Cpl. Joseph E. Fite

Hometown: Round Rock, Texas, U.S.
Age: 23 years old
Died: January 9, 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Corps Reserve, Austin, Tex.
Incident: Killed by hostile action in Anbar province.

Family-Placed Obituary

Joseph Fite Joseph was born April 25, 1981. He was the eldest son and middle child of our five children. We moved to Round Rock from Austin when he was three years old. He attended Round Rock Schools until he graduated from RRHS in 1999. He grew strong in Little League. He raced pine cars in Cub Scouts and went to Lake Bastrop with the Boy Scouts. When he was in Middle School, he started playing trombone in 6th grade and played through high School and a year at UT in the Longhorn band. At 14 and a Freshman in High School, he joined the Junior Marine Corps, R.O.T.C. As a member of the ROTC he Traveled to Marine Corps Base 29 Palms on three summer camps. As a RRHS Band Trombone player he traveled to Chicago in one year and England the next year. He graduated RRHS in 1999 and that summer enlisted in the Marine Corps, Reserve. He was accepted to the University of Texas and was active in the ROTC there as well as playing in the band and socializing with his fraternity brothers. He was a Capitol Tour Guide about this time. He went to work as a Valet for Henna Chevrolet following his two years at UT and put in long hours making his living and pulling his Reserve duties. He was called to active duty in June of 2004 and deployed to Iraq in August of 2004. He was a proud, stand up young Man. His many friends were made richer for having met him. Joseph was a quiet man. There are quiet men in this world. The silence we shared outweighed the conversation 1,000:1. He was reticent to pass out a hug and those hugs were more precious when we received them by the same ratio. He was always there for us, quiet men know their duty. Quiet men know how to love those in their care without being demanding or demonstrative. Joseph died an independent free man. He followed his own heart and dreamed his own dreams. He loved us all. I know he did. He didn't have to tell me. It was obvious. On January 9, 2005, our son Joseph was killed by Tyranny in Iraq. He was the bravest man I've ever known. He would have you remember him and thank him in your hearts for insuring your safety from those who would steal your life, your liberty, and your happiness. These folks loved him first and best. I am his father, my name is Olin Cleveland Fite III. His mother is Marcia Lynn Fite. We married December 25, 1974. His sister and her husband, Jennifer and Mark Brimberry, his sister Sarah Fite, his brother Thomas Fite, his brother Michael Fite. His grandparents; Olin Fite Jr. (deceased)and Billie Fite of Smithville, Tex., and Earl and Marie Severson of Newark, Ill. My brother and sister; Wayne Fite of Bastrop, Tex., and Patty and Gary Landry of Bastrop, Tex, Marcia's sister and brother, Ruth and Bill Hartline of Millington, Ill., and Owen and Bev Severson of Newark, Ill., his nephew Jacob Arthur Brimberry, my grandson, age two today January 13, 2005; and his cousins: Chris Fite of Oregon, Toby Fite of Oregon, Jessica and Jesse Landry of Bastrop, Travis Landry of Bastrop, Emily Hartline of Ill, Mary and James Shannon of Ill., and Jeff Severson, Dave Severson and Jill Severson, of Ill.

Published in the Austin American-Statesman on 1/15/2005.

For a complete listing of all soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, please visit this link: The Washington Post