Clifford R. Collinsworth killed in combat

Cliff Collinsworth was so eager to be a Marine he left for boot camp just days after graduating from Chelsea High School two years ago.

The 20-year-old lance corporal was killed Saturday during his second tour of duty in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded near the Humvee in which he was riding near Ramadi, according to his family. Three other Marines were also killed in the attack, including another Michigan soldier.

Collinsworth was a good soldier and a eager Marine who loved his job, according to his 22-year-old sister Melissa Collinsworth. He would bound around and shout "hoo-rah,'' the military rallying cry for strength, confidence and morale, or "Semper Fi,'' the Marine Corps motto that means "always faithful'' in Latin.

"He wanted to be a Marine for a long time, and it was a great thing for him,'' she said, adding that he later hoped to attend college and teach history.

Collinsworth wrestled and was a defensive lineman on the football team in high school, where he attended the alternative program, according to school officials. His former teachers said that in time, he went from class clown to a person who livened up a room. He returned to the high school to visit and make a presentation to students after his first tour, school officials said.

"When Cliff returned after his first tour of duty he was very proud to be a Marine,'' said Marlene Segal, Chelsea High School teacher and a former Alternative High School teacher. "Cliff wanted the teachers to share in his success and teachers appreciate that. Cliff left Chelsea as a kid and came back a man.''

He took meticulous care of his 2004 forest green Chevrolet Blazer, a proud purchase with one of his first checks from his military career.

At the State Farm Insurance Agency in downtown Chelsea, photos of locals serving in the military since Sept. 11, 2001, have become a fixture. Collinsworth's photo was mounted and moved to the center as a memorial to him as of Monday afternoon, a reminder of his service and the loss to a closely-knit small city.

He was the second soldier from Chelsea to be killed in the Iraq war. Army Spc. Donnie McCune, 20, died Aug. 5, 2004, a day after he was wounded in Iraq.

Kerry Kargel, Chelsea High's wrestling coach, also worked with middle school football team and met Collinsworth as a young player. He always wanted to be on the field, Kargel recalled, and once he reached high school he wrestled in hopes of improving his football.

"He would always ask me, 'Will it make me tougher coach, will it make me tougher?''' he said.

School hadn't always come easily to Collinsworth, Chelsea High Principal Ron Mead said, but he worked hard to graduate on time.

"Cliff was always very personable with a quick smile,'' he said. "Joining the military seemed to be a great match for Cliff. The last time he was in the building in uniform with the recruiters he looked great, shared that things were going well and expressed more confidence in himself that I had seen before. This is sad day for Cliff's family and friends and for the entire Chelsea community.''

Collinsworth had just returned to Iraq for a second tour Sept. 7 after having six months stateside, his sister said. Tara Murillo of Chelsea, who graduated from the high school this year, said Collinsworth was one of her best friends.

The two became fast friends after the lion-hearted Marine began giving her rides home when her other ride left her, she said. Before long, they were inseparable, spending holidays and time with one another's families, and squabbling and teasing each other all a long.

"He did a lot for me,'' she said. "No matter how bad I screwed up ... he would always love me.''

The other Marines killed in Saturday's attack were identified by the Defense Department as Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Manoukian, 22, of Lathrup Village; Lance Cpl. Nathan R. Elrod, 20, of Salisbury, N.C., and Cpl. Joshua C. Watkins, 25, of Jacksonville, Fla.

Collinsworth, Manoukian and Elrod were members of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division. Watkins was a member of the division's 2nd Tank Battalion.

The American military announced today that two more U.S. Marines were killed during combat in the insurgent stronghold of Anbar province, of which Ramadi is the capital. The deaths raised to 89 the number of U.S. forces killed in October, the highest toll for any month this year and on course to surpass the October 2005 total of 96. The deadliest months were January 2005, at 107; November 2004 at 137 and April 2004, at 135.

Funeral arrangements for Collinsworth are pending, his sister said. She said the family had not received final word about when his body would arrive, but planned an obituary and service announcements at that time.

"He was a hard worker, he had a great work ethic,'' Melissa Collinsworth said. "He was devoted, he took everything seriously. He was proud of himself, his fellow Marines and his country. He died a very honorable death. He gave them all he could give them.''

From the Ann Arbor News