Soldier Makes Grafton Proud at White House

Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Piirainen of Grafton has was a guest of honor Wednesday night at a hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

He was interviewed by a military reporter at the event.

He was one of 77 service members invited to the dinner to express the nation's gratitude to and recognize the contributions of those who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and/or Operation New Dawn, according to information provided by the Web site of Hill Air Force Base in northern Utah, where Piirainen is based.

He was selected to represent his home state of Massachusetts at the dinner.

"I'm so very proud of Andy,'' his mother, Tina Harrington, said. "I'm thrilled for him that enlisting in the military has afforded him many unique and impressive opportunities such as meeting  the President and first lady and traveling abroad."

During his last tour in Afghanistan in September, he and six other soldiers were injured when they were called to clear an improvised explosive device from a field where an Army team was patrolling.

Piirainen was given a Purple Heart for the injuries he sustained.