Luke J Zimmerman
Date of Death: 10/27/2006
Age: 24
Incident Location: Anbar province, Iraq
Hometown: Luxemburg
Branch of Service: Marines
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force
Unit Base: Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Zimmerman, 24, of Luxemburg, Wis..; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died October 27, 2006, from injuries sustained while conducting combat operations in Taqaddum, Iraq. Luke graduated from Luxemburg-Casco Wisconsin High School in 2000 where he lettered in wrestling, track and cross-country. He was a member of the 1999 state wrestling team. During school he worked at a cafe as a dishwasher, but the owners discovered Luke was very much a people person, so they put him to work as the cashier. He worked there for four years, never missing a day of work. It was his dream since middle school to become a United States Marine, and he joined after graduation.
During boot camp, he often finished at the front of the pack because he was such a fast runner. He served for four years, based in Japan, the United States Embassy in Austria and finally at Quantico, Virginia. He felt he wasn't doing what a Marine should be doing, so he reenlisted and volunteered to serve in Iraq. He left for there in July 2006.
Luke was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Iraqui Campaign Service Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal with one star in lieu of second award, War on Terrorism Service Medal, Nacy Unit Commendation Navy/Marine Corps, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with three Bronze Star Devices, and the National Defense Service Medal.
Luke is survived by his mother Claire (Denissen) and and step-father, Richard B. Dombrowski Jr., who filled the role of his absent biological father and treated Luke as his own child since Luke was in the third grade. He is further survived by his brother Leonardo C. Zimmerman and his two step-sisters Brooke M. Dombrowski and Toni L. Dombrowski; his birth father, Wesley Zimmerman; maternal grandfather, Alfred Denissen; uncles and aunts, Michael and Rose Denissen; Robert and Christine Belport; Scott and Linda Denissen; Dean and Julie Hoegger; Kurt and Monica Denissen; Donald and Katherine Brosig; loving cousins, and step-grandmother, Rosemary Gagnon.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother Mary Denissen and paternal grandmother Patricia Zimmerman. In addition to his family, Luke is survived by his great friends, Steve and Julie Metzler and their sons: Scott, Troy, Greg, and Eric. The Metzler family assisted in raising him to be the fine man he became.
Luke was a classmate and good friend of Corporal Jesse Thiry who was killed in Iraq in 2004.
During boot camp, he often finished at the front of the pack because he was such a fast runner. He served for four years, based in Japan, the United States Embassy in Austria and finally at Quantico, Virginia. He felt he wasn't doing what a Marine should be doing, so he reenlisted and volunteered to serve in Iraq. He left for there in July 2006.
Luke was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Iraqui Campaign Service Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal with one star in lieu of second award, War on Terrorism Service Medal, Nacy Unit Commendation Navy/Marine Corps, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with three Bronze Star Devices, and the National Defense Service Medal.
Luke is survived by his mother Claire (Denissen) and and step-father, Richard B. Dombrowski Jr., who filled the role of his absent biological father and treated Luke as his own child since Luke was in the third grade. He is further survived by his brother Leonardo C. Zimmerman and his two step-sisters Brooke M. Dombrowski and Toni L. Dombrowski; his birth father, Wesley Zimmerman; maternal grandfather, Alfred Denissen; uncles and aunts, Michael and Rose Denissen; Robert and Christine Belport; Scott and Linda Denissen; Dean and Julie Hoegger; Kurt and Monica Denissen; Donald and Katherine Brosig; loving cousins, and step-grandmother, Rosemary Gagnon.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother Mary Denissen and paternal grandmother Patricia Zimmerman. In addition to his family, Luke is survived by his great friends, Steve and Julie Metzler and their sons: Scott, Troy, Greg, and Eric. The Metzler family assisted in raising him to be the fine man he became.
Luke was a classmate and good friend of Corporal Jesse Thiry who was killed in Iraq in 2004.