Charlotte Observer -- RALEIGH, N.C. - A Camp Lejeune Marine was only a month away from returning to meet his 2-week-old daughter before he was killed in Iraq last week, his father said.

Cpl. Timothy D. Roos, 21, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died Thursday when a bomb destroyed his Humvee near Ramadi, the military said. Roos had survived a similar explosion during his first tour of Iraq last year.

Roos had been eager to come home to his new daughter, Annaliese, and wife, Sara, said father Rick Roos.

From the age of 2, the younger Roos wanted to grow up to join the Marines. Rick Roos also served as a Marine, with a stint in Vietnam.

"He always had my old uniforms on, and he said that's what he wanted to be," said father Roos.

The younger Roos had been headstrong, his father said. He was a dedicated swimmer who still holds some local records. Roos graduated in 2003 from a local technical high. He had studied auto mechanics and served as commander of his ROTC unit.

He enlisted a few months after graduation.

During his time last year in Fallujah, Roos' Humvee was destroyed by a buried explosive device, although all the Marines survived. After the incident, Roos spoke with a Marine Corps News reporter about the dangers of war.

"Its scary, and if you're not scared, there is something wrong with you," he said. "But it's our job, so you got to do it."

Also killed in last Thursday's attack were Lance Cpl. Adam R. Murray, 21, of Cordova, Tenn., and Pfc. Enrique C. Sanchez, 21, of Garner. All were members of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division

Murray was a 2003 graduate of Cordova High School, a school official said. His father, Tom Murray, declined comment to The Commercial Appeal newspaper, saying his son had previously asked him not to speak to the media.

Several neighbors told the newspaper the family asked them not to speak to reporters.

Since the end of March, 14 men from the 3rd Battalion have died.