WANAE TV-15 FUNERAL COVERAGE -SCOTT ZUBOWSKI

(North Manchester - WANE) Lance Corporal Scott Zubowski was buried today with full military honors, at the Oaklawn Cemetery in North Manchester. The 20 year old marine was married last year between tours of duty in Iraq, and set to celebrate his first wedding anniversary in December.

"He was a wonderful man and a great marine, and I want people to honor him for that, because he died for this country," said Zubowski's squadron leader, Cpl. Timothy Winters. "Scott was a dedicated marine, full of integrity, honorable, very intelligent. Any squad leader would love to have someone like him under his command."

Zubowski joined the marines after graduating from Manchester High School in 2003. He was a member of the National Honor Society and a National Merit Scholar. Randy Self, assistant principal at Manchester High School, says Zubowski was a bright and well-liked student. "He had the potential to do lots of different things and go into different leadership roles and he decided this is what he wanted to do," said Self.


Zubowski died last Saturday, near Fallujah, when the vehicle he was riding in hit a roadside bomb. Many members of the community learned about his death, when his pastor made the sad announcement last Sunday in church. His death has hit this small community hard. "Yesterday during the viewing, the entire community came out. When we picked up Scott in Indianapolis the other night, the Manchester Police organized a police escort back to North Manchester. There has been great support from the community here in Indiana."


That support continued today, as some folks who had never even met Zubowski braved the cold, and stood at the edge of North Manchester's Oaklawn Ceremony, to pay their respects. "He served on my behalf and I feel a great sense of loss," said Mike Beauchamp, "I didn't know the young man, but I feel an obligation to be here on this day."


For going above and beyond the call of duty, an army spokesman says Zubowski will be posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device.

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