Marine Lance Cpl. Branden P. Ramey
Death: Nov 08, 2004
of Boone Ill.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion 24th Marine Regiment 4th Marine Division Marine Corps Reserve Chicago; killed Nov. 8 by enemy action in Babil province Iraq. Marine with Central Valley ties killed near Fallujah Associated Press BELVIDERE Ill. — Lance Cpl. Branden Ramey talked about wedding plans not war the last time he called home from Iraq his fiancee said. Last week the 22-year-old reservist proposed to his longtime girlfriend Stacey Lee from half a world away then looked ahead to the postwar days when he would teach history while she ran her own beauty shop Lee said. Less than a week later Ramey was killed near Fallujah one of 11 U.S. service members who died Monday as troops pushed to retake the insurgent stronghold. “For the rest of my life he’s going to be in my heart day in and day out” said Lee who grew up with Ramey in Belvidere Ill. a town of 16000 people east of Rockford. Branden grew up with his mother in Illinois but spent his summers in Madera Calif. where his father Randy Ramey lives. Ramey joined the reserves after graduating in 2001 from Belvidere High School where he played football baseball basketball and was named homecoming king according to his 18-year-old fiance. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion 24th Marines G Company based in Madison Wis. “He just thought he wanted to do something for his country. If I could only tell you how much he believed in what he was doing” Lee said. Mike Hearn Ramey’s high school football coach said the reservist was “very likable with a nice sense of humor” but also was the first to step up when he thought a friend or teammate was being picked on. “He definitely didn’t just stay on the sidelines. I’m sure he figured he had buddies over there and they needed his help” Hearn said.