Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
One of the American casualties of the Iraqi ambush in An Nasiriyah Sunday was a former Warsaw Community High School football and track star.
Lance Cpl. David Fribley, 26, of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, was killed in action Sunday when an armored personnel carrier was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
He is the first Indiana native to die in the conflict.
The attack occurred near An Nasiriyah, Iraq, a city about 230 miles southwest of Baghdad.
Fribley was one of seven Marines killed in the incident in which an Iraqi unit indicated it was giving up, then opened fire when the Marines approached. U.S. military sources said about 40 were wounded.
The Pentagon listed Fribley as a resident of Cape Coral, Fla. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Fribley, a 1996 WCHS graduate, is the son of Garry and Linda Fribley, Atwood. He graduated from Indiana State University, and was known in the Warsaw area for his athletic skills.
He was a two-sport athlete, said Dave Fulkerson, athletic director at WCHS, winning four major awards in track and field, and three in football.
"He was just an outstanding leader on both of those squads," Fulkerson said.
"I've been here 21 years and I cannot think of any kid who worked harder, both on the field and in the classroom. He was a great individual," Fulkerson said. "It's just a tragic loss to his parents, the high school and our entire community."
The announcement of Fribley's death was made to WCHS students today, followed by a moment of silence, said principal Dr. Jennifer Brumfield. A tribute to Fribley is being run on the school's electronic sign.
