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American Legion Post 35 in Hampton held its annual Sept. 11 memorial service to honor the fallen.

The service featured speakers including Gov. Kelly Ayotte and Gold Star father Michael Coutu.

The post's Global War on Terror Memorial was inspired by two local soldiers killed in action.

HAMPTON — When Michael Coutu opened his front door and saw two senior Army officers in 2005, he knew his son, Second Lt. Matthew Coutu , was dead.

His son, a three-sport captain in high school known and respected for being a quiet leader, had been shot by a sniper while establishing a defensive perimeter in Baghdad, Iraq, to investigate a car bombing.

“He was only 23. No longer a boy, barely a man,” Coutu said.

Coutu, now a member of Rye’s Select Board, and Gov. Kelly Ayotte hea

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