Henry Chaires and his wife, Nan Chuchen, stand in front of their home in Chaires, Fla., with a photo of their son, Marine Pfc. Daniel Chaires, killed Oct. 25 in Iraq. Courtesy The Tallahassee Democrat

But they're not complaining about life's unfairness. Since he was 10 years old, Daniel Chaires wanted to be in the military. Since he enlisted a year ago, he had worked to be a good Marine.

"He was typically a very focused young man who made good decisions," his mother said. "So when he made his decision to join the Marine Corps, he asked us to support and honor his decision - and that's what we are doing now."

A rifleman with the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Marine Regiment based at Kane`ohe Bay, Lance Cpl. Daniel Burroughs Chaires, 20, was killed in Al Anbar, scene of some of the most deadly combat. He died Oct. 25 when a bullet from an insurgent ricocheted off the ground and struck him in the abdomen under his protective vest.

Chaires - for whom flags have been lowered to half-mast statewide - was the sixth Tallahassee-area resident to die in Afghanistan and Iraq. His death has reverberated in the community because of his family, which is well-known and descended from one of the oldest families in Leon County.

"My son was doing what he could to uphold our freedom," Harry Chaires said. "I'm proud of what my son stood for, and I'm proud he gave his life for his country."

Although Daniel Chaires' body has been flown back to the U.S., it is unclear when it will be transported to Leon County for burial. The family plans a military funeral - with a family emphasis. Daniel will lie in state in his home. A funeral service will be held at the Chaires United Methodist Church, about a quarter mile east of the home.

His flag-draped coffin will then be borne on a horsedrawn wagon to the home and buried about 50 yards from the back door. A bleary-eyed Harry Chaires spent Friday and Saturday preparing the grave.

"I sent him off to do the task he felt he needed to do. He's done that and he's served his country," Harry Chaires said. "Now, I'm going to put him in my backyard to watch over him and have him with me as long as I'm alive.

"I don't have to send him off again."

Chaires' death came only six weeks into his first tour in Iraq - and five days after his last call home. In that 10-minute call by satellite phone, he spoke with his sister and mother before concluding the call with his father.

"Daniel said, 'I just want to tell you that I love you and Mom very much, and I don't want you to ever forget it,' " Harry Chaires said.

Daniel Chaires enlisted in the Marines in September 2005, in no small part because his father was a Marine. Harry Chaires dropped out of Leon High in 11th grade to enlist and spent eight years on active and reserve duty from 1957 to 1965.

Daniel Chaires was homeschooled and earned a GED, then attended Tallahassee Community College to earn the 15 college credits needed to enlist. He had to take the military physical four times because his excitement the first three times led to a rapid heartbeat.

"Daniel wanted to follow in my footsteps," Harry Chaires said. "You never saw anybody work harder to be in the Marine Corps."

Although grief-stricken, his parents refuse to second-guess their son's choice. They said before he enlisted, Daniel "examined everything" about all branches of service. He chose the Marines for its rigorous training and combat opportunities and convinced even his mother the Marines' comradeship was special.

"The Marines truly are a band of brothers; they love one another and protect one another," Cuchens said. "I knew his chances of survival would be greater in the Marines."

"We supported Daniel's decision because as he moved through the paces of being in the Marine Corps, we realized he was making himself a terrific Marine," he said. "All Nan and I could do at that point was start praying."