"He always had the big grandiose dreams of what he would do," Richmon Schumann said. "He lived a lot to enjoy the here and now. He was a very passionate, very creative person."
Darrell Schumann graduated from Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Ga., in 1997 and spent a few years working before enlisting in the Marines in June 2002. He married his high school sweetheart, Nicole, 24, almost two years ago and planned to study graphic art and computer modeling in college. He hoped to eventually design graphics for video games.
Lance Cpl. Michael L. Starr Jr., 21, planned a career in law enforcement.
|
_____Request for Photos_____
•
Duty In Iraq
We want to give you the opportunity to show firsthand what it is like to live and work in Iraq.
|
| |
|
Darrell Schumann's mother, Mary, 49, is still active in the Air Force. His father, Richmon, 51, is a retired Air Force veteran. Family members grew extremely close as they bounced from base to base in Germany, Alaska and Georgia, his brother said.
Such a background also helped instill a sense of honor and duty in Darrell at a young age, his brother said.
"He wanted to be part of something bigger than himself," his brother said. "He always wanted to change the world, and he felt he could do that as a Marine."
Schumann was extremely proud of his work in Iraq and believed deeply in his mission, his brother emphasized.
As a military family especially, "[the possibility of losing Darrell] is something that [was] in the back of your mind," he said. But "we know he's in a better place. This was God's plan for him."
Staff writer Josh White and staff researcher Bobbye Pratt contributed to this report.
