Tulsa Daily World -- Marine Cpl. Jeremy David Allbaugh always knew he wanted to be in the military.

"He dressed in fatigues for Halloween. He had camouflaged backpacks for school," his brother, Jason, said Monday.

Three years ago, Allbaugh joined the Marines even before he graduated from high school in Harrah. He was two months shy of his 18th birthday.

His parents, Jon and Jenifer Allbaugh, gave their permission with that combination of support and concern that parents often are asked to give.

"You know thatµs what they want to do, but it is always a very scary thing," Jenifer Allbaugh said.

"We also knew that if we didnµt, he would just do it in two months anyway. So, we supported him."

Allbaugh was killed Thursday when the Humvee in which he was riding was hit by a bomb buried in the road, the kind referred to as an improvised explosive device or IED.

The explosion occurred in the Al anbar province of Iraq near the area of Alqaim.

Several other Marines were in the Humvee.

His brother said two remain in critical condition and a third suffered shrapnel wounds.

"You just hope this never happens, but it did," his mother said.

"He loved what he did and he loved his country. He believed what this country was doing. We supported him in that regard."