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SGT Chad D. Frokjer
August 11, 1983 – June 30, 2011 Chad was 27 years old when he lost his life in Afghanistan. He was the second child born to Brian & Arlene Frokjer in Maplewood, MN. In her own words Chad’s sister, Nikki, tells us about her brother: “As a child Chad loved to play with his Tonka trucks; he would dig for hours. One time during his youth, his parents thought he had gone missing, only to find him in a five-foot hole that he and his Tonka truck had dug. At the young age of three Chad instructed his family to stop singing him Happy Birthday but to sing him Born in the USA instead. These things as well as many others may have laid the groundwork for Chad’s future career as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. Chad enlisted in the Marines after the tragedy of September 11, 2001. He loved music, running, and ‘jazzercise”—Chad’s name for the elliptical machine—and he was also a sports guru with a wealth of knowledge about any sport or sports trivia. More than anything he loved his wife, Leslie, whom he married on November 3, 2010. We know that he would have loved just as greatly, his son Eli James who was born October 6, 2011; whom he never had the chance to meet. Eli James carries Chad’s energy, charisma and the same look of adventure in his eyes. Chad was a natural born leader with a gift to motivate. As a Marine, Chad proved his intelligence by passing the Squad Leader’s course with a 99.3%, the highest score the Marines had ever seen. He served two tours of duty in Iraq and was deployed on his final tour to Afghanistan. Despite many adversities on his three tours of duty, Sergeant Frokjer stayed dedicated to his squad and family all the while staying true to his rambunctious, jovial personality.” SGT Chad Frokjer was killed in action by an explosive device on June 30th 2011 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was an experienced Marine on this third deployment. He served with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, as a convoy commander of a mobile assault team for the Battalion's Alpha Company, based at Camp Pendleton.” Shortly before he died Chad wrote on facebook, “Miss all of you……..Love you wife, baby and family.” Portrait sponsored by: |