Staff Sergeant Aaron R. Butler was born on August 24, 1989, in Monticello, Utah, the seventh of eight children of Randy and Laura Butler. He adored his sister Shannon; his six brothers, Shane, Quinn, Nathan, Andy, Chad and Adam, were his companions through life. From the beginning he was a determined and adventurous soul; as a little boy his bright blue eyes were always looking for mischief, and he could usually be found outdoors with a stick or a critter in his hands. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
At Monticello High School Aaron excelled in music and football, but wrestling was his focus. He set a goal to become a four-time state champion and achieved it, becoming the first wrestler in Monticello High School history and only the 17th in Utah history to do so. He was remembered at the school as a legend, known for his sportsmanship as much as for his titles.
As a first grader Aaron announced to his family that he would be a soldier, and he never wavered. On April 10, 2008, while still in high school, he enlisted in the Utah Army National Guard as a combat engineer. In 2009 he answered a different call and served for two years as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Ghana Cape Coast Mission, where he taught with great love and helped families build and improve their homes and wells.
In 2014 Aaron began Special Forces training. On January 14, 2016, he graduated and donned the Green Beret, one of four soldiers in his class to graduate with honors; he was the Distinguished Honor Graduate of the Special Forces Engineer Sergeant Course. He also completed French language training and the Military Free Fall Parachutist Course. He served with Company B, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) of the Utah National Guard.
In 2017 Aaron deployed to Afghanistan, where his team partnered with Afghan forces against the Islamic State. On August 16, 2017, in Nangarhar Province, the team was clearing a building it had secured when a booby trap detonated. Aaron was killed and several teammates were wounded. He was 27. The teammate who was with him wrote to the family, “Aaron fought with everything he had until the bitter end.” His team captain wrote, “Aaron Butler simply was what the rest of us pretend to be: indescribably brave.” He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
On August 26, 2017, Aaron was laid to rest in Monticello after a service in the church where he grew up, filled to capacity with family, friends and soldiers. His mother said, “From his early days to his last day, Aaron’s greatest desire was to serve his country,” and that he had packed a lifetime into his 28 years. He is survived by his parents, his fiancée Alexandra Seagroves, his sister and six brothers, his grandparents Pat and Marva Butler and Stan and Diane Augustine and 23 nieces and nephews.
SSG Aaron Butler’s team was on patrol with Afghan troops battling the Islamic State when the building they secured was booby-trapped.
Official Memorial Record
Sources
- Deseret News: ‘Indescribably brave’: Monticello soldier’s family remembers the love, patriotism that defined his life (Aug. 26, 2017)
- U.S. Central Command: DoD identifies U.S. casualty from Nangarhar Province
- ARSOF History: Aaron R. Butler
- Army Times: Pentagon identifies Green Beret killed in Afghanistan
- Family-provided records on file with MVF: Aaron Butler family biography
