A local Marine was killed during his second tour of duty in Iraq.
Lance Corporal Kyle Brown, 22, died Saturday in Mosul.
He'd graduated from Heritage High School in 2002 and did exactly what he wanted to do - become a Marine.
His ROTC instructor, Cmdr. Tom Smith, recalled Brown's recent visit back to the classroom.
"He was very, very happy to have made it through boot camp and he was talking to the kids," Cmdr. Smith said.
His teachers knew he was destined to join the military. They said, though, he was so quiet and gentle that his decision to join the Marines surprised them.
"He wasn't a real strong physical type kid which, of course, Marines are. But, he built himself up to get himself up to get in the Marines. He really wanted to be in the Marines badly," said Cmdr. Tom Smith.
Brown lived with his grandmother, Kathryn Brown, during high school. Brown said he believed in the fight for freedom in Iraq. He'd returned to Iraq in September.
She said they last spoke during Christmas while he was in Fallujah. He served with the 2nd Marine Division.
"He was a Marine, he was ready to go. But, the last time he did say he had an uneasy feeling," she recalled.
Family and friends are devastated at the loss.
Heritage ROTC instructor Chief Michael Gardner called him a hero. "He died doing what he wanted to do and that's good. He gave the ultimate."
The family is still making funeral arrangements, but LCPL Brown is expected to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
Details about the events causing his death have not been released