Army Spc. Alan N. Dikcis

Died March 5, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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21, of Niagara Falls, N.Y.; assigned to the 630th Engineer Company, 7th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died March 5 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

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Soldier had hoped to make career out of Army

The Associated Press

Alan Dikcis adored his 3-year-old daughter, Sophia, and looked forward to seeing her during a two-week leave from combat in Afghanistan this month.

The Army specialist was proud to serve his country, and hoped to make a career of it. But rather than fixing bomb-clearing equipment when it breaks down in the field, he wanted to be a helicopter mechanic.

“Everything Alan did, he did to make Sophia proud,” said his stepmother, Gricela Dikcis.

Spc. Dikcis died before getting to see his daughter again. He was killed March 5 after his military vehicle was bombed near Marjah, Afghanistan. The soldier, assigned to Fort Drum, died in Kandahar while being flown to a hospital.

“He made us proud, he made his daughter proud, but you just hate to lose a son this way,” Gricela Dikcis said. “It is a tragedy he won’t be here to watch (Sophia) grow up.”

Alan Dikcis, 21, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., was a 2006 graduate of Niagara Wheatfield High School.

He enjoyed going to the beach, working on cars, four-wheeling and riding his yellow and black motorcycle with friends.

He also leaves behind his father, Robert S. Dikcis Sr.