SOUTHPORT, NC, USA
U.S. Marines
PFC, WPNS CO, 1ST BN, 1ST MAR (RCT-5, I MEF FWD) 1ST MAR DIV, CAMP PENDLETON, CA
AL KARMAH, IRAQ 06/20/2006
He grew up on a farm in Eastview, Kentucky. That is where he developed his love for the outdoors and his passion for hunting and fishing. His father William “Mike” White said Chris got his first deer at the tender age of seven. The antlers from the last deer Chris shot are mounted and hung at Camp Hope as a reminder.
His friends remember him as “Mr. Popular”. He was very athletic and played football in High School. He was always surrounded by friends and ready to have a good time. He never met a stranger and everyone knew Chris White.
Chris’s father, Mike, spent 12 years in the Army and Chris followed him into military service. He always wanted to be a Marine. He joined the Marines in May 2005. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, California. Less than one year later, in January 2006, he deployed to Iraq.
On June 20, 2006, Chris, a machine gunner, and four other Marines were riding in the last Humvee in a convoy traveling through Al-Anbar Province when an IED exploded under their vehicle. Christopher and three other Marines were killed. Chris’s Platoon Commander said, “He was an amazing young man and he is a true American Hero.” He will always remember Chris’s dedication, pride in his unit and his sense of humor.
He left behind his father, Mike, and his mother, Galia, along with a brother Michael, just 11 months older than Christopher. The brothers shared an extremely close bond. After Chris’s death Michael said, “The love he had for all of us was so strong that he gave the ultimate price doing what he believed was right. Chris White will live on in all of us in some way, but to me he was the greatest brother one could ever have.”
Christopher Neal White was 23 years of age. His family has chosen to keep his spirit alive by giving hope to disabled veterans through a non-profit called Camp Hope. Here, disabled veterans can enjoy hunting, fishing, canoeing, skeet shooting, hiking and relaxing in a peaceful setting.
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