BF soldier killed in Afghanistan

BONNERS FERRY — A soldier with ties to Bonners Ferry and Lewiston died Tuesday in Koragay, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered enemy small-arms fire.

Spc. Ethan J. Martin, 22, was assigned to 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

His family, which requested privacy and no media contact, said Martin was a “very loving young man with a tender heart.”

“He loved Idaho and he loved to hunt and fish,” they said in a statement released by military officials.

After leaving the Army, Martin planned to go to nursing school to help others.

He leaves behind a loving family and many friends in Bonners Ferry and northern Idaho. His family includes his mother and father, his sister, four stepsisters and three stepbrothers.  He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Leroy Oakes and Ron Marcy.

“He will be greatly missed by his family and his friends,” the release said.