A local soldier laid down his life while serving in Afghanistan.

Army specialist, Christopher Wilson always wanted to be a soldier, but ultimately, it was this dream that took his life. "He died doing something he should be very very proud of and something that he loved to do, so I'm very very proud of him. I think everyone is," said close friend, April Boisjolie of South Hadley.

Wilson, who grew up in South Hadley and Chicopee, died March 29 in Afghanistan of wounds suffered from a grenade explosion. Boisjolie said, "I was in shock, you know, he had two months left. Two months left and he was going to be home for good and it's like, then all of a sudden we get, we get this news and it was, it was so devastating. It's still so shocking, it's like it's unreal."

April and her brother, Eric Boisjolie, knew Chris Wilson for close to eight years. They described the twenty-four-year-old Chicopee Comp grad as a selfless friend who loved life. "He was a really good person. He was the kind of kid that would give you the shirt off his back...Whenever I needed someone to talk to, he was always there. He was like a brother to me. We always kept in touch, he called me from Afghanistan several times," Eric Boisjolie said.

Chris's parents, Ilka and Scott Halliday of Chicopee, released a statement saying, "We loved our son and we are very proud of him and know that he did a great job. We know that he was well trained to do his job and loved what he was doing even under the circumstances. He also loved serving his country with his whole heart and truly believed in what he was doing."

He believed in to enough so to lay down his life in service of others. April Boisjolie said, "He was just a very caring and loving person and I would like people to remember that about him is that he's the nicest person anyone will ever come across."

Chris Wilson leaves behind his parents, at least one sibling and a four-year-old daughter who lives with her mother in Maine.