Marine from Shelby killed in Iraq

By Jeremy Carroll
C & G Staff Writer

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A 19-year-old Shelby Township Marine who was described as a gentle spirit and someone with strong family ties, was killed while serving in Iraq.

Pfc. Tarryl Hill died Feb. 7 while involved in combat operations in the Al Anbar providence, near the city of Fallujah, defense department officials said in a release. He was killed when an improvised explosive device went off at his vehicle.

Hill was a 2005 graduate of Southfield-Lathrup High School, and recently moved to Shelby Township with his family.

Marci Erby, an assistant principal with the Southfield Regional Academic Campus, said Hill was a gentle spirit.

“He was a student who was very connected to his family,” she said. “We are very, very sorry to hear about his loss.”

Hill was assigned to Marine forces reserve’s 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, based out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.

State flags were lowered to half-staff on Feb. 15 to honor Hill and were ordered to stay there until Feb. 17. Township flags flew at half-staff in his honor for a week, Supervisor Ralph Maccarone said.

“You don’t get worse news than a son of community has been killed in the defense of our country,” he said. “It’s just terrible.”

He said the Board of Trustees plans a small video presentation to honor Hill at the Feb. 20 meeting.

Hill is the 21st active serviceman from Shelby Township to be killed in combat action, and the second to have fallen in Iraq. Pfc. Mark A. Barbret, 22, was killed when an explosive device detonated near the vehicle he was riding in Ramadi, Iraq, a city 70 miles west of Baghdad, on Oct. 14, 2004.

Hill’s funeral was held at St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Detroit on Feb. 16.