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MONTICELLO — Looking back, it's clear to Aaron Butler's tight-knit family that the qualities that made the southern Utah native such a remarkable soldier defined his nearly 28 years of life.
As a child he had boundless energy and a knack for mischief to match.
On the wrestling team he was known for his work ethic and sportsmanship as much as for his four state titles.
And to those he loved, he was generous, intelligent, patriotic and protective.
Butler, a staff sergeant in the Army National Guard and a member of the elite Green Berets, died clearing a booby-trapped building Aug. 16 in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province.
Butler was laid to rest Saturday in his hometown of Monticello, as his parents, siblings, fiancee and military companions celebrated a life well-lived and an inspiring man gone too soon. The funeral service in the church Butler grew up attending was filled to capacity by family and friends from Butler's hometown, as well as his military associates.
The service concluded with a tearful graveside ceremony — including a 21-gun salute, the playing of taps and a helicopter flyover — where Butler's family gathered close to the casket to say their goodbyes. Members of Butler's Special Forces group presented Laura Butler, Aaron Butler's mother, with the flag that had draped her son's casket, while two folded flags were touched tenderly to its lid before being given to Butler's sister and fiancee.
Shannon Young shared a tribute to her brother's life Saturday, emphasizing that her brother's death fighting in a foreign land is a reminder to Americans of the sacrifices their service members are prepared to make for them.
"Aaron's death makes us acutely aware that the war on terror is still very much alive," Young said through tears. "There are soldiers fighting and dying for you and for America. Please don't take your freedoms for granted. Teach your children who and what is being sacrificed for them. The fact is that if these brave men weren't willing to go and fight terrorists there, we would all be fighting them here on our land."
Butler had a deep love of country from a very young age, Young said, and by the first grade was adamant he wanted to become a soldier.
Quinn Butler, one of Aaron Butler's six brothers, said Butler was recognized by all who knew him as fearless. His only fear, it seemed, was of failing to accomplish his goals, including the goal of becoming a Green Beret.
His mother agreed, recounting how the patriotism she saw in her rambunctious son stayed with him as he grew into a passionate and dedicated soldier.
"From his early days to his last day, Aaron's greatest desire was to serve his country," Laura Butler said.
The mother smiled as she said she believed her son had "packed a lifetime into his mere 28 years."
Aaron Butler attended Monticello High School from 2004 to 2008, winning a state title in wrestling each of those years and becoming "a legend" at the school. Just before graduation, Butler enlisted in the Army and completed basic training.
In 2009, Butler served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana. Upon returning home, Butler picked his military training and, while he waited between processing times and admission into different military programs, started a career extracting gold in Ghana.
Butler not only earned a spot among the Army's Special Forces, but he graduated his courses with honors, Young noted, becoming a Green Beret in January 2016.
Young shared messages Saturday from some of Butler's fellow soldiers, including the man who was with him when he died.
"Aaron fought with everything he had until the bitter end. Your brother was a definite warrior," the man wrote.
Butler's team captain wrote, "Aaron Butler simply was what the rest of us pretend to be: Indescribably brave."
Butler is preceded in death by 411 other Special Forces soldiers who have lost their lives in combat since 9/11, Raymond Thomas, 11th Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, said Saturday. Thomas said he didn't know Butler personally, but praised him as one of the top members of an already elite group of soldiers.
When Butler met his fiancee, Alex Seagroves, his family said a newfound tenderness was revealed beneath the soldier's focus on his military ambitions. They praised Seagroves for the remarkable impact she had on Butler, promising he would always remain her unseen protector.
Aaron's death makes us acutely aware that the war on terror is still very much alive. There are soldiers fighting and dying for you and for America. Please don't take your freedoms for granted.
–Shannon Young
In her remarks, Seagroves wept as she described the loving messages Butler would leave for her in a journal he kept during the times his military assignments kept them from talking for weeks at a time. In them, she said, he spoke of the future they would have together.
"I find great comfort in the words that he left me, but I also find myself longing to fulfill the plans that he had," Seagroves said.
She went on to promise, "Aaron will live through me, I will honor him. And every day that I do, anyone I come in contact with will know who he was, and what he did, and how much he meant to everybody."
As the family heals, Randy Butler, Aaron Butler's father, thanked all those who have offered support and comfort, including dozens of patriotic strangers who have filled the family's mailbox daily with cards and letters thanking them.
The father shared his faith in Jesus Christ and the confidence it gives him that he will see his son again after this life.
"When I look at my dear family, I find great comfort to know we all have that potential," Randy Butler said. "I pray that each of us will look at this life that we honor today. You are not only giving a tribute, you are a tribute to him because of the wonderful life you have lived."
