Two Marines, one city

On March 1, Lance Cpl. Carlos Aragon was killed in combat in Afghanistan's Helmand province. Word of the tragedy quickly spread to Orem, Utah, where the fallen Marine grew up. When the news reached Kim Olsen, the mother of a Marine in Afghanistan who once lived in Orem, she became even more nervous about her son's safety. The worried mom would soon receive devastating news: Lance Cpl. Nigel Olsen had been killed the same war zone, just three days later.

Aragon and Olsen weren't just two Marines who happened to be from the same city. They were classmates at Mountain View High School who graduated one year apart. After joining the Marines, they both ended up in Charlie Company of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, serving in the most dangerous province of Afghanistan. Finally, separated only by a few days, their families greeted their flag-draped caskets at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the long, solemn journey back to Utah.

According to the Deseret News, Lance Cpl. Aragon, 19, was born in Mexico before his family moved to Orem when he was five years old. He loved his family and had many interests, including cars, music, and skateboarding. Bishop Robert Gardner described the Marine's selfless nature to reporter Marc Haddock.

"He was a quiet, humble young man. He didn't need any fame. He didn't need any glory. He didn't like to speak in front of people," Gardner said.

Gardner mentioned an incident where Aragon was helping a friend who had suffered a fender-bender tape the damaged hood down so the car could be driven to a mechanic.

"But he did more than that. He made sure the car looked as good as it could, then with the duct tape he put a big smiley face on the front of the car," Gardner said. "What a wonderful way to turn a negative experience into something his friend would remember for the rest of his life."

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Lance Cpl. Olsen, 21, had a striking presence, but also a calm and focused demeanor.

"He was very unassuming," said family friend Mark Bracken. "He was fun to be with, but he didn't say much. When you'd ask him a question, you would get a very short response. It wasn't rude or anything, just always to the point."

"He was so, so quiet," remembered Karen Taylor, a neighbor who volunteered to sew the patches onto Olsen's uniforms. "His mom always said it was because she was quiet and his dad was a quiet person too."

Orem, which is known as "Family City USA," is living up to its nickname, even in the midst of tragedy. Its grieving high school of 1,450 students decided to go on with a planned theater performance, "God's Favorite," last night. One actor who took the stage was Aaron Larsen, a friend of Lance Cpl. Nigel Olsen. Reporter Matthew LaPlante spoke to students and teachers about the meaning of the religious-themed play.

"It's about how you deal with adversity and how it could split a family apart," said drama teacher Nathan Criman. "It could -- but it doesn't."

They walked through the same halls as students, and patrolled the same villages as Marines. Tonight, Carlos Aragon and Nigel Olsen are together again in a better place, as heroes who will never be forgotten.