Marine Sgt. Jeremy Murray possessed a passion for serving his country and joining the military from a young age. He was ready for military service since birth, according to his mother Pam Murray, who said he spent much of his childhood hunting and fishing outdoors. She stated that, “by the time he arrived at boot camp, he could break down his rifle faster than his superiors.”

Jeremy described the military as his “lifetime dream” and, upon graduation from Waterloo High School in Atwater Township in 1996, joined the U.S. Army as an infantryman. After finishing his two-year enlistment, he returned home to marry sweetheart Megan Ferringer. Longing to continue serving his country, Jeremy joined the United States Marine Corps in 2000 with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force. While conducting combat operations against enemy forces near Hadithah, Iraq, Jeremy’s Humvee hit an improvised explosive device. The explosion occurred during his third tour in Iraq, and he died from the wounds at age 27 on Nov. 16, 2005. He is survived by his wife and son, Ian, as well as parents Pam and Harold Murray.

Jeremy received a Purple Heart, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a gold star. In addition to these military decorations, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on June 21, 2011, to rename the Rootstown, Ohio, Post Office in his honor (where his mother is employed). As of June 18, 2012, the Rootstown Post Office Building is now dedicated as the “Marine Sgt. Jeremy E. Murray Post Office Building.”

We honor his service.