Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Zabierek, USMC
The Department of Defense announced on May 24 the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Zabierek, 25, of Chelmsford, Mass., died May 21 due to hostile action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. His unit was attached to I MEF in Iraq.
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Hundreds attend wake for Chelmsford Marine killed in Iraq
The Lowell Sun --
CHELMSFORD, Massachusetts -- Friends and family gathered at Dolan Funeral Home yesterday to pay their respects to Andrew Zabierek, a Marine lance corporal who was killed in Iraq on May 21.
Zabierek's funeral will be held today. Tomorrow would have been his 26th birthday.
Sam Poulten, a lieutenant colonel in the Army who recently returned from Kuwait, said he attended yesterday's wake "to honor the life of a very brave and noble young man."
"(Zabierek) made a sacrifice so all of us can live better lives."
Poulten also had a personal connection to the family. He said his daughter had Zabierek's mother, Judith, as a fourth-grade teacher.
A steady stream of people came in and out of the funeral home yesterday. Most declined to speak to The Sun. Some dabbed at their eyes with handkerchiefs or tissues.
"He was just a wonderful boy," said a woman who said she had been Andrew Zabierek's teacher at the Parker Middle School but declined to give her name. "It was devastating."
"They were such a close-knit family," said another woman who also declined to give her name. "(Judith) was so devoted to those two boys. It's just the saddest thing."
Andrew's brother, Mark, 24, is a second lieutenant and intelligence officer in the Air Force, serving at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas.
At the Zabierek family's request, The Sun and other media outlets were not allowed to attend the wake or to set foot on the premises of the funeral home.
Funeral director James Dolan said before the wake that the Marines would provide four honor guards, one stationed at Zabierek's casket and one at each of the building's entrances. Dolan said he expected a large turnout, but he was not making any special preparations.
"We're providing the same services we provide everybody," he said. "It's just maybe a longer line than usual."
Zabierek was struck and killed by a truck while on patrol in the Al Anbar province south of Baghdad. His death has been ruled a "hostile action."
A government source said the Marines have decided to end the investigation into Zabierek's death and do not expect to find his killer.
Zabierek's family was not available for an interview yesterday. Last week, Andrew's father, Stephen, told The Sun that Andrew enlisted shortly after Sept. 11 "to make a patriotic gesture."
He said his son's confidence in his mission and its effectiveness never wavered.
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