Marine Capt. Trevor J. Yurista

Died October 27, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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32, of Pleasant Valley, N.Y.; assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 27 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations.

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Camp Pendleton Marine dies in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

PLEASANT VALLEY, N.Y. — A 32-year-old Camp Pendleton, Calif., Marine has died in Afghanistan.

The Defense Department says 1st Lt. Trevor Yurista of Hudson Valley, N.Y., died Monday in Helmand province. He was assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Yurista’s father, Ronald Yurista of Pleasant Valley, said his son died when a roadside bomb exploded near him. He said his son worked as a ground intelligence officer in Afghanistan and in Iraq, where he served two previous tours.

Yurista grew up in Pleasant Valley, 75 miles north of New York City. He graduated from Arlington High School and attended Dutchess Community College and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He graduated from officer candidate school in Virginia in 2005.

Curtis Moore, a former Arlington School District principal, described Yurista as loyal to friends.

Local funeral arrangements were pending.

Ronald Yurista told the Poughkeepsie Journal that his son’s latest tour in Afghanistan was optional, and that he went to support the intelligence officers he was training.

He called his son “wild,” recalling a time Trevor rode a motorcycle through the halls of Arlington High School as a senior prank. He also recalled Trevor using donated soccer balls to teach Iraqi children how to play.