Marine Lance Cpl. Justin M. Ellsworth

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Lance Cpl. Justin M. Ellsworth, 20, of Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

Lance Cpl Ellsworth died as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to Combat Service Support Battalion 1, Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.

Ellsworth grew up in Wixom and Mount Pleasant, where he has relatives.

John Ellsworth said his son's life was "fun-filled and adventurous." "He was always up to a challenge," his father said. "He wasn't afraid to try something to see if he could do it. He was a wonderful son and brother.

"He will be a hero to the thousands of lives he touched on this earth."

Justin Ellsworth had always wanted to be a Marine, his father said, and arranged to join the Marine Corps before he graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in June 2003. Shortly after graduation he enlisted.

Ellsworth was assigned to Combat Service Support Battalion of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

In recent weeks, Ellsworth, who was trained in handling explosives, was part of a reconnaissance force that helped to evacuate civilians from Fallujah, his father said. "He was going into the night with a group of other soldiers to (rescue civilians)," said his father.

"He was actually saying lives. He would say he could see the look on their faces (that they were relieved to see them). That made me very proud."

The last time John Ellsworth talked with his son was on Nov. 3 when Justin Ellsworth called him on a telephone.

"He called to say `Dad I love you,'" his father said.

Besides his father, the Marine is survived by mother Tracy; who lives in Colorado, his step-mother Deborah and three brothers and a sister.

Marine Lance Cpl Justin M. Ellsworth was killed in action on 11/13/04.