Reply #36: .

[noamnety]

When Lance Cpl. Jeremy Kane got word last year that his Marine reserve unit was being called to serve in Afghanistan, his family said he was conflicted.
The Cherry Hill resident had a lot of reasons to want to stay home. In addition to being on the verge of finishing his degree at Rutgers University, Kane had recently lost his father to stomach cancer. As the oldest son in the family, he wanted to be home to support his mother and brothers as they grieved.

But in the end, Kane went to Afghanistan with his unit proudly.

Melinda Kane relied on humor to remember her son. Jeremy Kane, she recalled during her oldest son's funeral service Friday, was fond of running around the house naked as a boy. And when he was older, he would still wear the bare essentials: boxer shorts or the "occasional Speedo" -- even in the presence of company.

"He didn't care," she said to laughter.

He had the intelligence and sense of humor to subtly poke fun at himself, they said, like listing on his Facebook profile that one of his hobbies was "grunting unintelligibly."

Kane's mother, Melinda Kane, said she and her husband tried their best to get him to not join the military, but Kane sat down and talked to them about his choice, she said.

In addition to his mother and siblings, Kane leaves his girlfriend, Julia Smoot, to mourn his death.

Jan 23, 2010