LA HARPE - A 20-year-old Marine reservist from a central Illinois unit drowned Monday in southeastern Iraq, becoming the area's first casualty in the week-old war.
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By Kiley Miller of The Hawk Eye (used with permission)
LA HARPE - A 20-year-old Marine reservist from a central Illinois unit drowned Monday in southeastern Iraq, becoming the area's first casualty in the week-old war.
Cpl. Evan James was attempting to cross the Saddam Canal on Monday with three other Marines when witnesses saw him disappear beneath the surface, military officials said. His body was recovered Tuesday.
Still missing in the incident is Sgt. Brad Korthaus of Davenport. The two other Marines made it safely across the canal.
Both James and Korthaus were members of 1st Platoon, Charlie Company of the 6th Engineer Support Battalion based in Peoria.
Marine Corps officials have not said why the four Marines were trying to cross the canal.
James initially was reported missing in action. His parents, Mike and Donna James, were told of his death around 5:00 Tuesday evening by two members of his unit, who delivered the news in their dress blue uniforms.
"He was everybody's favorite," said sister-in-law Nikki James (wife of brother Craig and lives in Stronghurst with 19-month old Hailey).
James' parents had remained hopeful their middle son, a former lifeguard and competitive triathlete, would be found alive.
"They're very, very distraught right at this time," said Diane Kornegay, sister of Donna James. "This is not at all what we had expected."
James' body will be returned to the U.S. in a few weeks, Kornegay said.
A 2000 graduate of LaHarpe High School, James was a sophomore at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville majoring in kinesiology, the study of muscles and their movements. He wanted to become a personal trainer and worked part-time at a fitness club. He had taken the spring semester off to work as a Marine recruiter.
James had a sister Nicole, 25, and two brothers Grant 19 of La Harpe and married brother Craig, 23, Stronghurst.
His girlfriend traveled to LaHarpe Tuesday morning to be with the family.
Speaking Tuesday afternoon when her son still was considered missing, Donna James described him as an easy-going kid that everybody liked.
He joined the military for college money, she said, but pride made him a Marine.
"He considered the Marines the best of the best," Donna James said. "To him, if it wasn't the best, it wasn't good enough."
Since deploying to the Middle East in early February, James lived in a camp without telephone or Internet service. His only form of communication with his family was through letters, which often took up to two weeks to be delivered.
Donna James knew very little about her son's activities or his job with the Marines.
"They said they would either be building a gas pipeline or guarding the people building the pipeline," she said.
A Thunder football and basketball player in high school, James became an avid body builder while in Edwardsville. He was pictured last year in Muscle and Fitness magazine, but lost 30 pounds while overseas.
"He was worried because he'd lost an inch and a half off of his arms," his mother said.
James' parents learned Monday their son was missing. When Donna James saw the two Marines in dress uniforms standing at her door at around 9 p.m. that evening, her first thought was that her boy was dead.
"When they said he was missing, I thought, "OK, he's not dead. He's going to be fine. He's going to come home,'" Donna James said.
The James family endured a media blitz Tuesday, as six television crews and one newspaper descended on the home.
In addition, Donna James was to speak that evening with "Today" show host Katie Couric and NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw.
"It's a small town," James said, explaining why she submitted to the interviews. "I guess I'd rather they had my story than be misinformed."
Word that James was missing spread quickly Tuesday through this town of 1,400.
The family received several calls from friends and neighbors pledging to pray for the young Marine.
"What do you do when you are waiting," Donna said. "You work. I bought groceries, hung curtains, cleaned and baked. Since 7 a.m. there have been phone calls and interviews. My husband sat through one interview and said, "That's enough,' and went to work. That's what you do. You keep busy and keep hope, and pray."
Donna ended the final phone conversation quickly. Two Marines had come to the door. It was 5 p.m. Tuesday evening. The report would not be easy to hear.
Evan's Aunt Diane made the necessary calls to say his body was recovered, but he did not make it.
"Yes, we're proud of him (as a Marine)," she said, "but we've always been proud of Evan. He was a good kid." "He was a freedom fighter!"
Evan would have been 21 in May.
A florist had tied yellow ribbons to the James' porch and to a tree in their front yard.
"Everybody knows everybody around here," high school principal Charles Apt said Tuesday afternoon. "Not only do they know Evan, they know his parents."
Besides James, five other LaHarpe High School graduates are deployed overseas for the war effort.
"One of the teachers said to me this morning, "It kind of brings it home, doesn't it,'" Apt said. "I said, "Yes, right across the street.'"