'Servant Leader' Is Buried at Arlington

Md. Marine Credited With Devotion to Faith, Family and Troops

Marine Corps Capt. Jesse Melton III was remembered as a man of faith and devotion who would have taken a bullet for his fellow Marines and who helped others and worked for the greater good.

Melton died thousands of miles from his native Maryland, but his journey ended yesterday with his burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Melton, 29, of Randallstown, Md., died Sept. 9 when the Humvee in which he was riding hit a makeshift bomb in Afghanistan's Parwan province, according to the Defense Department and family members.

Before his deployment to Afghanistan in March, Melton told his mother that he had a feeling he would be wounded or killed. She asked whether he wanted to avoid going, but he didn't consider it, despite that he might not return.

"He said, 'If I don't, I win. I'm going to be with the Lord,' " Janice Chance told The Washington Post last week.

Hundreds of mourners filled dozens of cars and trekked to the cemetery after a funeral at Colonial Baptist Church in Randallstown. Melton's family and friends followed a Marine Corps band west on Bradley Drive and pivoted onto the south side of the cemetery's Section 60.

Church pastor Robert Anderson addressed the mourners, calling Melton "our brother" and reciting, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

A man identified by cemetery officials as an assistant pastor then said: "We thank you for this young man's life and this young man's legacy."

Seven riflemen fired three shots each into the afternoon air, and a Marine bugler played taps. A folded flag was handed to Melton's mother, who accepted it from Capt. Kendrick Gaines and returned his salute.

Melton was the 502nd member of the military to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan and buried at Arlington.

Relatives described him last week as a devoted Christian and family member. He was very involved in his church, working with youth ministries and on missionary work.

Melton, who had served in the Marine Corps Reserve since 1997, graduated in 2000 from Messiah College in Pennsylvania and that year went on active duty. He was promoted to captain in April 2005 and served in Iraq that year. He was assigned to Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Okinawa, Japan.

He helped train soldiers in the Afghan army and patrol villages.

"He was a servant leader," his mother said. "He wanted to make sure his Marines were well taken care of. He said, 'I'm single and I have no children. I would take a bullet for my Marines if I have to.' "

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) ordered that flags in the state be flown at half-staff yesterday in memory of Melton.

Staff writer Clarence Williams contributed to this report.