thedrifter
11-02-06, 06:23 PM
Two Marines from Metro Detroit are killed in Iraq's Anbar province
The Associated Press
Two U.S. Marines from Michigan died during combat in Iraq’s Anbar province, the military said Thursday.
Cpl. Gary A. Koehler, 21, of Ypsilanti, died Wednesday, the Defense Department said. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Lance Cpl. Minhee Kim, 20, of Ann Arbor, also died Wednesday, the military said. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, from Lansing.
Koehler graduated in 2003 from MilanHigh School and volunteered for a second deployment after being wounded about 1 1/2 years ago, The Monroe Evening News reported, and he recently married Hilary Moss.
High school coaches remembered Koehler, a football and baseball star, as a dedicated athlete.
Milan football coach Steve Robb said Koehler showed him the scar that remained after he was shot in the thigh. Robb said he assumed at the time that the former defensive lineman wouldn’t be deployed again.
“He said he had to go back because he couldn’t let down the guys in his platoon,” Robb said. “He was a warrior. He wanted to do what he could for his country.”
Adam Gilles said he coached Koehler, a starting left fielder, in baseball all four years of the Marine’s high school career.
“He was a leader on the team and it didn’t matter how old he was,” Gilles said. “He would just go all out all the time. He was a great kid. Everybody liked him.”
Gilles said Koehler was expected to come home a week ago but was held over.
“He was definitely a patriot,” Coach Robb said. “We need more guys like him.”
Ellie
The Associated Press
Two U.S. Marines from Michigan died during combat in Iraq’s Anbar province, the military said Thursday.
Cpl. Gary A. Koehler, 21, of Ypsilanti, died Wednesday, the Defense Department said. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Lance Cpl. Minhee Kim, 20, of Ann Arbor, also died Wednesday, the military said. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, from Lansing.
Koehler graduated in 2003 from MilanHigh School and volunteered for a second deployment after being wounded about 1 1/2 years ago, The Monroe Evening News reported, and he recently married Hilary Moss.
High school coaches remembered Koehler, a football and baseball star, as a dedicated athlete.
Milan football coach Steve Robb said Koehler showed him the scar that remained after he was shot in the thigh. Robb said he assumed at the time that the former defensive lineman wouldn’t be deployed again.
“He said he had to go back because he couldn’t let down the guys in his platoon,” Robb said. “He was a warrior. He wanted to do what he could for his country.”
Adam Gilles said he coached Koehler, a starting left fielder, in baseball all four years of the Marine’s high school career.
“He was a leader on the team and it didn’t matter how old he was,” Gilles said. “He would just go all out all the time. He was a great kid. Everybody liked him.”
Gilles said Koehler was expected to come home a week ago but was held over.
“He was definitely a patriot,” Coach Robb said. “We need more guys like him.”
Ellie