Cpl. Bradley Thomas Arms, a Charlottesville native and member of the Marine Corps Reserves, was killed Friday in a small arms crossfire in Fallujah, Iraq.
Arms was a 20-year-old student attending the University of Georgia when he was summoned to Iraq.
As a way to honor Arms' life, Trinity Presbyterian Church Pastor John Hall said he spoke about how to deal with the death of a loved one during Sunday's church service. A memorial service will be held once Arms' body is returned to the States, he said.
Hall said Arms was an integral member of the congregation, participating in Sunday school and the Youth Ministry and working on service projects to help people in the Charlottesville community.
"Brad was a very genuine young man with a lot of integrity and lived out his faith," Hall said. "He grew up in the church."
Arms was a 2002 graduate of the Covenant School. Covenant Headmaster Ronald Sykes said Arms was an involved student who graduated with honors and was active in the sports program.
"He was a friend to anyone who needed a friend," Sykes said. "Honor, valor and integrity are things that he lived, and his entire class will remember him that way."
Arms' brother is a senior at the Covenant School, and his mother works there, Sykes said.
"This is a school-wide tragedy," Sykes said.
Sykes said the school will have a memorial later this month to honor Arms and his contributions. The school, in conjunction with Arms' family, also is discussing a long-term way to honor Arms' memory at the school.
Sykes said he spoke to Arms a few days before he was deployed to Iraq, and he said Arms was ready to serve his country.
"Brad left high school knowing he wanted to be a Marine," Sykes said. "Brad died doing what he wanted to do."
Arms' family is mourning Arms' death, but they are remaining steadfast in their faith to cope with the loss, Sykes said.
"There's a hole there, but this is a solid family of faith," he said.
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