Marine 1st Lt. Nicholas A. Madrazo

Died September 9, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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25, of Bothell, Wash.; assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Sept. 9 in Bagram, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. Also killed was Capt. Jesse Melton III.

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Marine 1st Lt. Nicholas A. Madrazo remembered

The Associated Press

Nicholas A. Madrazo told his family about the joy he found in giving candy to Afghan children. Later, after learning about the lack of dental care, he worried about the children getting cavities and started giving them pens, pencils and paper.

“He cared about the people there,” said Jenny Madrazo, his mother. “The kids were really excited to see Nic.”

Madrazo, 25, of Bothell, Wash., was killed Sept. 9 by a roadside bomb in Parwan province. He was a 2001 high school graduate and was assigned to Okinawa, Japan.

He played soccer in high school and received a degree in business from Seattle Pacific University in 2005. On the soccer field, he was known as a tough competitor.

“He was aggressive, but always kept his smile on the field,” said William Frankhouser, a classmate. “He was the guy who was always friendly and smiling and willing to befriend anyone.”

Madrazo was a great listener and a good friend, said Beth Flansburg, a friend. “He wanted to make things better for people,” she said. He lived to tell jokes and impersonate movie stars.

He also is survived by his father, Joel.