N.J. Marine Killed In Combat In Afghanistan, 3rd Local Serviceman Killed This Week
MANCHESTER, N.J. (CBS) – A Marine from New Jersey has been killed while serving his country in Afghanistan.
Cpl. Nicholas S. Ott, 23, of Manchester, N.J. (Ocean County), died Wednesday while conducting combat operations in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.
"I can't believe the pain his parents must be going through," said Penny Umlauf.
Umlauf knew Cpl. Ott. Her son Daniel, also a Marine and stationed in Afghanistan, played baseball with Ott at Manchester Township High School in New Jeresy.
"He was just a good person that came from a good family," said Umlauf.
Cpl. Ott was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Cpl. Ott was a 2005 graduate of Manchester Township High School where he wrestled and played football. He joined the Marine Corps in 2007.
This small close knit community has experienced this type of loss before. Hundreds of men and women from Manchester have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Inside town hall you'll find an area decorated with army jackets, old newspaper articles and mementos from veterans who've fought and died in past wars.
Petty Officer First Class Michael Strange from Philadelphia also died one week ago today while serving his country. Strange was one of 31 U.S. special operations troops who died when insurgents struck their helicopter in the Wardak province of Afghanistan late Friday (see related story).
Sgt. Alessandro "Sandrino" Plutino, 28, died Sunday while serving in Afghanistan with the 1-75th Army Ranger Regiment (see related story).
Reported by Steve Beck, CBS Philly; Jericka Duncan, CBS 3
