NORTHGLENN, Colo. -- A 2003 graduate of Northglenn High School was remembered during a funeral service Monday morning -- nine days after he was killed during one of the deadliest attacks ever against American troops in Iraq.

Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew Riedel and seven other Marines died Oct. 30 when a bomb blew up next to a truck outside of Fallujah. He was only 19.

Riedel was assigned to the First Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The unit had arrived in Iraq only last month when the blast occurred as U.S. forces geared up for a major assault.

Gov. Bill Owens gave the eulogy at Riedel's funeral, held at Westminster Church of the Nazarene in Northglenn. More than 600 people, filled the church to overflowing.

"We see in Lance Cpl. Andrew Riedel the best of America," Owens said. "He chose the highest calling of a citizen in this democracy."

The lanky Riedel was known as Stringbean to his friends, who remember him as the energetic, popular, life of the party.

Friends and family drew laughter as they shared memories of a young Riedel and his sister spray-painting the dog blue and giggling about locking their grandmother out of the house -- until she threatened to tell their father.

His sisters also shared one of the last letters Riedel wrote to his mother. In it, Riedel wrote of the routine of duty and how he had a lot of time to think. He said he had begun to accept God.

He was also motivated and driven and teachers recall him talking about how much he wanted to follow his family's footsteps and join the military.

Riedel had wanted to follow his stepbrother into the ranks of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and on Monday, Russ Montanio tearfully pulled his sheriff's deputy badge from his uniform and placed it atop the flag-draped coffin of his stepbrother.

"Since you've never received a deputy's badge of your own, you can have mine," Montanio said, his voice breaking.

Riedel was profoundly affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Montanio said. He joined the Marines in 2003 after graduating from Northglenn High School.

"I don't want people to forget, you didn't have to go. You wanted to," said Montanio, who served in the Army.

The Rev. Lonnie Trujillo described Riedel as a hero who served willingly and protected unselfishly. Trujillo also quoted Will Rogers, who said not all can be heroes because somebody has to stand on the curb and clap when they go by.

"Andrew, we clap for you," Trujillo said, before the hundreds of mourners rose to their feet and applauded.

Riedel was buried with full military honors in Brighton Cemetery.

Riedel was the latest of at least 50 service personnel and civilians with Colorado ties to die in Iraq. His death came as 7,000 soldiers from Fort Carson prepared for a second tour of duty there. Some 12,000 Fort Carson troops have already served one-year stints in Iraq.

Contributions may be sent in memory of LCpl Andrew G. Riedel c/o Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 37, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046.
Copyright 2004 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.