Marine Lance Cpl. Russell P. White

Died June 20, 2004 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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19, of Dagsboro, Del.; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed June 20 in a non-combat-related incident at Camp Bulldog, Afghanistan, north of Kabul.

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N.C.-based Marine killed in Afghanistan accident

By Randall Chase

Associated Press

DOVER, Del. — A 19-year-old Marine based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was killed in a firearm accident at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, his family said.

Lance Cpl. Russell P. White, who deployed to Afghanistan in May, was shot in the head and died late on May 20 at Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul, according his father, Gregg.

White said military officials told him another Marine was attempting to holster a 9mm handgun, apparently after cleaning it, when it discharged a bullet that struck his son in the head.

Military officials had said earlier only that a U.S. Marine died of a “non-hostile injury” inflicted by a weapon, and that the incident was under investigation.

A spokeswoman at the Pentagon refused to confirm White’s death, citing a 24-hour waiting period after next of kin have been notified.

Gregg White, a building contractor who lives near Ocean View, said military officials knocked on his door early on morning after his son died.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said. “You open the door, you see them and you see a big white vehicle behind them. There’s no good news.”

White said he last spoke to his son, a machine gunner with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Saturday.

“He was fine. He was psyched as always,” White said.

Russell White, who joined the Marines in 2003 after graduating from Indian River High School, was particularly proud of a mission earlier this month when U.S. troops captured a suspected bomb maker described as a “medium-value target” without firing a shot.

“He was the first one out of the helo when they did that operation,” his father said.

“We were very proud of him,” White added. “This is what he wanted to do. He had been playing Army since he was three years old.”

White described his son as “a happy kid” who never held a grudge and enjoyed hunting, fishing, skiing and riding his motorcycle.