Mashpee Marine died in Iraq 'doing what he believed'

August 15, 2008 03:19 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

Dan McGuire, a Marine who joined the military shortly after graduating from Mashpee High School in 2007, was killed yesterday during security patrols outside Fallujah, friends and family said today.

The eldest of four brothers, McGuire was a faithful and patriotic man who had long dreamed of serving his country, those who knew him well said. An Eagle Scout, he earned a God and Service award by building wooden chests to hold the town's American flags.

"Dan believed deeply in the cause for which he was fighting," said Rev. Thomas Crumb, McGuire's long-time pastor at Christ Chapel in Centerville. "He died doing what he believed in, what he believed God had created him to do and called him to do."

Friends described McGuire as a focused but fun-loving spirit who loved literature, played the lead in school plays, and excelled at sports. On a memorial site created on Facebook, where dozens of friends posted remembrances, McGuire was remembered as a hero who "got along with anyone he met."

"He fought for the freedom of our country and died as a person who wanted to make a difference," the message read. "May we hope that Dan is in a better place and that his life and actions will be with us forever."

The military reported that a Marine was killed when his unit sustained small-arms fire during security operations east of Fallujah, but did not release his name. McGuire's family said they planned to issue a statement later today.

Friends said he was deployed to Iraq in March and was scheduled to return stateside in November.

Janet Kraskouskas, McGuire's guidance counselor at Mashpee High School, said the community was heartbroken over the news. Tall and handsome, McGuire was a popular and respected presence on campus, she said.

"He was very creative, very talented," she said. "He always put himself last and was there for everyone else. He was a gentleman and mature well beyond his years."

Kraskouskas and some of his other teachers tried to persuade McGuire to postpone his enlistment for a few years to avoid combat and convinced him to apply to several colleges. He was accepted and landed more than one scholarship, but his heart was set on the Marines.

"He was steadfast," she said. "He had a deep commitment to serving his country, and was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice."

Crumb said McGuire had belonged to the parish since he was a young boy and was deeply committed to his faith. In the Marines, he encouraged his fellow servicemen to embrace Christianity although he was often mocked for his efforts.

Crumb said funeral arrangements are still pending.

On the memorial facebook page, which featured many pictures and videos of McGuire, the slain Marine was remembered as "the superman fighting for his dream." One poster with the username Adam wrote that he loved McGuire like a brother.

"He taught me so much and I would be so lost without him. I can't comprehend this. He was always the one there to lean on and I was always there for him to lean on me. He was one of the few people that I could really vent to, and he would in turn vent to me. We had each other's backs, always and forever. And just like that, it's all over."

Jake Ricker, 19, who attended high school with McGuire, said the death of someone so young and vibrant didn't seem possible. He recalled a quick-witted, outgoing personality who when reading passages in English class would act out the part.

"He was one of the those kids you had to have at school because he was always smiling," he said. "He could have done anything with his life."