Vigil tonight for Crystal Lake soldier killed in Afghanistan

A suburban soldier killed in Afghanistan this week was a giving friend, loving father and a great asset to the U.S. Army, friends and fellow soldiers said Wednesday.

Friends will mourn Spc. Jason A. McLeod tonight at a vigil scheduled for 7 p.m. at the home Julie Ghannam, the mother of McLeod's wife, Aimee Ghannam, at 356 Lloyd St, Cary.

McLeod of Crystal Lake died Monday west of Pashmul, Afghanistan, after his unit was attacked with mortar fire, the Department of Defense said.

McLeod was posthumously promoted to sergeant, said Major Brad Leighton, a spokesman for the U.S. Army.

Friends say McLeod was deployed to Afghanistan in May and was due to come home on leave in less than a month. They say he was a mechanic who worked on Humvees.

The 2006 graduate of Crystal Lake Central High School also served in Iraq in 2007 for about a year.

Dionna Nino, a school friend, remembered McLeod as an "amazing person" and the first friend she made in junior high school.

"He had a heart of gold and personality and smile to light up a whole room and I will never forget that," Nino wrote in an e-mail Wednesday. "He is a hero to all..."

Jessica Reidel-Strohl, who served in the company as McLeod in Afghanistan, said McLeod was a soldier who was willing to lend a hand whenever someone needed help.

"He was always there when we needed something, and didn't quit until the job was done," Reidel-Strohl, of Montgomery, Texas, wrote in a message. "He will always be apart of us, watching over us."

Requests for comment from the family were forwarded to the Army's public affairs department.

While in the Army, McLeod received numerous awards, including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

He's survived by his wife of more than 2 years, Aimee Ghannam, 15-month-old daughter Jocelyn, parents and two siblings.

He was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

• The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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