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Forever in the hearts of those who knew him, after Friday, David Fribley will forever be a part of Fisher Field, where the soft-spoken, hard-working standout athlete starred in track and football for Warsaw Community High School.
A special ceremony honoring the late Fribley will take place prior to Friday's football season opener with guest Columbia City. Senior night activities will begin at 6:10 p.m. and will be followed by the special ceremony.
At the ceremony, WCHS will officially retire the No. 77 Fribley wore as a three-year starter at defensive end, as well as present a special flag to his parents, Garry and Linda Fribley, and raise a special flag that will be flown at all home football games and track events.
Fribley, a 1996 graduate of WCHS, was killed March 23 near An Nasiriyah, Iraq, in a rocket-propelled grenade attack when Iraqi soldiers faked a surrender.
The 26-year-old Fribley grew up on a farm in tiny Atwood and was a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving in the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, from Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Fribley, whose younger brother, Steven, is currently serving in the Air Force, was the first Indiana casualty in the Iraqi conflict.
At WCHS, where the news of Fribley's death hit especially hard, he was described as respectful, mature, hard-working and a model student.
"This is the right thing to do," Warsaw football coach Phil Jensen said of honoring Fribley. "I didn't get the opportunity to coach David, but I did get to coach his brother, Steven. What I know of David is that he was a great example of what we expect our players to be - son, student, athlete. From what I understand, David was a perfect example of that."
After graduating from WCHS, Fribley attended Indiana State University and competed in track and field. Upon graduating from ISU, Fribley took a job as a recreation leader at a retirement community in Florida.
And then came Sept. 11 and the terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon, and the boy who grew up always playing fair and giving unto others quit his job and joined the Marines, only to lose his life in an act of deceit by Iraqi soldiers.
"I talked to the kids about how fortunate we are to live in a great country," Jensen said. "David Fribley was a great American. David had a calling, he felt joining the Marines was what he needed to do, and he gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. What we're doing is pretty small compared to what he did for us."
Fribley is the first WCHS football player to have his number retired.
At the ceremony, WCHS teacher and former assistant football coach Dave Baumgartner will read a special monologue as to why the ceremony is taking place.
A Marine Honor Guard also will take part in the ceremony.
"We want to keep David's memory alive," WCHS Principal Dr. Jennifer Brumfield said. "David was an outstanding young man and he exemplified what we want all of our student-athletes to uphold."
