yellowwing
04-25-08, 12:01 PM
Littleton Marine Killed In Iraq
Associated Press (http://cbs4denver.com/local/vandergrift.marine.littleton.2.707572.html), Apr 25, 2008
LITTLETON, Colo. (AP/CBS4) ― The Department of Defense says a North Carolina-based Marine has died from combat injuries he suffered in Iraq.
The military says 28-year-old 1st Lt. Matthew R. Vandergrift of Littleton died Monday after he was injured in Basra. He had turned 28 four days earlier, his family said.
"I'm happy for him that he's in heaven and I'm happy for him that he died the way he did serving this country," Barrett Vandergrift, Matthew's brother, told CBS4.
Vandergrift was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
A spokesman at Camp Lejeune says Vandergrift joined the Marines in 2005 and trained as an artillery officer.
He was assigned to a military transition team with the Iraqi army when he was fatally wounded. His family said he had been in Iraq for about 8 months and was training Iraqi soldiers.
Matthew R. Vandergrift's brother Barrett is a helicopter pilot with the Air Force and his father is a former Marine.
"One of reasons we've all served in our family is because we owe people, really for all of mankind, because this battle in Iraq is no different than any other war," John Vandergrift, the family father, told CBS4. "Good versus evil has been here since the beginning of time."
Matthew Vandergrift will be buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery with full military honors. His family asked that memorial contributions be made to programs that help the children and spouses of soldiers who died serving their country.
Additional Resources
People who want to donate in Vandergrift's memory can do it through the following Web sites:
-- operationhomefront.net
-- supportourtroops.org
-- americanmilitaryfamily.org
Associated Press (http://cbs4denver.com/local/vandergrift.marine.littleton.2.707572.html), Apr 25, 2008
LITTLETON, Colo. (AP/CBS4) ― The Department of Defense says a North Carolina-based Marine has died from combat injuries he suffered in Iraq.
The military says 28-year-old 1st Lt. Matthew R. Vandergrift of Littleton died Monday after he was injured in Basra. He had turned 28 four days earlier, his family said.
"I'm happy for him that he's in heaven and I'm happy for him that he died the way he did serving this country," Barrett Vandergrift, Matthew's brother, told CBS4.
Vandergrift was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
A spokesman at Camp Lejeune says Vandergrift joined the Marines in 2005 and trained as an artillery officer.
He was assigned to a military transition team with the Iraqi army when he was fatally wounded. His family said he had been in Iraq for about 8 months and was training Iraqi soldiers.
Matthew R. Vandergrift's brother Barrett is a helicopter pilot with the Air Force and his father is a former Marine.
"One of reasons we've all served in our family is because we owe people, really for all of mankind, because this battle in Iraq is no different than any other war," John Vandergrift, the family father, told CBS4. "Good versus evil has been here since the beginning of time."
Matthew Vandergrift will be buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery with full military honors. His family asked that memorial contributions be made to programs that help the children and spouses of soldiers who died serving their country.
Additional Resources
People who want to donate in Vandergrift's memory can do it through the following Web sites:
-- operationhomefront.net
-- supportourtroops.org
-- americanmilitaryfamily.org