Nicholas A. Sprovtsoff

A LIFE REMEMBERED

We speak the name.

Marine Staff Sgt. Nicholas A. Sprovtsoff died Sept. 28 in Helmand province, Afghanistan while conducting combat operations. He was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Marine was dedicated to serving the military The Associated Press DAVISON, Mich. &mdash A Marine from Michigan who was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan had a dedication to the military that went back to when he was a high school student, a former coach said. Staff Sgt. Nicholas Sprovtsoff, 28, of Davison died Sept. 28 in Helmand province along with Sgt. Christopher Diaz, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., the Defense Department said. He was assigned to the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. Sprovtsoff graduated in 2001 from Davison High School, about 50 miles north of Detroit. His former high school tennis coach at the school, Walt White told, The Flint Journal that Sprovtsoff always talked about wanting to be a Marine. &ldquoIt doesn&rsquot surprise me that he died in honor because he was such a wonderful human being,&rdquo White said. &ldquoHe was a great kid.&rdquo Sprovtsoff, a 10-year veteran of the Marines, is survived by his wife, Tasha, and a daughter, Lanie, who live near where he was stationed, the military said. Sprovtsoff, who most recently served as an explosive ordnance disposal technician, completed his Marine basic training following his graduation from high school. His mother, Sandee, told the newspaper in 2003 that she was impressed with her son&rsquos commitment. &ldquoThat&rsquos a lot for a 19-year-old,&rdquo she said at the time. &ldquoHe thought he was doing the right thing and he&rsquos really committed to his nation and the people who have trained him &mdash we&rsquore behind him 100 percent.&rdquo Sprovtsoff had been deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom.