She will always remember him, Bemis said. “Chris hasn't been here for a long time, but he'll always be a Marlborough boy.”

When the family lived here, Thibodeau's mother was active in the PTA, Bemis said, and his father served on the school board and was a Scout leader. The family also includes his sister Nicole and his brother Michael.

John Fletcher, Marlborough's town moderator and a long-time youth baseball umpire, watched Chris Thibodeau grow up and play ball. “He was always a nice young man,” he said.

Fletcher is also commander of the local American Legion Post. On Sunday, he'll include special honors for Thibodeau in the annual Memorial Day observance held in Pine Grove Cemetery at 12:30 p.m.

“He was there doing what he wanted to do for his country,” Fletcher said. “Being a veteran myself, I appreciate that.”

Tim Miner said Thibodeau's death reminds people why this nation established Memorial Day in the first place.

“It'll be somber. It'll be sad,” he said. “You help raise these guys. You help bring them up to be part of a community, and it's real hard when something like this happens.

“Part of you goes with them.”