Marine Lance Cpl. Brian P. Parrello

Died January 1, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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19, of West Milford, N.J.; assigned to Small Craft Company, Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed Jan. 1 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.

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New Jersey Marine killed in Iraq

Associated Press

WEST MILFORD, N.J. — A 19-year-old Marine from Passaic County who was killed in Iraq is being remembered as a dedicated member of the military.

Lance Cpl. Brian Parrello was killed Friday while serving with the 2nd Marine Division, Small Craft Company, in the city of Hadithah, but details were scarce, his family said.

His brother, Matthew Parrello, 22, said Brian “wanted to serve his country, and he loved what he was doing.”

The family was notified of his death about 2 p.m. on Saturday, and Marine officers told them additional information should be available by Tuesday.

“He was proud to be a Marine, and he loved the guys he was serving with,” Matthew Parrello told The Record of Bergen County for Monday’s newspapers.

Parrello was unsure what his brother’s exact duties were, but he said Brian told his family about working on riverboats on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

“He didn’t tell us a lot of what he was doing, but I know he moved to all the hot spots,” Matthew Parrello said.

Brian was an athlete since childhood, playing Little League baseball and then football and hockey in high school.

As a student at West Milford High School, Brian thought about joining the service for several years. The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks made up his mind.

“He was in high school when the attack occurred, and he knew then he would probably be shipped overseas if he joined,” his brother said. “But he didn’t care. He wanted to do this.”

Michael McCormick, principal of West Milford High School, also said he recalls Brian speaking of a desire to join the military.

“It was a goal of his, and he reached it,” McCormick said.

Sean Poppe, the high school’s football coach, said Brian Parrello “possessed a strong desire to excel in whatever he did. He always had a tremendous attitude and spirit, and I’m sure he brought that to the Marines.”

Brian enlisted in February 2003 and began active duty Sept. 22, 2003, three months after his high school graduation.

He recently told his brother, Anthony, who is Matthew’s twin, that he wanted to become a history teacher when he left the service.

The family plans to establish a scholarship in his name.