Finals week at Trinity High School is normally cause for celebration. Instead, the flags at the school's entrance clearly show it's a time of sorrow this year. Wave3.com -- He was a dedicated soldier and a wonderful son, but now he's the fifth serviceman from Louisville to die in Iraq. Marine Sergeant David Neil Wimberg was killed by enemy gunfire Wednesday according to a family friend.
Finals week at Trinity High School is normally cause for celebration. Instead, the flags at the school's entrance clearly show it's a time of sorrow this year.
"We've said prayers together over our PA system, we've asked students to pray for the family," said Trinity High School Principal Dan Zoeller.
David Wimberg left his mark at Trinity as an athlete and a service volunteer.
"He was well-liked and very popular among his classmates," Zoeller said. "He played soccer for a couple of years, he played intramural sports, he was involved in a couple of service activities."
Shortly after graduating in 1999, Wimberg joined the Marines and served in Okinawa for two years.
In February, he began a seven-month tour in Iraq.
Charlie Zimmerman, a spokesperson for the family, says Wimberg's reserve unit had come under heavy gunfire from insurgents during the past few weeks.
On Monday, he sent an e-mail to his family reassuring them he was fine. He planned to leave the service in the fall.
Zimmerman recalls the e-mail: "'I'm doing well, I'm glad I did this, I remember my promise to you, mom, that when my tour is up in September, that'll be the end of it.' And he'd be back in touch. And that was the last they heard from him.'"
Zimmerman said Wimberg "earned the respect of everyone he was with, they felt the world of him, his friends were some of the most loyal friends in the world."
And at his family's request, Zimmerman says Wimberg will be buried in the same way he'll be remembered.
"A very simple pine box was a lot more in keeping with who he was. He was just an unpretentious, soft-spoken leader of people."
The family is still arranging funeral services.
Wimberg is survived by his parents, Dennis and Tricia, along with a brother and two sisters.
Besides serving his country with honor and distinction, Sgt. Wimberg was also a volunteer firefighter with the Lyndon Fire Department.