Marine Cpl. Christopher Degiovine
25, of Lone Tree, Colo.; assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died April 26 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
From the Associated Press
"He's going to be tremendously missed by all of us," his father said.
Johnson, who had dinner with Degiovine and his father three weeks ago before his deployment to Iraq, said Degiovine was thrilled to be serving his country.
"He was full of life, enthusiastic. He was excited to be in the Marines," said Johnson.
...[Pam Borden, 34, who has lived next door to the Degiovines for five years] called Degiovine a "wonderful kid."
"We just knew him from across the fence, but he was always friendly, always said hello, not your typical teenager. He loved his Dad, and he was his Dad's whole life."
More from the AP
Cpl. Christopher DeGiovine joined the Marines as a way to serve his country and show his love for his family, a clergyman said Saturday at his funeral.
DeGiovine, 26, ended up giving his life for his country. He was killed by a roadside bomb April 26 in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, three weeks after he arrived in Iraq.
"Chris wanted to serve his country," said the Rev. Brian Cummings, the director of the campus ministry at St. Michael's College in Colchester. He led DeGiovine's funeral Mass in the college chapel. "He wanted to make a difference."
DeGiovine grew up in Essex Junction, graduated from Essex High School and Champlain College, but he had left Vermont. The military listed his home as Lone Tree, Colo.
He joined the Marines in December 2005, at least partly in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Cummings said.
"It was out of love that Chris joined the Corps," Cummings said. "We cannot lose sight of this hopeful vision for our world."
DeGiovine's Marine commander, Lt. Col. Michael Kuhn, said DeGiovine joined a long line of Marines who, for more than 225 years, have committed their lives to their country.
"The Corps gives its thanks to Chris by giving him immortality," said Kuhn. "As long as we are on duty, his service will not be forgotten."
From the Burlington Free Press
During the summers, he worked for the Essex Police Department on the bike patrol and became a familiar face in town.
"A lot of kids from Essex will miss him," Gustafson said. "They'll be just as shocked as I am."
DeGiovine then headed to Denver, according to his father, Ray DeGiovine. He tried unsuccessfully to get a job with the police force there and grew impatient, his father said."He's always been interested in the military," Ray DeGiovine said. "He decided to join the Marines. He was a little bit ticked off with what happened on 9/11."
... DeGiovine was patrolling Thursday in the assault amphibian vehicle and was in the lead vehicle of a convoy.
"What I was told was that they used an existing water main that went across the road," Ray DeGiovine said. "They disconnected the water, filled the thing with explosives.... They detonated the thing while (the vehicle) was going across this pipe that was in the road."
The explosion flipped the vehicle, killing the Marine, Ray DeGiovine said.Christopher DeGiovine will be remembered in his hometown as an "all-around great kid."
"That sounds like a cliche, but it's not," said Joe Gonillo, who teaches English at Essex High and coached DeGiovine on an unbeaten junior varsity soccer team. "He was happy, smiling, active -- I never really saw him down."
"He had a great sense of humor; never, ever lost his temper with anybody," said his father. "He also was a top marksman in boot camp, he shot expert in boot camp.
"He was a pretty good guy."
Gustafson said he has known DeGiovine for 22 years, as a "wonderful young man."
"He got along with everybody. He was one of those eighth-graders who danced with the sixth-graders at the dance. I keep picturing him as a 3-year-old playing on the hill with my son."
Gonillo said DeGiovine worked with him in the summers at Maple Street Recreation Center and remembers him talk about possibly serving in the military one day.
"He was extremely mature for his age," Gonillo said. "He had a plan, knew what he wanted."
Ray DeGiovine said the news of his son's death came as a "terrible shock."
"He loved to play golf," DeGiovine said. "He loved to be with his little dog, Lucy."
We honor his service and his life on Memorial Day and always.