GREENSBORO - Strength and honor. They were the cornerstones of Lance Cpl. Andrew David Russoli's life.
They were the words that friends and family leaned on for support as they buried the young Marine on Wednesday afternoon.
Strength and honor also became the battle cry they headed home with, to help them face the world without the son, friend and warrior.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at College Park Baptist Church on Wednesday to honor Russoli, of Greensboro in a service that celebrated his individuality, his lifelong love of all things military and his devotion to his family and God.
Russoli was killed Oct. 20 during a roadside bomb attack in Nasser Wa Salaam, Iraq. The Rev. Michael Usey told the crowd that Russoli volunteered to investigate, with two other Marines, a tip that a bomb had been found in an open field.
When Russoli's vehicle approached the bomb, insurgents waiting nearby detonated it. Russoli and the two other Marines died instantly.
It was the 21-year-old's second tour of duty in Iraq. His parents, Sally White and Roland Russoli, were presented with a purple heart - the second their son was awarded - during Wednesday's service.
Quote:
It is said "evil only prevails when good men do nothing."I am thankful for those good men who did do something, who never quit, who gave it their all. I am thankful to be an American."
Andrew Russoli on "My Time in Iraq", November 21, 2004
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