Rossford Marine killed by roadside bomb in Iraq

5/23/2006

ROSSFORD, Ohio An Ohio Marine serving his second tour of duty in Iraq has been killed by a roadside bomb, his grandmother said today.

Sgt. David Christoff Jr., 25, died Sunday while on patrol with his unit, Ann Christoff said.

She learned of the death around noon Monday from military officials who came to the family s home in this Toledo suburb. Ann Christoff lives in the home with a daughter and David s father, David Christoff Sr.

The Department of Defense had not released details on Christoff s death as of today.

Christoff graduated in 1999 from Shawnee High School near Springfield in western Ohio, where his mother, Amy, and stepfather live.

He left the University of Toledo and enlisted in the Marines the day after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, his grandmother said.

He was very smart and got good grades and worked his way up to sergeant very quickly in the Marines, she said. He was so sure that that was what he was supposed to be and that was what he was supposed to be doing.

He thought as long as the Marines were over there fighting we could all sleep good at home.

An only child who was single and loved golf, Christoff hoped for a career in law enforcement, though he had re-enlisted and was serving his second tour in Iraq, his grandmother said.

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