Three Local Marines Killed in Action

Three Camp Pendleton-based U.S. Marines were killed Sunday in the Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. The armored vehicle carrying the men had an accident according to the Marines and was not hit by an IED as previously reported.

Sgt. Brandon C. Bury, 26, of Kingwood, Texas, Lance Cpl. Derek Hernandez, 20, of Edinburg, Texas and Cpl. Donald M. Marler, 22, of St. Louis, Mo.

It was Bury’s third deployment.  He had served in 2005 and 2007 in Iraq before volunteering to return to the region.

Bury leaves behind his wife, Heather, and their two young sons, who live in San Diego, according to a published report.

For Hernandez and Marler, Afghanistan was their first deployment.

Hernandez, who would've turned 21 in October, came from a family with a long history of military service. His mother,

Virginia Reyna, told a Texas newspaper that she knew what was happening as soon as she saw two officials outside her door Sunday afternoon. β€œIt’s just so hard he’s gone,” Reyna told The Monitor. β€œAs soon as I saw those soldiers out there, I knew it.”

The men were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

A release from the Department of Defense says the Marines were killed June 6.

This incident is under investigation.
 

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