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thedrifter
10-06-06, 01:28 PM
Lighthearted guy and 'Marine's Marine'
Friends bask in memories of Chris Cosgrove
Friday, October 06, 2006
BY LAURA JOHNSTON
Star-Ledger Staff

They took turns telling stories about their friend, the guy who loved to play football and volunteered to help carry groceries.

He toted a boombox onto the school bus, they said. He did push- ups in the bus aisle, in self-prescribed Marine training.

"Chris was like a brother," said Christopher Gregory, 24, who grew up across the street from Lance Cpl. Chris Cosgrove. "I'm going to miss him terribly."

Holding candles and huddling in fleece jackets and hoodies, dozens of his fellow Marines, former Whippany Park High School classmates and neighbors remembered Cosgrove last night at a vigil at Black Brook Park in Hanover Township.

Cosgrove, 23, of the Cedar Knolls section of Hanover, was killed Sunday in Iraq. A suicide bomber blew up a car at the checkpoint Cosgrove was manning in Fallujah, according to a military re lease.

He was the 61st service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Iraq.

"I'm just devastated," said Lori Marzella, who lives across the street.

She and another neighbor, Robin DellaTerza, placed candles around a makeshift memorial. A teddy bear wearing a Marine dress uniform and a purple heart, and holding a lacrosse stick and a football, stood next to an 8-by-10 photo of Cosgrove in his dress blues.

A color guard from the G Company of the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, stood behind.

Although Cosgrove was a reservist with G Company, based at Picatinny Arsenal, he was ordered to Iraq early this year with a unit based in Ayer, Mass. Cosgrove ar rived in the spring and was scheduled to return home this month.

"Cosgrove was without a doubt a Marine's Marine," said Staff Sgt. Mark Peer, Cosgrove's platoon ser geant. "Never once did I have to ask him twice for anything, and often I didn't have to ask him once."

Classmates remembered Cos grove as a fun, joking guy who al ways was serious about the Marines.

"He was so psyched to get out and serve," said Natalie Montone, 23. "He accomplished his dream."

Cosgrove is survived by his mother, stepfather, two younger half-brothers and his father. He planned to get married next August to Jessica Gurdemir of Staten Island.

Visiting will be Tuesday from 1 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. at Birchwood Manor, 111 N. Jefferson Road in Whippany.

Funeral services will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at St. Vincent Martyr Catholic Church, 26 Green Village Road in Madison.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lance Cpl. Christopher Cosgrove Memorial Scholarship. The address is: Gina Cinotti, Scholarship Chairperson, Whippany Park High School, 165 Whippany Road, Whippany, N.J. 07981.

Donations may be made to Marines Helping Marines, 18 S. Belair Ave., Cedar Knolls, N.J. 07927.

And thoughts may be entered in a guest book on a Web site (www.christophercosgrove.org) created by Cosgrove's cousin, Michael Gellas.

"He was one of the best," said Cosgrove's uncle, Harry Toupet. "We lost a good one."

Laura Johnston covers Hanover. She may be reached at ljohn ston@starledger.com or (973) 539-7910.

Ellie