LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — A funeral service honoring the life of a soldier from Washington state who died in combat in Afghanistan will be held at Cascade High School in Leavenworth next Sunday.
Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso, 25, of Leavenworth supported Operation Freedom’s Sentinel – the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan. He died Nov. 24 from wounds sustained while engaging enemy forces in Kahash Rod District, Nimruz Province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense. The Associated Press reports Jasso was likely accidentally killed by friendly fire.
The funeral for Jasso, a 2012 graduate of Cascade High School, will be held on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 11 a.m. in the school’s main gym.
Cascade principal Elia Alaili-Daley said Jasso was his aide when he served as the school's assistant principal and athletic director. He described Jasso as someone who was always kind and polite.
"He was a pretty quiet, humble kid. For the most part he lived a normal high school life," Alaili-Daley said.
"Teachers remember him as a young man who was nice to his friends, well-respected by his classmates — a lot of love and support from his classmates over the past few days," he continued.
Jasso served in the U.S. Army's second Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington as a team leader. A native of Leavenworth, Jasso joined the Army in August 2012, according to USASOC.
Jasso's awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Ranger Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Expert Infantryman Badge. This was his third deployment to Afghanistan.