Marine Cpl. Albert P. Gettings, 27, of New Castle, was killed when his squad was attacked by small arms fire near Fallujah, said his father, David.

Albert Gettings, who married a childhood friend in May in front of 800 friends and family members, is the first Lawrence County resident killed in action in Iraq.

“There are no words to describe him,” his wife, Stephanie, said. “He was sweet, he was loving and he was my best friend. He knew me better than I know myself. I cherish every minute that I got to spend with him.”

An avid baseball player who grew up in New Castle, Gettings first thought about joining the military after the Sept. 11 attacks. He enlisted in April 2002 and was assigned to a supply and accounting job, which made his parents happy, his father said.

“But my son absolutely hated it. He thought it was a job for civilians,” David Gettings said. “He felt the job of a Marine was to protect people.”

His son was transferred to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and was shipped to Afghanistan, where he spent five months before returning to United States and getting married.

Proceeds from the CPL Albert Gettings bracelet will be donated to Legacies Alive.