LOVELAND, Ohio -- Former teachers and classmates of Captain David Mitchell gathered Tuesday night for a vigil at Loveland High School to honor their fallen friend.
Mitchell graduated from Loveland High School in 1997.
He died Monday in a mid-air collision in Afghanistan.
The only words you could hear in the halls of Loveland High School during the vigil were kind words about Captain Mitchell.
He was known around the school by his middle name, Seth.
The vigil opened with a prayer inside the school.
"God, we come to you right now a little frustrated and confused, slightly scared, but definitely hurt. We lost a friend. People die all the time, but you never think it's going to happen to one of your friends," said a former classmate.
Mitchell's family has moved to North Carolina.
Friends recall his visit back to Ohio for a reunion two years ago.
They say, "He was the first one on the dance floor and the last one to leave. We'll really miss that."
One former teacher told the group he's thankful for marines like Mitchell.
"They're the reason I can put my children to bed at night and feel safe and feel they're going to be safe and for that I am thankful,” he said.
A former neighbor says, "He's just one of the greatest people you could ever hope to know in your life. I always felt like he thought what what I had to say was important – a lot of people probably felt that way because when he talked to you, he really wanted to hear what you had to say."
9News does not yet know when or where Mitchell will be laid to rest.
