Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas Wilt
Death: Sep 03, 2004
of Tampa Fla.; assigned to 1st Battalion 7th Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division I Marine Expeditionary Force Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms Calif.; killed Sept. 3 by enemy action in Anbar province Iraq. Marine from Tampa killed in Iraq Associated Press TAMPA Fla. — A Tampa man who enlisted in the Marine Corps because of the outrage he felt over the Sept. 11 attacks was killed by enemy action on his second tour in Iraq his family said. Lance Cpl. Nicholas Wilt23 was killed Friday. Two officers from his unit were killed at the same time the Department of Defense announced Sunday. “Two Marines showed up here yesterday and said he had been killed in action” while en route to his position near the Syrian border his widow Mercedes Wilt told The Tampa Tribune Saturday. “There was some kind of explosion” she said. Also killed were 1st Lt. Ronald Winchester25 of Rockville Center N.Y. and Capt. Alan Rowe35 of Hagerman Idaho the Pentagon said. All three were assigned to the 1st Battalion 7th Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division I Marine Expeditionary Force Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms Calif. Wilt was planning on serving four years in the Marines before leaving to attend law school at Stetson said Mercedes Wilt. She said they grew up in Tampa and met in preschool. “He was fun loving. He loved the outdoors concerts and being on the lake” she said. “Anything I wanted to do he would go for it.” Tampa Marine killed in Iraq laid to rest BUSHNELL Fla. — Shy of her first wedding anniversary Mercedes Wilt dropped to her knees clasped a folded flag to her chest and stretched her right arm toward her husband’s grave as the Marine killed in Iraq was buried on the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Lance Cpl. Nicholas Wilt23 a heavy machine-gun section leader died Sept. 3 on his second tour of duty in Iraq along with two officers from his unit during fighting in Anbar province. “He always seemed to do what was right” said cousin Brian Scussel 19. The Tampa man was buried Saturday in a military service at Florida National Cemetery. “I should have been right behind his truck” said Cpl. Ryan Hester who stayed behind during last month’s deployment for health reasons. “I’m here to support Mercedes. This is the reason for keeping me back I guess.” Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio attended the funeral Mass for the Tampa Catholic High School graduate. — Associated Press