During an ambush Wednesday. Lance Cpl. Karl Linn and his Marine platoon were in Iraq’s Anbar province when the ambush killed Linn and three others in his company. Four others were injured according to an Associated Press article.
VCU President Eugene P. Trani released a statement last Friday to inform the VCU community of the loss and to express sympathy to Linn’s family.
“The entire VCU community is saddened by his death,” Trani said in the statement, “and extends our heartfelt sympathies to his parents, and his brother.
“We also want to express our appreciation and pride in this young man, only 20 years old, who so honorably and bravely served our country.”
Linn, who graduated from James River High School in 2002, came to VCU to major in the School of Engineering’s mechanical engineering program.
Before enrolling at VCU, he joined the Marine Corp Reserve on a delayed-entry status, allowing him to attend classes at VCU while getting his basic training on the weekends.
In January, Linn set up a Web site that gave details of his whereabouts and what he was doing. The Web site, which he last updated on Jan. 16 only had two entries.
The site also included photographs of Linn’s time spent in Iraq. Many of the pictures show the different weapons that Linn was working with, but there are three photos of Linn himself.
To read Karl Linn’s words for yourself, you can visit Linn’s Web site at www.karl.linn.net.