Nicholas P. Rapavi slain by sniper on third tour of duty

SPRINGFIELD, Va. -- At 22 years old, Cpl. Nicholas Rapavi was no stranger to war or an overseas battlefield. He was a seasoned Marine.

In just four years he served three tours of duty. The first was in Afghanistan. The following two were in Iraq.

"It was just a shock when I saw the … Marine and Navy officer come to the door, and I just knew it was the worst news," said Paul Rapavi, his father.

"We're not going to see him again. And we're not going to see his warm smile and his eyes light up when he walks in a room. Stuff like that is very difficult," said his mother, Cathy Rapavi-Burnley.

Before he was even in high school Rapavi wanted to be a Marine. During the War On Terror, he earned eight medals, including the Purple Heart.

In September, he was shot by a sniper near Fallujah but refused to come home.

A month later, his Humvee hit a roadside bomb. He continued to fight.

On Friday, the squadron leader approached a gate where he told his team something was wrong.

Instead of ordering another man through, Rapavi cleared the gate first. He was shot fatally in the neck.

"I think he had a gut feeling that he may not be coming back after this deployment, but it didn't stop him from going," Rapavi-Burnley said.

The Rapavis said their son died doing what he loved. He was a Marine's Marine dedicated to the corps, his family and the men he led.

Gone at the age of 22, Rapavi was just 3 months from coming home.

"We just loved him to death, and we'll miss him dearly," his mother said.

Rapavi leaves behind his parents and two younger brothers. His body was expected home by the end of the week, and his parents hope he'll be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

From NBC 4