Reported by: Lance Barry
Photographed by: Eric Clajus
The body of a local soldier killed in Afghanistan returns to the Tri-state Saturday morning.
Staff Sergeant Nicholas Carnes died from enemy fire last weekend.
On the eve of his return, his wife spoke to 9News about her husband's sacrifice.
"We talked for about an hour, we were planning the rest of our lives," said Terri Bernstein Carnes. "Sad when you look back at it."
It was the last time Terri ever talked to her husband.
Twelve hours after that phone call last saturday, 25-year-old Staff Sergeant Nicholas Carnes was dead.
She recalled to 9News the moment that all military wives dread – when uniformed officers came to her door at her Northern Kentucky home.
"Hollywood finally got something right," she told 9News. "They come in, they say, 'Terri Bernstein, wife of Nicholas Carnes,' and that is about all I heard."
The Ludlow resident and 2000 grad of Dayton High was killed in the Afghanistan town of Ghazni, when enemy fire struck an artery in his leg.
Sergeant Chad Conrad heard the call over his military radio and rushed to the scene.
"When I got there, I knew it wasn't good," said Chad.
Sgt. Conrad and Specialist Brian Sawyer were both in Carnes' Army National Guard unit.
Both from Northern Kentucky, now they are home again – with the daunting task of burying a brother.
"You go through a lot of different things over there," said Brian, "but this is probably the most difficult thing you can go through."
With headlines from Iraq dominating the news, the men say the best tribute anyone could give to Carnes is not forgetting about troops stationed in other places as well, including Afghanistan.
"I think everybody should know there are soldiers out there, every single day," said Chad, "putting their life on the line for our country, and for the country they are in."
Terri now wears her husband's dog tags, a tribute to a man who died a hero.
"He absolutely loved it," said Terri. "He was doing a great job, he was happy to help a country in need of help and they liked him being there."
In his civilian life, Carnes worked as a boat captain for BB Riverboats, where he met his wife.
An honor guard will pick up Nicholas Carnes' body at the airport Saturday.
People are encouraged to line the motorcade route that starts at Tower
Drive, goes on to Donaldson Road and ends at Dixie Highway.
Carnes' funeral will be held Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. at Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption on Madison in Covington.
