Myles Cody Sebastien reported killed in Iraq

St. Landry Parish lost its third soldier to the War in Iraq Wednesday night when a 21-year-old Opelousas soldier died while driving a hum-vee 60 miles west of Baghdad.

Family and friends of Marine Lance Corporal Myles Cody Sebastien were notified of his death Wednesday, according to Sebastien's mother-in-law, Linda Arnaud.

"We had a visit from two Marines yesterday," Arnaud said Thursday. "He was brought to a hospital, but it was too late.

"My daughter is totally devastated."

Myles and Kelie Sebastien had just celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary in November, and according to a family friend, Myles was just two months away from ending his second tour of duty in Iraq. The "greeting" on his personal MySpace page was a note to his wife, which read, "I'm coming home to ya, baby girl."

Sebastien was a 2004 graduate of Opelousas High School. News of his death spread rapidly through the school Thursday.

His former homeroom teacher, Kay Ortego, said when a student told her of his death, she said she thought it was a mistake.

She described Sebastien as having an "extremely sharp mind." Ortego said he came by the school to visit her before his last tour.

Since her son is a soldier, she felt a special closeness to Sebastien.

She said through tears; "He was very intelligent, and he had a very quiet, dignified resignation. I can see why he would make a good soldier."

On Sebastien's MySpace profile, he lists himself as a "Catholic, a fan of country and rock music" and a fan of "any book by R.A. Salvatore," a fantasy author best known for his "Forgotten Realms" novels.

His profile page became a eulogy page of sorts Thursday as several of his friends posted their well-wishes on his personal message board.

"I honestly can't believe of all people, you are gone. I pray for your family's loss. You will never in this lifetime be forgotten," wrote Krysta Shay.

Wrote Sisciley Watson, "I'm so sorry that doing something for our country took you off of this earth. You always told us that becoming a Marine was what you wanted to do, and I have so much respect and love for you."

The Department of Defense had yet to list Sebastien as an official casualty as of Thursday evening, and a spokesman for the U.S. Marine Corp said he could give no information on the incident until the DOD acts. The Website, www.iccasualties.org, did list three U.S. soldiers as having died in Iraq Thursday. Only one of them was a Marine. That soldier is listed as having been killed by hostile fire in Al Anbar Province.

The Marine Corps Web site lists Sebastien's unit, the Second Marine Division, as conducting combined counter-insurgency operations alongside Iraqi Security Forces in Al Anbar.

Family members were told Sebastien died while driving a hum-vee in the city of Ramadi. Ramadi, the capital of Al Anbar province in central Iraq, is about 60 miles west of Baghdad.

The city of about 400,000 is considered to be the southwest point of Iraq's Sunni Triangle and has been a focal point of resistance. In a press release on his unit's operations in Iraq, 2nd Marine Division commander Maj. Gen. Richard A. Huck said his troops are working hard to make the volatile region secure.

"The work accomplished here will not be forgotten, nor will our fallen brothers' and sisters' sacrifices go unremembered," Huck said.

Sebastien is the third St. Landry Parish soldier to die in Iraq since the war began.

From the Daily World