Final journey home for Hoosier Marine

KOKOMO, Ind. (WISH) - A Hoosier Marine killed in Afghanistan this weekend is on his way home.

Sergeant Bradley Atwell of Kokomo was killed during combat on Saturday.

Sergeant Atwell graduated from Taylor High School and enlisted in the Marines in 2005, just two years after graduating from school.

News of his death has hit the community hard; many people knew and loved him.

Miniature American flags blow in the wind outside Taylor High School to honor a former student killed fighting a war.

"We are really going to miss Brad and I just feel bad for his family," said Trisha Beard of Kokomo.

On the school hangs a large banner, presented from the Class of 2011.

It reads "We Will Never Forget".

Students and staff here are remembering 27 year-old Sergeant Bradley Atwell killed Saturday in Afghanistan.

"He was such a good kid; I never knew anything bad about him," said Taylor High School JV Baseball Coach Dewayne Richmond.

"It's just a tragic loss and I pray for all the other service men and women that over there that their families don't have to go through this," said Lesli Long of Kokomo.

Long and her daughter Trisha took pictures of the memorial set up outside the school.

They both knew Sergeant Atwell. 

Long said it's really hard trying to comprehend what happened to him.

"He was amazing; he was full of life; he was just full of spontaneity he was funny; he was fun; he was everybody's best friend," she said.

A member of Sergeant Atwell's extended family shared personal pictures of him.

He's from a military family and lived a military life.

In one photo, at a young age,  Sergeant Atwell was doing what he loved,  playing baseball.

Richmond coached him in High School.

"We've been blessed to have some of these kids in our presence that are no longer here now.

We had some in our community that have already been killed and with Brad being killed like this such a young kid such a life," he said.

Sergeant Atwell was assigned to the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 based in Yuma, Arizona.

He leaves behind a wife of just 10 months.

His immediate family is in Delaware tonight where his remains will arrive at Dover Air Force Base for a military transfer on Wednesday.

Funeral arrangements have not been made at this time.