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thedrifter
03-10-09, 07:00 AM
March 10, 2009
Funeral services set for reservist from Commerce Twp.

He returned to Iraq to rebuild country

BY CECIL ANGEL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Funeral arrangements were announced Monday for a U.S. Marine reservist, working in Iraq for a private defense contractor, who died from an accidental gunshot wound.

Justin Pope, 25, of Commerce Township died Thursday in Irbil in northern Iraq.

He was an employee of the Falls Church, Va.-based DynCorp International and was working under the company's World Wide Protective Services contract with the U.S. State Department. His job involved protecting U.S. diplomats.

Kevin Pope Jr. said visitation for his brother is from 6 to 9 p.m. today and from 2 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Martenson Funeral Home, 10915 Allen Road in Allen Park.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Woodland Church, 24101 Van Horn Road in Flat Rock.

Kevin Pope said his brother, a 2002 graduate of Riverview High School, did a tour in Iraq and a tour in Afghanistan after joining the Marines and remained active in the reserves. He took the job with DynCorp in July 2007 because he wanted to go back to Iraq and help rebuild the country.

"He loved it because there are people over there who love us and who want freedom," Kevin Pope said. "He told me no other job seemed important after he did that, and that is why he went back."

DynCorp spokesman Douglas Ebner said Pope did not die during a gun battle: "He died of an accidental gunshot wound."

The State Department and DynCorp are conducting investigations, Ebner said. But he couldn't say when those inquiries might be completed.

Ebner expressed his and the company's deepest sympathy to Pope's family.

In addition to his brother, Justin Pope is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Pope; his son, Gabriel Pope; mother Patricia Salser; father Kevin Pope; stepfather Billie Salser; brothers Brandin Pope and Brock Salser, and sisters Kristin Pope and Alexis Salser.

Contact CECIL ANGEL at 313-223-4531 or angel@freepress.com.

Ellie