WYMT -- An eastern Kentucky Marine, who was part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, is dead.

Lance Corporal Chad Gilliam, 29, of Letcher County died Saturday.

His father tells us his son died in the line of duty in Kuwait.

In 1995, Chad Gilliam attended the Old Whitesburg High School and one of his home room teachers was Scottie Billiter.

When he heard Gilliam died in the line of duty, Billiter, who's now Letcher County Central's assistant principal, dusted off an old yearbook.

“I can't find the right word because that is what I feel right now in my heart. It is such an honor for me to speak for him,” Billiter said.

Billiter says Gilliam was a student that inspired others.

“There is not one of those kids that I had in my home room that I could tell one bad thing about because I have nothing but great fond memories of him. He was definitely a big part of that. He was a big part of who we were,” Billiter said.

Billiter says Gilliam was the type of student that wanted to be involved in just about anything. from the Spanish Club to the football team.

Gilliam's Father Paul did not want to talk on-camera but tells us the family is doing as well as you might expect after losing a son and a friend.

Gilliam's visitation is set for Friday from six until ten at the Letcher Funeral Home.

The funeral for Lance Corporal Chad Gilliam will be held on Saturday at noon, also at the funeral home.

Military officials say Gilliam's cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.