Great Falls Tribune -- A Wolf Creek Marine died Saturday during combat operations in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday.

Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus, 28, was killed in Al Anbar province, Iraq, according to a Marine Corps spokeswoman.

"Our family is devastated by the loss of Phillip," Sen. Baucus said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. "We loved him dearly and we'll miss him more than words can ever express.

"Phillip served with great honor and dignity," he said. "America owes him a debt of gratitude."

Cpl. Baucus and his wife both graduated from Capital High School in Helena in 1995. Principal Randy Carlson remembered him as a mature and friendly student.

Carlson recalled that a few years after his graduation; Cpl. Baucus operated heavy machinery at the school for a contractor doing a renovation project.

"He was comfortable with whatever task he was given," Carlson said. "He was a mature kid."

Tom Pedersen, Baucus' former track coach and biology teacher at the high school, called him a "super kid" who was "just a great person to be around."

"It's so sad," Pedersen said "Kids just starting out their lives, getting married, and then they're gone."

Baucus was active in the school orchestra and played string bass under the direction of Beth Mazanec, even participating in an ensemble that practiced before the school day began. On Tuesday, Mazanec remembered him as a strong musician "who came to class with a smile on his face every day and got along well with everyone."

"He was so gung ho," she said. "I think he was proud of the fact that he was a good bass player."

Cpl. Baucus enlisted in the Marine Corps on Sept. 13, 2002, and was deployed to Iraq for his second tour in March.

While in the Marines, he was awarded numerous decorations, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Combat Action ribbon.

Politicians around the state and country issued statements of condolence to the Baucus family Tuesday.

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., said, "There's one more Marine standing the eternal watch over Heaven tonight."

Jon Tester of Big Sandy, Burns' Democratic opponent in November, also expressed condolences on behalf of him and his wife.

"Sharla and I are deeply saddened by the news of the death of Phillip Baucus. The hearts of all Montanans go out to the Baucus family and we pray for them and for all the men and women of our armed forces in harm's way," Tester said in a statement.

Congressman Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., said he met Cpl. Baucus for the first time at the marina at Gates of the Mountains near Helena.

"He was a great young man and this is very sad news," he said. "Phillip paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country and for that we should all be grateful."

Gov. Brian Schweitzer said he and his wife, Nancy, were praying for the Baucus family in their time of loss.

"Today a family lost a son and a husband," Schweitzer said. "Montana lost a hero."

He added that Cpl. Baucus' "sacrifices will be remembered by Montana and the country."

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Neb., interrupted debate on the defense spending bill when he took the Senate floor at 5:45 p.m. Eastern time to read a statement from Baucus' office announcing the death.

"Senator Baucus comes from a very close-knit family," Reid said before reading the statement. "He has one son and his nephew, Phillip, was like a son ... On behalf of the entire Senate, the entire Senate family, I express through the chair to our dear friend Max Baucus, our sympathy and condolences."

Reid added that Baucus had called "to indicate he wouldn't be here this week."

Baucus voted to authorize President Bush to go to war in Iraq in October 2002, as did Burns and Rehberg. In June, Baucus voted in support of a nonbinding resolution that called on President Bush to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year.

Burns voted against the resolution, which went down to defeat 60-39 largely along party lines.

Cpl. Baucus' death raises the total number of Montana soldiers, or those with strong Montana ties, killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to 21.