thedrifter
10-30-06, 07:59 AM
Becoming a Marine was childhood goal
Town of Green Bay man killed in Iraq dreamed of serving since eighth grade
By MEG JONES
mjones@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 29, 2006
Luke Zimmerman couldn't attend the wedding of his good friend Troy Metzler because he was in Iraq, so Zimmerman did the next best thing.
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He wrote Metzler a letter telling him how much their friendship, which began when they were eighth-grade wrestling partners, meant to him, and how much he wished he could be in Green Bay for the wedding celebration.
Zimmerman's letter was sent in lieu of a wedding present. It was read at Metzler's Aug. 5 nuptials.
"That was all the gift that I needed," said Metzler.
Though they corresponded frequently via e-mail, the buddies spoke last week for the first time since Metzler got married. Zimmerman wanted details of the wedding. Three days later, Metzler got another call.
It was Zimmerman's mother. Claire Dombrowski said her son had been killed in Iraq.
Zimmerman, 24, had shipped out last summer for Iraq after signing up for another hitch in the Marines. The 2000 Luxemburg-Casco High School graduate was good friends with Jesse Thiry; the two were in the same graduating class and joined the Marines about the same time. Thiry, 23, was killed in Fallujah in April 2004.
Death details unavailable
Now Zimmerman's name is on the list of 62 military members from Wisconsin who have died in Iraq. The Department of Defense had not released details Sunday on the circumstances of Zimmerman's death on Friday.
For Randy Thiry, Zimmerman's death is just as painful as the news of his son's death, because the two young men were very close.
"It brings back a lot of memories," said Thiry, whose son is buried next to St. Peter's Catholic Church in the unincorporated community of Lincoln, not far from where he and Zimmerman grew up.
On Sunday, Zimmerman's family declined to comment. A man who answered the phone at his family's Town of Green Bay home said Zimmerman would be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
"We won't hold him higher than the next Marine - his exemplary service speaks for itself," he said.
Zimmerman ran cross country and track and wrestled in high school. He and Metzler were the same weight in eighth grade, so they were paired up as training partners. He ended up wrestling on Luxemburg-Casco's varsity for two years, finishing his career at 145 pounds.
Zimmerman used the last 15 minutes on his phone card Tuesday to call Metzler. They talked about the wedding - "He was bummed he missed it" - what was happening back home in Wisconsin and what he was doing in Iraq.
Steve Metzler, Troy's father, hired Zimmerman to work at his wife's restaurant, Julie's Café in Green Bay.
"He started out as a dishwasher, but we found out what a great people person he was and how much everyone liked him, so we put him out front as a cashier," said Steve Metzler, who planned to put a memorial to Zimmerman on the restaurant's marquee sign.
Zimmerman worked at the café for four years, where he was known for being a hard worker with a perpetual smile on his face and who never missed a day of work.
Marines a childhood goal
Joining the Marines was a goal ever since he was an eighth-grader. During boot camp he often finished at the front of the pack during training runs because he was such a fast runner. His Marine unit served overseas, including a stint in Japan, but had not been called to Iraq until this year.
Steve Metzler saw Zimmerman when he was home on leave before heading to Iraq.
"He was a little bit nervous about it, but then on the other hand he felt that he had been well trained. He wanted to serve the country and help as much as he could and get some of those bad guys off the street, and that's what he was doing," Steve Metzler said.
"He had just called my oldest son on Tuesday and talked with him. Luke told him how he was arresting people, and he felt good about that. They were driving around looking for roadside bombs."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ellie
Town of Green Bay man killed in Iraq dreamed of serving since eighth grade
By MEG JONES
mjones@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 29, 2006
Luke Zimmerman couldn't attend the wedding of his good friend Troy Metzler because he was in Iraq, so Zimmerman did the next best thing.
Advertisement
He wrote Metzler a letter telling him how much their friendship, which began when they were eighth-grade wrestling partners, meant to him, and how much he wished he could be in Green Bay for the wedding celebration.
Zimmerman's letter was sent in lieu of a wedding present. It was read at Metzler's Aug. 5 nuptials.
"That was all the gift that I needed," said Metzler.
Though they corresponded frequently via e-mail, the buddies spoke last week for the first time since Metzler got married. Zimmerman wanted details of the wedding. Three days later, Metzler got another call.
It was Zimmerman's mother. Claire Dombrowski said her son had been killed in Iraq.
Zimmerman, 24, had shipped out last summer for Iraq after signing up for another hitch in the Marines. The 2000 Luxemburg-Casco High School graduate was good friends with Jesse Thiry; the two were in the same graduating class and joined the Marines about the same time. Thiry, 23, was killed in Fallujah in April 2004.
Death details unavailable
Now Zimmerman's name is on the list of 62 military members from Wisconsin who have died in Iraq. The Department of Defense had not released details Sunday on the circumstances of Zimmerman's death on Friday.
For Randy Thiry, Zimmerman's death is just as painful as the news of his son's death, because the two young men were very close.
"It brings back a lot of memories," said Thiry, whose son is buried next to St. Peter's Catholic Church in the unincorporated community of Lincoln, not far from where he and Zimmerman grew up.
On Sunday, Zimmerman's family declined to comment. A man who answered the phone at his family's Town of Green Bay home said Zimmerman would be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
"We won't hold him higher than the next Marine - his exemplary service speaks for itself," he said.
Zimmerman ran cross country and track and wrestled in high school. He and Metzler were the same weight in eighth grade, so they were paired up as training partners. He ended up wrestling on Luxemburg-Casco's varsity for two years, finishing his career at 145 pounds.
Zimmerman used the last 15 minutes on his phone card Tuesday to call Metzler. They talked about the wedding - "He was bummed he missed it" - what was happening back home in Wisconsin and what he was doing in Iraq.
Steve Metzler, Troy's father, hired Zimmerman to work at his wife's restaurant, Julie's Café in Green Bay.
"He started out as a dishwasher, but we found out what a great people person he was and how much everyone liked him, so we put him out front as a cashier," said Steve Metzler, who planned to put a memorial to Zimmerman on the restaurant's marquee sign.
Zimmerman worked at the café for four years, where he was known for being a hard worker with a perpetual smile on his face and who never missed a day of work.
Marines a childhood goal
Joining the Marines was a goal ever since he was an eighth-grader. During boot camp he often finished at the front of the pack during training runs because he was such a fast runner. His Marine unit served overseas, including a stint in Japan, but had not been called to Iraq until this year.
Steve Metzler saw Zimmerman when he was home on leave before heading to Iraq.
"He was a little bit nervous about it, but then on the other hand he felt that he had been well trained. He wanted to serve the country and help as much as he could and get some of those bad guys off the street, and that's what he was doing," Steve Metzler said.
"He had just called my oldest son on Tuesday and talked with him. Luke told him how he was arresting people, and he felt good about that. They were driving around looking for roadside bombs."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ellie