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| Age: |
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22 |
| Hometown: |
Towson, MD
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| Date of Death: |
11/14/2004 |
| Incident Location: |
Fallujah, Iraq |
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| Branch of Military: |
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Marines |
| Rank: |
Cpl. |
| Unit: |
1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division |
| Unit's Base: |
Camp Lejeune, NC |
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By the ninth grade, Nicholas L. Ziolkowski was running several miles a day and working out constantly. He had one goal in mind: the Marines.
"Every other kid envied him his clarity," said Ab Logan, who taught him high school English. "It was his sense of purpose that just made him everybody's hero."
Ziolkowski, 22, of Towson, Md., died Nov. 15 during the assault on Fallujah. He was based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., enlisting after his 2001 graduation.
Nicknamed Ski, Ziolkowski's passion was surfing. At Lejeune, he would often organize his entire day around the tides. "All I need now is a beach with some waves," he would say.
After serving, Ziolkowski hoped to study history at Towson University, where his mother, Tracy Miller, is an adviser and English teacher.
His father, Andrew Ziolkowski, said his son's commanding officer "wanted 10 guys like Nick."
Ziolkowski often returned to his old high school in uniform to speak to students taking military history classes.
"I let him teach the whole class," said military history teacher Butch Maisel. "The kids were spellbound." |
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