TRENTON, Ga., - Residents are remembering 20-year-old U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. William Taylor Richards as a "special" young man who had a passion for his country and music.
Cpl. Richards, a 2008 graduate of Dade County High School, died Saturday in the Helmand province of Afghanistan while supporting combat operations, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., according to the DOD news release.
Linda Wilson, who taught Cpl. Richards in 10th grade, said her former student as a "special kid" and a great banjo player.
"His music was just a big part of his life," said Ms. Wilson, who noted that Cpl. Richards talked about joining the military early in high school.
When she taught him, he had shoulder-length hair but shaved it during his senior year in preparation for enlisting in the armed services.
His death, she said, "is a huge loss."
Bill Lockhart, acting commander of the local American Legion chapter, said Cpl. Richards was a mature teenager who was involved in last year's Veterans Day parade.
"We are all-volunteer so that means he volunteered to serve his country. He gave it his all," Mr. Lockhart said.
Among Cpl. Richards' survivors are his wife, Emily, and an infant daughter.