Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, gathered in a dining hall near Fallujah to remember their fallen brothers and deal with their emotions at what is just the start of their expected seven-month mission to Iraq. Ten Marines were wounded.

Nearly 1,000 Kane'ohe Bay Marines and sailors arrived in the country only two weeks ago as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The Marines are a contingency force brought in as U.S. troop levels have been increased ahead of elections slated for late January, and a possibly more imminent assault on the rebel-held city of Fallujah.

"It (the suicide car bombing) was an eye opener — a tough lesson learned," Sgt. Jason Benedict of West Milford, N.J., told a reporter with The Christian Science Monitor in Iraq. "The day after, I was full of rage at the Iraqi people. I got that out of there. (We) know that fighting with revenge in mind will cause more problems. We've talked a lot about that."

Lance Cpl. Jeremy D. Bow

Cpl. Christopher J. Lapka

Pfc. John Lukac

Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Riedel

"They are supporting each other, healing each other, and trying to figure out how in the world (they will) go back out there and take the same risks, knowing that this can happen," said Nash, who has been meeting with Bravo Company Marines.

The Pentagon identified the dead as: Pfc. John Lukac, 19, of Las Vegas; Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Riedel, 19, of Northglenn, Colo.; Lance Cpl. Jeremy D. Bow, 20, of Lemoore, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Michael P. Scarborough, 28, of Washington, Ga.; Lance Cpl. Travis A. Fox, 25, of Cowpens, S.C.; Cpl. Christopher J. Lapka, 22, of Peoria, Ariz.; and Lance Cpl. John T. Byrd II, 23, of Fairview, W.Va.

All were with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. An eighth Marine killed in the attack, Sgt. Kelley L. Courtney, 28, of Macon, Ga., was assigned to 1/3, although he was based in Okinawa.

Riedel was a 2003 graduate of Northglenn High School, where grief counselors were made available Monday to assist staff members and students who had known Riedel and were struggling with news of his death.

Teachers had high praise for Riedel, telling the television station that he was a motivated student.

"Three years ago he's sitting in my science class as a junior, and a couple of years later he's over in Iraq, fighting for his country," said Ryan Fox, a science teacher at the school.

"Just goes to show you how fast kids are growing up," Fox said.

Riedel was reported to be the first graduate of Northglenn High School to die in the war.

In California, Shelly Fortner, a family friend of Bow's, said: "Everyone is just in shock. He was 20. Just a baby. Too young to die."

After graduating from Lemoore High School in 2002, Bow joined the Marines in August 2003. He attended the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton during February 2004, where he trained to become a machine gunner, according to the Marines.

"He was a great guy," said Pvt. Jeremy Betteridgeid, a Marine who said he had attended Lemoore High with Bow. "I'm going to miss him."