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thedrifter
11-12-06, 08:24 AM
Casualties of war

November 12, 2006
"He got to do what he wanted to do," said one of his former professors, "which was go lead Marines."

2nd Lt. Mark C. Gelina, of Moberly, Mo., died last week during a combat operation in Anbar province in western Iraq. He fell off a roof while preparing a battle position, according to the Department of Defense. He was 33.

Gelina was a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. He had been a member of the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program, a program for top Marines from across the country.

He was president of the Semper Fi society, planned the Navy/Marine Corps ball, mentored other students and led teams in drill, rifle and pistol skills at competitions around the country.

"Just about his entire tenure here spoke to leadership," Capt. J. Basil Read III, Gelina's professor, told the Missourian newspaper. "He was a Marine's Marine. He was the type of leader that other Marines wanted to emulate."

Staff Sgt. Scott Kates, a junior at Missouri, said Gelina worked hard but also enjoyed spending time outdoors and with his three children.

"He was just an all-around fun guy," Kates said. "He knew when it was time to work and when it was time to play."

Ellie