Jacob Beisel

Thursday, April 06 2006 @ 04:08 AM EDT

www.wnep.com -- A high school in Pike County is planning to keep a Marine's memory alive. Lance Corporal Jacob Beisel was killed late last week while serving in Iraq. Now the school he attended plans to honor Beisel.

The Beisel family released a statement Tuesday afternoon about the death of LCpl Beisel.

In it they said, "Jacob wanted to make a difference and in our eyes he laid down his life for all the victims of 9/11 and the free people of Iraq. "

The family also said they will always love and miss Jacob and will keep him in their hearts and prayers.

Beisel graduated from Wallenpaupack High School in 2003.

Teachers there said they knew the Marine when he was just Jake. The memory of a 2003 graduate is on the minds of many there. The news of Beisel's death had counselors on standby.

"Because sometimes our staff is impacted. I could see it in the cafeteria yesterday, talking to a couple of cafeteria ladies. They were in tears because they remembered Jake," said principal Dr. Joann Hudak.

Although most students in the high school didn't know Jacob Beisel personally, the principal felt it was important for the school to know, especially because his sister is a senior at the school. Before saluting the flag, the entire school observed a moment of silence in memory of LCpl Beisel Tuesday.

There are ideas to pay tribute to the fallen Marine.

"Perhaps a scholarship in Jake's name, perhaps a plaque, I'm not sure what we're going to do but what I'd like to do is maybe talk to some of the members of his class, 2002, 2003," Hudak added.

Teachers who taught Beisel held back their tears as they shared what sort of a student he was.

"Very introspective and whatever you taught him, he just absorbed and remembered things very well. And it was a pleasure to teach his class," said psychology teacher Rick Anke.

Even current students who didn't know him had good advice for the teachers.

"'You know what,' I said, 'he's the kind of soldier that you would want defending your country.' And he looked at me, and it was funny because it was really weird and he said, 'Well, just say that,'" said teacher Steve Krushnowksi. And so he did.

Jacob Beisel's family has set up a memorial scholarship fund. Donations can be sent to: The LCpl Jacob Beisel Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Honesdale Bank, P.O. Box 192, Lackawaxen, PA, 18435.

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