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- The People Behind The Sacrifice
Marine Lance Cpl. Brian A. Escalante
Died February 17, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom
25, of Dodge City, Kan.; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Feb. 17 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Marine killed in Iraq eulogized in Dodge City service
The Associated Press
DODGE CITY, Kan. — Ten days after his death in Iraq, Marine Lance Cpl. Brian A. Escalante was recalled at his funeral Feb. 27 as a beloved family man who found a purpose in serving his country.
Escalante, 25, died Feb. 17 in Iraq’s Al Anbar province when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near the Humvee in which he was riding. Four other Marines in the vehicle were wounded.
The Rev. Jeff Turner told mourners at Dodge City’s First Baptist Church that while opinions about the value of war may vary, Escalante’s relatives can be proud that he gave his life for his country.
“Be proud of his service and sacrifice,” Turner said. “Be proud of the man he became while serving as a U.S. Marine.”
Escalante was a mortarman with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, out of Twentynine Palms, Calif. His mother, Rebecca Escalante of Dodge City, said last week that he joined the Marine Corps in February 2004 and was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq when he died.
Inside the church Tuesday, floral tributes lined the front of the sanctuary, and a large photo of Escalante in uniform stood off to one side. Photos from his childhood, youth and Marine Corps career flashed on one wall.
Turner said he had not previously known Escalante, but he believed the Marine felt a strong calling to serve his country.
“His family said they observed a change in Brian when he became a Marine, a change for the better,” Turner said. “He became a man with a purpose in life.”
The Rev. Dan Rhodes said Escalante’s family told him that Escalante had enjoyed basketball, wrestling and teasing his sisters, who liked teasing him in return. They also told Rhodes that Escalante was extremely patient with children and loved his Mustang car.
Escalante’s survivors include his wife, Crystal, and a son, Aidyn.
Burial took place at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery in nearby Fort Dodge.