Matthew Pathenos, member the unit 3rd BN 24th Marine, was killed in action in Iraq.(Handout)A Marine Corps Reservist from Ballwin has been killed in Iraq, his family says.The reservist is Lance Cpl. Matthew Pathenos, 20, a 2003 graduate of Parkway South High School. He died in Fallujah on Wednesday.The family said in a statement issued through the Marine Corps Reserve:"Like his brother Christopher, he was proud to be a Marine and volunteered to serve his country, Matthew paid the ultimate sacrfice for our freedom and the future generation’s of this country. He loved his country and family and we will miss him terribly.
"The family asks that their privacy be respected during their time of grief. Services will be held at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church date and time to be announced."Pathenos belonged to the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, which has its headquarters and service company at Lambert Field. He was in Iraq with a sister unit, the Detroit-based 1st Battalion, 24th Marines. Last spring, the Lambert unit tabbed about 80 members to fill vacancies in the Detroit unit before it deployed to Iraq. About 50 were Reservists who, like Pathenos, had missed the local battalion's deployment to Iraq, in 2004. The rest volunteered for a second tour of duty in Iraq. The 80 left here on April 29 for Camp Pendleton, Calif., for training before moving on to Iraq.
The Detroit unit arrived in Iraq in early June and has almost wrapped up its seven-month stint in Iraq.
NOTE from Siggy...our PGPG member...
Dear Rick,
Thanks for your prayers. I have gotten to know Matthew's parents, Gus and Bren. They are cousins of my extended family and I often see them at social gatherings. I just met Matthew before he was deployed to Iraq. He was so excited and proud to be serving. At Christmas, instead of the usual Kekeris family gift exchange, we pooled our money together and sent him "care packages" of items he had on a wish list. He was so appreciative and shared them with all his Marine brothers. He said many of the Marines never get a thing from home and there wasn't one thing sent they couldn't use. I was looking forward to his homecoming... just not this way.
Thanks again,
Mary Frances
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