Marine Followed Grandfather's Military Path

Lance Cpl. Jordan Lee Chrobot, 24, a Frederick native who followed his grandfather's example by joining the Marines, was killed in combat Saturday in Afghanistan.

Chrobot was shot in the chest while on patrol in Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold, his family told the Frederick News-Post. His first tour of duty took him to Iraq last year, and his second was scheduled to end in December.

Chrobot, a 2003 graduate of New Life Christian School in Frederick, joined the Marines in November 2006. He had aspired to join the military since childhood, in part because his grandfather, Bucky Poole, had served with the Marines in Vietnam, according to the News-Post.

Shortly after joining the Marines, Chrobot married Amber Bird of Walkersville, Md. He was close to her family, especially her brother Caleb, who described Chrobot in an obituary as his "best play buddy."

Chrobot enjoyed playing the guitar and drums, according to his family, and was an active Civil War reenactor. He will be buried with his Civil War-era rifle, with friends attending the funeral in period costume, according to the News-Post.

In addition to his wife, Chrobot is survived by his mother, Kandy Poole Johns, and his stepfather, of Harrisonburg, Va.; his father, Walter Chrobot, and his stepmother, in Baltimore; three siblings; and three grandparents.