Born: June 19, 1972, (West Hanlin, W.Va.) Parents: Joseph and Judy Rose Childers Sister:     Sandra Brown and husband Richard  (Neice & Nephew: Autumn and Aiden) Brother:  Samuel and wife Cori Childers (Neices & Nephews: Aksel, Hannah, and Marta) Grandparents: Wilton and Alma Childers, Doug (Deceased) and Mae Rose (Deceased) Uncles and Aunts: David and Mary (Childers) Bias, (Salt Rock, WV) Donald and Brenda Childers, Richard and Anita Childers, Judy (Childers) and Mike Hayes, Natalie (Childers) and Greg Walker,   Kathy (Childers) and Randy Templeton, Donald and Agnes Rose, Zenda and James Eby High School: Harrison Central High School in Gulf Port, Miss., in 1990. Internment: Crown Hill Cemetery with full military honors provided by the USMC.

Boot Camp: July 1990 (Paris Island) -  LAV-drivers' training at Camp Pendleton, Calif. - Persian Gulf during Desert Storm I  and following his return to the U.S., was stationed at Camp Lejune, N.C. Marine Security Guard Bn: - American Consulate in Geneva, Switzerland, - American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Citadel in South Carolina -  MECP program. 15 June 2001: Commissioned a 2nd Lt. - Quantico, Va., to attend the basic school followed by officer infantry school. 1st Battalion 5th Marine A Company 2nd Platoon. 4 Feb 2003:  Deployed to Kuwait on Feb. 4, 2003, 21 Mar 2003: Listed as Killed In Action

Therrell 'Shane' Childers

Therrell "Shane" Childers, 30, a 2nd Lt. in the Marine Corps, died March 21, 2003, the first American killed in combat in the war with Iraq.

He was born June 19, 1972, in West Hanlin, W.Va., to Joseph and Judy Rose Childers. He graduated from Harrison Central High School in Gulf Port, Miss., in 1990.

He joined the Marines in July 1990, taking basic training at Paris Island, S.C. He then attended LAV-drivers' training at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He served in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm, and following his return to the U.S., was stationed at Camp Legume, N.C.

He then was assigned to Marine security guard duty, serving at the American Consulate in Geneva, Switzerland, and then the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.

He returned to Camp Pendleton and attended his second LAR. While stationed there he made a West Pac Cruise. Upon his return, he attended the Citadel in South Carolina on the MECP program. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt. on June 15, 2001, at his graduation. Then it was on to Quantico, Va., to attend the basic school followed by officer infantry school. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion 5th Marine A Company 2nd Platoon.

Lt. Childers was deployed to Kuwait on Feb. 4, 2003, with his assigned unit and was listed as Killed In Action on March 21.

He always was interested in gathering information from those with whom he shared time. He was full of questions and always involved in the here and now. He was proud to be a Marine.

He is survived by his parents Joe and Judy Childers of Powell, sister Sandra (Richard) Brown and their children Autumn and Aiden of Fort Hood, Texas, brother Samuel (Cori) Childers and their children Aksel, Hannah and Marta of La Salle, Ill., paternal grandparents Wilton and Alma Childers of Salt Rock, W.Va., uncles and aunts Donald (Brenda) Childers of Salt Rock, Richard (Anita) Childers of Huntington, W.Va., Judy (Mike) Hayes of South Point, Ohio, Natalie (Greg) Walker of Aid, Ohio, Kathy (Randy) Templeton of Arnold, Mo., Donald (Agnes) Rose of Powell, Zenda (James) Eby of Lubbock, Texas, 17 first cousins and numerous friends.

He was preceded in death by maternal grandparents Doug and Mae Rose of Weston, Idaho.

Visitation will be 3-9 p.m. Monday at Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home in Powell. Funeral services will be scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Cabre Gymnasium at Northwest College. Burial will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery with full military honors provided by the USMC.

A memorial fund has been established at First National Bank and Trust, Powell, with memorials to be used by the Childers family to honor the memory of their son.