Reported by: Bill Price
Web produced by: Mark Sickmiller
Photographed by: 9News
First posted: 7/28/2006 11:47:42 AM
Last updated: 7/28/2006 5:05:58 PM
Delhi Marine Corporal Timothy Roos was waiting for the day he would get to come home from Iraq to see his newborn daughter.
But the day, which was planned for late September, would never come for the 21-year-old.
Corporal Roos was killed in Ramadi earlier this week when a bomb exploded under his Humvee, his family told 9News on Friday.
They found out about his death around 4 a.m. Friday, less than two weeks after Corporal Roos' wife gave birth to a girl.
Roos, who was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, graduated in 2003 from the Oak Hills Diamond Oaks vocational program, where he was enrolled in ROTC.
He had dreamed of being a Marine since he was a boy, his family told 9News. Roos was even married in his Marine uniform.
"It's something he always wanted to do," said his wife Sarah. "He was gung ho about being in the Marine Corps. He was very proud about all his accomplishments."
"Tim was a very family oriented person," added brother-in-law Brian Pearson. "He wanted to be a Marine since he was two years old. He was very proud to serve our country. He was very much looking forward to coming home to seeing his daughter."
Corporal Roos was commanding trucks in the Ramadi area when a bomb went off under his humvee, the military told his family.
The incident is eerily similar to another bombing back in May, when an IED blew up under Roos' humvee.
In that case, Roos and four other Marines in the vehicle walked away from the attack unharmed. The incident was detailed in the Marine Corps News.
"It's just so hard because he had been in so many close calls before. We thought that would be the last one, in May," said Sarah.
"It's a girl" signs are still up around the Roos house.
"He was all about having a baby from day one. He was just so excited to become a father," Sarah said.
A memorial fund to help the family has been set up at Fifth Third Bank.
Roos is the 23rd Tri-state military member to die in this latest Iraq situation.
