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thedrifter
02-16-06, 06:51 AM
'You're our hero, Sean'
Fallen Marine from Downers Grove laid to rest
By Flynn Murphy
SUN STAFF

Family and friends describe Downers Grove resident Sean T. Cardelli as a hero.

Cardelli, a private first class in the Marine Corps, was laid to rest Feb. 9 at Mount Auburn Memorial Park in Stickney. More than 100 mourners gathered at the cemetery to pay their final respects to the Lisle SeniorHigh School graduate. In attendance were his parents, Barbara and John, and his sisters, Darinda and Roxane.

After his high school graduation in 2004, Cardelli fulfilled his childhood dream by enlisting in the Marines. In August, he shipped out to Iraq. On Feb. 1, the 20-year-old was killed in action during a small-arms firefight with Iraqi insurgents near Fallujah.

"A lot of people go through their entire lives wondering what they want to do, trying to find out what their purpose is," Darinda Cardelli said during services Feb. 9. "It only took you 20 years to figure out what your purpose was, Sean."

Lisle Senior High School faculty described Cardelli as a dedicated student and a hard worker with a good sense of humor.

"He was a very passionate person, with his relationships, with his work," said April Source, a teacher who worked closely with Cardelli. "He was very happy to be in the Marines, to be doing what he felt was important to him."

Cardelli's sister praised him for his honest and good-natured personality.

"A lot of times when you meet someone you wonder if they are being genuine," Darinda Cardelli said. "If you ever met my brother, you would understand what it means to be genuine."

As a high school sophomore, Cardelli joined Lisle's wrestling team because he believed the contact sport would better prepare him to serve in the Marines. His wrestling coach, John Ruettiger, described him as a team player whose heart and indomitable spirit would often carry him to success against more skilled opponents.

"He was a very dedicated kid," Ruettiger said earlier last week. "That he gave his life for his country kind of coincides with him always putting the team before himself."

On Feb. 9, a Marine Corps representative announced that Cardelli would be posthumously awarded the Purple Heart for his service and his sacrifice in the line of duty. The award, established by George Washington, is given in the name of the president to members of the military who have been wounded or killed in combat.

The governor and lieutenant governor both asked that flags be flown at half-staff across the state Feb. 9 in honor of Cardelli.

A Marine honor guard escorted Cardelli's casket to the cemetery. More Marines stood with the Cardelli family while the sharp sound of a 21-gun salute, a traditional military funeral honor, briefly broke through the somber silence that filled the cemetery.

At the service's end, Cardelli's mother, Barbara, delivered a brief eulogy.

"You're our hero, Sean," she said, her voice wavering. "God bless you. We love you."

Contact Flynn Murphy at fmurphy@scn1.com or (630) 416-5103.

02/16/06

Rest In Peace

Ellie

hrscowboy
02-16-06, 07:27 AM
God bless you my brother and may you rest in peace...