Marine Cpl. Ian M. Muller

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Cpl. Ian M. Muller, 22, of Danville, Vt.

Cpl Muller was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 11, 2011 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.

DANVILLE, Vt. -- Cpl. Ian Muller grew up in rural Danville, Vt. alongside five brothers and one sister. His family tells NewsChannel 5 that Ian was always the most outgoing; he was always the risk-taker.

"He was also very generous, he was strong, and he was smart," said his father, Clif Muller. "You know he was really a great marine."

Ian joined the Marine Corps in 2007 and deployed to Afghanistan in January. His brother says Ian knew the dangers.

"He said he was scared," said Ryan Muller. "He said he'd never been that scared before in his life. But he got over it. Bravery isn't the absence of fear, it's the overcoming of it, and Ian did that."

Ian was killed Friday in an IED blast. He was the point man on many missions, which meant that he was at the front of his unit, often in harms way.

"He mentioned that most of the other guys were married and had a kid, and he didn't," said his dad. "So he wanted to be on point for that reason, and he thought he was the best man for it."

"The measure of a man is somebody who does what they have to do," said Ryan Muller. "And Ian did that."

Marine Cpl. Ian M. Muller was killed in action on 3/11/11.