Marine Corps Second Lieutenant James Blecksmith

USMC 2nd Lieutenant James P. Blecksmith, 24, of San Marino, CA was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Calif. He was killed by enemy sniper fire on November 11, 2004, during house-to-house combat in Fallujah, Iraq. After helping two wounded Marines reach safety, he returned to check a rooftop and was struck in the shoulder; a bone fragment pierced his heart.

2ndLt Blecksmith graduated from Flintridge Preparatory School in 1999. He lettered four years in track, two years in soccer and three years in football. As a senior, he was named the Prep League Most Valuable Athlete. Although heavily recruited by Pac-10 schools as a football quarterback, his heart was set on going to the Naval Academy and becoming a Marine, like his father. Upon graduation in May 2003, Blecksmith was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

“He had a code of ethics and morals with a presence about him… He was the old breed.” Said Capt. Sven Jensen. “Men respected him a lot, he was a great leader.”

2ndLt Blacksmith was survived by his parents, a brother and sister.