Tampa soldier dies of injuries from bombing in Afghanistan

Tampa soldier dies of injuries from bombing in Afghanistan

By Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, September 7, 2011

TAMPA — Christophe Marquis was 39 when he joined the Army.

His wife was wary, but Marquis insisted it was the best way he could provide. She had just given birth to their first son, Christopher.

"It was the health insurance, the chance to have a house and just to not have to worry about anything," Brittany Jackson-Marquis said.

He said goodbye and left for basic training. Then he moved to a base in Alaska and shipped off to Afghanistan as a private first class in April. On Sunday, he died at a German hospital from injuries suffered Aug. 27 in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan, the Army said.

Jackson-Marquis, 22, said Army officials told her a suicide bomber set off an improvised explosive device at a checkpoint where Marquis had been working that day.

"Christophe was the closest one to him," she said.

She flew to Germany last week with their son, but Marquis was already on life support. She talked to him anyway.

She thanked him for little Christopher and sang their song, Happy Together. He had loved that song from the time they began dating — the only one for me is you, and you for me.

On Saturday, their son, who will turn 2 next week, waved goodbye to his father at the hospital. The next day, Marquis was taken off life support.
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