Local Soldier Killed In Iraq

Private First Class James Prevete, 22, a resident of Whitestone, died on Sunday in a vehicle crash in Iraq, where he had been stationed for less than eight months.
Prevete attended Holy Trinity School, and later St. Francis Preparatory School. He spent a semester at Sacred Heart College in Connecticut before deciding to join the army.
"His mind was turned to the army. It was his calling," said Reverend James Fraser of Holy Trinity. The Prevete family declined to speak about their son, but Rev. Fraser, who is close to the family, spoke fondly of Prevete. "He was always a searcher and wasn’t afraid to try new and different things."
According to Rev. Fraser, Prevete’s letters home reflected his belief in the cause of the Iraq war. "He was literally willing to give his life to his country," said Fraser.
Prevete passed away during the same week of his mothers birthday and the anniversary of his grandmothers death, which the family observes with a mass every year. His mother, Jean, works as a librarian at Holy Trinity, and his younger sister, Laura, is a senior at St. Francis. His father, William, is a retired bank executive and a devoted member of Holy Trinity.
E-mail this reporter at sarah@queenscourier.com.