Thousands gather to honor Marines

People line the streets after a memorial service to show support for Marine Cpl. Jeffrey Boskovitch Friday as a funeral procession of cars rolls by in North Royalton. Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Funeral held for Geauga County Sheriff's staffer killed in Iraq

NORTH ROYALTON - A year from now, they might have gathered here for Cpl. Jeff Boskovitch's wedding. The aspiring police officer had planned to marry his love next October, as soon as he got back from serving with the Marines in Iraq. But on Friday, thousands poured into the streets in this city near the hard-hit 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines headquarters to mark Boskovitch's funeral. It was the seventh funeral this week for slain members of the Brook Park unit.

"We just decided we needed to come out to show our support," said Lisa Hill, who brought her three young children to stand on the curb a few yards from St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, where Boskovitch was eulogized. An hour later, nearly 450 people attended the funeral for Lance Cpl. Aaron Reed in Chillicothe, about 60 miles south of Columbus.

Funerals for three more Marines were set for today.

Fourteen Marines from the battalion have been killed in battle in the last two weeks. At Boskovitch's church service, the Rev. John L. Viall delivered the homily. No family members spoke during the service other than to read from Scripture.

"Freedom has always been purchased at a very great price," Viall said. "We are engaged in a war today with an evil force that seeks to take away freedom, make no doubt about it. "Jeff didn't want to die. He wanted to return to be with his family and marry his girlfriend. Jeff is a martyr for freedom. He was a young man, 25 years old with a zest for life."

Along the procession route following the service, people gathered on lawns, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots - sometimes in small numbers, sometimes in large groups - to pay their respects. Isabel Sauto, who lives near the Boskovitch family, stood on the street holding tiny American flags with her son, Nick, 4, and daughter, Ciara, 7. Sauto said neighbors worked with the USO to plant donated flowers and flags outside the family's home. "They've only lived there for a couple of years and they are very private people. We wanted to do this very tastefully," Sauto said.

The procession stopped in front of the headquarters of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines and the hearse carrying Boskovitch's casket entered the grounds of the reserve center. The hearse passed a chain-link fence where people have placed flags, flowers, wreaths and personal notes over the last two weeks. One of the items attached to the fence at the makeshift memorial is Boskovitch's No. 16 high school football jersey.

Rita Hess held a large American flag with both hands while the Boskovitch funeral procession stopped in front of her at the battalion.

"My mother started crying, and I had tears, too," Hess said. "It was heartbreaking. I think that was really special."

As they have so many times this week, members of the Leathernecks Motorcycle Club International - a group of Marine veterans who have made it a mission to attend the funeral of every one of their brothers killed in this war - rode in for the service.

Boskovitch, 25, of North Royalton, was to marry his fiancee, Shelly Tevis of Brunswick, on Oct. 14, 2006.

©The News-Herald 2005