Preston John Dennis

23-year-old Army Corporal Preston Dennis died Thursday in Kandahar Province from wounds he suffered when his unit was attacked by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, New York.

Dennis is survived by his mother Maria Mix, her husband and retired Modoc County Sheriff Bruce Mix, wife Heather Dennis, and sisters Angie and Amanda Dennis, all from the Redding area.

Preston graduated from Modoc High School in Alturas where he played baseball and soccer. Afterward Preston attended College of the Siskiyous where he was elected student body president and joined the school's snowboard team. He joined the military shortly after that.

At the time of this death, Dennis was on his second tour in Afghanistan as a squad leader after only nine months at home. He chose to forfeit the rest of his time at home out of dedication to his unit.He refused to stay behind and let his squad go without him.

Preston will be buried with full military honors at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo. He was an excellent son, an excellent brother, a great husband, a good citizen and a good soldier. He's a great American hero.

Arrangements under the direction of McDonald's Chapel, Burney, CA.