'God asked for a hero'

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Pfc. Kyle Coutu wanted to be a Marine since he was a little boy. He had an all-American childhood, filled with fun, friendship, and sports in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He played hockey and football, wrestled, and ran track. Yet according to multiple accounts, he managed to stay focused on his goal of becoming a Marine. He accomplished his personal mission and set out to do the same for the country he loved.

Pfc. Coutu, 20, was killed on Thursday in Afghanistan's Helmand province, fighting bravely during the early moments of Operation Moshtarak. He served with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of North Carolina's Camp Lejeune.

On Wednesday, Coutu's flag-draped casket returned home. The Providence Journal reports that dozens waited in the cold rain to salute the hometown hero.

Among those watching in solemn silence behind a gate were friends of Coutu from high school, his and his mother's former landlady, and Dorothy Furlong, a woman who shares a house with Coutu's mother, Melissa A. Coutu, while both their sons were serving in the military. Furlong's son is in the Navy, she said after the motorcade left, on the Eisenhower in the Arabian Sea.

"On the 17th of February, God asked for a hero and Kyle took the call, because he wanted to serve his country, from when he was 4," Furlong said.

Coutu will be buried on Friday in his home state with full military honors. Flags at government buildings in Rhode Island are flying at half-staff in the fallen Marine's honor. As The Pawtucket Times reports, there are also poignant tributes to the Marine occurring across the state. The article recounts a stirring pre-game salute on the Tolman High School ice, where Kyle once skated with his trademark competitive spirit and enthusiasm.

It should be noted Coutu had never laced up a pair of skates prior to last season.

"I commend him for coming out and giving the effort," said [coach Steve]Reynolds. "He came out to be our backup goaltender, and, just being the type of kid he was, he wanted to skate out and hit people. He was a tough kid."

"A lot of people say things in light of (such a tragic turn of events). With Kyle, it’s all true," added Reynolds. "He was the epitome of what people talk about. My heart goes out to his family."