Lance Cpl. Curtis M. Swenson

Lance Cpl. Curtis M. Swenson, 20, of Rochester, Minn., died April 2 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

By Matt Russell The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

The last time U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Curtis M. Swenson played for his church's youth softball team, the Bethel Believers, he smashed two home runs, one of them a grand slam. Curtis SwensonThat was just one of the memories friends and family have been sharing as they mourn the 20-year-old Rochester resident who died Friday in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. "He was a good mentor for our younger youth—people looked up to him," said the Rev. Norman Wahl of Bethel Lutheran Church in Rochester, where Swenson was active in youth activities. More than 1,600 people have joined a Facebook page in Swenson's memory created by his younger sister Emily, who attended Mayo High School with him. Funeral arrangements are still being scheduled. Among those posting messages on Swenson's Facebook page was Cpl. Cody Wright, who said a memorial service for Swenson will be held April 10 at COP (combat outpost) Sullivan in Afghanistan."He was a good man and a damn fine marine," wrote Wright, who said he trained Swenson as a mortarman. Swenson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

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Marine Saluting Courtesy Sgt Michal S. Williams

The Department of Defense today confirmed Swenson's death. Others posting messages on the Facebook page included young people who knew Curtis through ski trips and other youth activities at Bethel, Wahl said. "He was involved with pretty much everything we did," said Michael Beckmann, Bethel's youth director. "He was a good listener as well as a good friend to the younger kids in our youth group." Wahl called Swenson a "quiet leader," a description Beckmann said was fitting. Swenson had a good outlook on life, Beckmann said, and set a positive example through his actions and how he responded to different situations. "If he was around friends, he always had a good sense of humor and was able to make a lot of people laugh," Beckmann said. Swenson was a good student who was well-liked by his classmates, the Rochester school district said Monday in a statement. "We are proud of Curtis and thankful to him for his service to our country," the statement says. "The thoughts of the entire Mayo High School community are with his family, friends and loved ones."