Marine Lance Cpl. Todd J. Bolding

Died June 3, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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23, of Manvel, Texas; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed June 3 by enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq.

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Texas soldier killed in Iraq identified

Associated Press

MANVEL, Texas — The Department of Defense on Saturday identified a soldier from Texas killed earlier this week in Iraq as a 23-year-old Marine from Manvel.

According to the Pentagon, Lance Cpl. Todd Bolding died Thursday of wounds received during hostile action in Iraq’s Anbar province.

“We are very proud of him. We loved him more than anything in this world and he’s in a better place now,” his sister, Joslyn Bolding, told the Houston Chronicle Saturday night from the family home in Brazoria County. “He was just an all-around good kid.”

After joining the Marines in 2001, Bolding was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Pendleton, Calif.

The youngest of three children, Todd Bolding grew up in Manvel and graduated from Alvin High School in 2000. Relatives said he was an excellent athlete and regularly attended church.

Manvel is about 20 miles south of Houston.

Joslyn Bolding, 27, said her brother had only nine months of military service left. His plans after the military included attending college and settling in the Houston area.

“We just put it in God’s hands. If we would have worried about it all the time, it would have driven us crazy,” she said. “Basically we knew he was in danger but we just gave it to God.”