Soldier Honored: Marcus A. Golczynski

Staff Sergeant Marcus A. Golczynski, 30, of Lewisburg, Tenn., was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserves 3^rd Battalion, 24^th Marine Regiment, 4^th Marine Division at Nashville, and served during Operation Iraqi Freedom. On March 27, 2007, SSgt. Golczynski was killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.

A 1995 graduate of Marshall County High School, where he was in the marching band, on the wrestling team and served as the school mascot, SSgt. Golczynski enlisted in the Marines Reserves in 1996. According to his family, SSgt Golczynski wrote in an email that he felt called to return to Iraq for a second tour of duty. “Many of us volunteered to do this a second time due to our deep desire to finish the job we started,” he wrote. SSgt. Golczynski was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart for his sacrifice.

“My dad was a great guy. He was smart, athletic, and had a killer sense of humor,” his son said. “He was incredibly generous and would give a person the shirt off his back if they needed it.”

SSgt. Golczynski’s son is a Folds of Honor Scholarship recipient.