Marine Drew Pride From Duty

Lance Cpl. Eric W. Herzberg was fatally shot while on patrol in Iraq.

The family and friends of Lance Cpl. Eric W. Herzberg gathered to say goodbye to him yesterday in a long, languid caravan that wound through Arlington National Cemetery, their sedans, minivans and motorcycles led by a black hearse carrying the body of the 20-year-old Marine.

Herzberg, of Severna Park, was killed in Iraq's Anbar province Oct. 21, three months after his arrival. He was the 270th person killed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom to be buried at Arlington.

He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Herzberg's mother, Gina Barnhurst, said the ceremony to honor her son was "beautiful," a hero's tribute on a warm, brilliant autumn day. His older sister, Katie Herzberg, stood by his coffin and recited from an Irish blessing: "Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die."

After the Marine honor guard played taps and fired a three-volley salute, Barnhurst received a folded flag in honor of her son, then leaned her head against his coffin and wept.

"He was just a beautiful person," Barnhurst said after the ceremony. "He was fun, he was sensitive. And the thing I hate the most is that he's not going to be a daddy. He was really great with kids."

From the moment her son went overseas, Barnhurst worried about him. Herzberg called her on her cellphone to reassure her whenever possible. But a few weeks before his death, the calls stopped coming, replaced by the occasional hurried e-mail to relay his safety. Though her son did not say so, Barnhurst could sense he was working in increasingly dangerous places.

"It was bad. I know it was bad. They were going through hell," she said.

Before Herzberg could call again, Barnhurst said, he was shot through the neck while on patrol.

Family members said Herzberg was a deeply spiritual person and a fervent patriot who was recruited to join the military in high school. After graduating from Severna Park High School in June 2005, he went through boot camp at Paris Island, S.C. He graduated Oct. 28, almost exactly one year ago.

Herzberg returned home and helped with local recruitment efforts before continuing his training in the Mojave Desert. He came home from that experience brimming with confidence, his aunt Bernadette Martin said.

"When he came back from infantry training, he was tan, his muscles were big and he had a new Celtic symbol tattoo," said Martin, who also lives in Severna Park. "He was in charge of his world, and he was so proud of himself.

"We'll just miss him so much," she said. "It was so hard to go there today and say goodbye to him. He gave everything to our country; he loved his country. He was so proud to be a Marine, so he deserved the honor he got today."

Martin said that her nephew's death transcended political tensions about the war. "Regardless of your politics, everyone can pray for peace," she said.

Herzberg's mother also said she wanted her son to be remembered as "a peacekeeper." When she attends Mass at St. Bernadette Parish in Severna Park, she always whispers something to herself, something Eric liked to say: "Go forth in peace, love deeply, laugh often and live."