A sacrifice honored - Residents reach out to fallen Marine's loved ones

Following the news that Nevada Union High School graduate Adam Strain died while fighting in Iraq, western county residents are rallying to support the young Marine's family and friends.

"A lot of people have been really supportive," Strain's fiancée, Barbara Wycliffe of Penn Valley, said Sunday. "The community's been cool."

Friends of Nevada County Military has raised money to send Wycliffe, 20, and her mother to Vermont where a memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday in Burlington, according to a story in Saturday's Burlington Free Press.

A lance corporal in the Marine Corps, the 20-year-old Strain was killed Wednesday by a sniper in the town of Ar Ramadi, according to the Department of Defense. The town is about 70 miles west of Baghdad in the Sunni Triangle. He was the first Nevada County resident to die while participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The 2003 NU graduate played on his high school football and baseball teams. He decided to join the military after the attacks on 9/11, according to his father, Rob Strain, who now lives in Vermont with his wife, Karen.

The Strains lived in Smartville before moving to Vermont.

Wycliffe and Strain, who was scheduled to leave Iraq in five weeks, planned to wed next June.

Residents of the area are taking steps to provide opportunities for people to pay their respects to Cpl. Strain and his loved ones.

Two patriotic quilts will be at the Vietnam Veterans of America booth at the Nevada County Fair for anyone to sign to support the family, according to Gina Gippner, who made the quilts.

Cards will also be accepted at the booth, which will be open to the public when the fair starts Wednesday, Gippner said.

"We're just looking for people to come out and pay their respects," Gippner said. "Because, God, I hope we don't lose anybody else."

Karen Niesen, owner of Karen's Hallmark off McKnight Road, has a giant American flag card covered with signatures and notes that she plans to give to the Strain family.

Niesen said she knew Strain and Wycliffe, who worked at the SPD Market in Grass Valley. Anyone can sign the card or drop off cards at her store.

"I want the community to be involved," said Niesen.

Sending Strain's family the card is an extension of her effort to send Christmas cards to local residents who are in the military, Niesen said. Anyone who knows of someone in the military in need of a Christmas card can provide Niesen with contact information, she said, and she'll send the person a card.

A local service is tentatively scheduled for Saturday. The location and time should be announced soon, Wycliffe said.

Friends of Nevada County Military would like to enlist Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops to carry flags at Strain's memorial service, Gippner said.

Information about Friends of Nevada County Military is available at www.fncm.org or by calling Fred Buhler at 265-4878.

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To contact staff writer Becky Trout, e-mail beckyt@theunion.com or call 477-4234.