LCPL Fraser, was traveling in an amphibious, lightly armored transport vehicle with the other Marines when a huge, roadside bomb exploded, flipping the 25-ton carrier and causing it to burst into flames, according to news reports.
"Our family dynamic has changed," an aunt, Nancy Long, said of his death. "He was the oldest of all the cousins, the leader in our family. We all supported him, and we will miss him immensely."
Fraser, who left college to join the Marines, was 22. He is the second Alaskan to die in combat in Iraq.
Fraser was described Thursday by friends and family as a talented, loyal, animated and adventure-loving young man who always seemed to be in a good mood, ready to crack a joke.
"He was athletic and agile and really serious and dedicated to the Marine Corps," said his mother, Sharon Long. "But when they were crawling in the mud and doing that kind of training, he would chuckle. And his officers would say, 'You find this funny, Fraser?' And he would say, 'Yes, sir.' He would tell me, 'Mom, there's something absurd about having all these grown men crawl in the mud.' He brought a lighter side."
In June of 2002 Fraser joined Company E, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion based at Elmendorf Air Force Base.
He was sent to Iraq in January where he joined another unit based out of Ohio in Anbar province.
He grew up in a Hillside family. His father, James Fraser, is a doctor, and his mother is active in the School District and the Anchorage Concert Association.
A dozen or so of the slain Marine's friends and family gathered Thursday afternoon at the Veterans Memorial downtown to talk about their loss.
Friends who knew Fraser as a child said they were shocked when they learned he had joined the Marines.
"He was very smart, kind of a scrawny, nerdy kid with glasses, and he was so gentle. I was surprised to hear that he had enlisted himself and had decided to go into the military. It just didn't seem like a very Grant thing to do," said Natasha Korshin, who went to school with Fraser through high school but had mostly lost touch with him.
The explosion Wednesday contributed to what has been a particularly brutal week for American forces in Iraq. Six Marine snipers were killed Monday by an ambush in Haditha, a roadside bomb killed three soldiers late Wednesday in Baghdad, and a Marine was killed late Wednesday in small arms fire in Ramadi, according to The Associated Press.
At least 1,826 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq since the war started, according to The Associated Press.
"He chose the Marines for himself, and we stood firmly with him," Long said of her son.
Fraser's parents were adamant about him receiving the very best education. His mother was on the early advisory committee of the Atheneum School, a small private school, and Fraser was in the founding class there.
He went on to attend Service High School, graduating in 2001. At the time, he won credits from the Alaska Pacific University early honors program, which rewards high school students with college credits. He attended the University of Alaska Anchorage for a brief period before joining the Marines.
"We had always planned that he was going to go to college right out of high school," Sharon Long said. "He announced to us that this was not his scholarly time of life and he wanted to join the Marines. He wanted to be more active, and he needed a big challenge. That was not our plan. That was his plan. He chose his own way since he was very young."
Fraser went to San Diego for basic training and graduated on crutches after the weight of the packs caused stress fractures to his feet.
"He persevered. He loved what he was doing," Long said. "He refused to fall out."
Fraser was planning on training to become a rescue firefighter when he returned to Alaska from Iraq.
Friends and family said he was spontaneous and had a hint of mischief but took his responsibilities seriously.
"He needed supervision sometimes for his spontaneity," Long said. "You couldn't walk through the grocery store with Grant without him juggling the oranges or onions. When they gave him rubber grenades while he was in training, he started juggling the grenades."
Fraser loved sports, music and acting. He was an avid rock climber and a piano player, and he acted in plays throughout his childhood.
Long said that he especially loved Shakespeare and preferred the comic roles. "He was the porter in 'Macbeth.' Grant was a happy guy, and the porter is the only comic relief in 'Macbeth,' so he loved that role." Long also remembered him playing Bottom in "Midsummer Night's Dream" and Odysseus in "The Odyssey."
"He took things with a sense of responsibility and seriousness when that was appropriate," said Lydia Ossorgin, the founding director of the Atheneum School. "When he was playing a warrior in 'Odysseus' and that was a big deal to him, he delivered it. It was sort of uncanny."
Friends and family said Thursday they will feel a constant void now.
Elizabeth Hensley grew up with Fraser and had seen him around town over the years.
"He was such a constant presence. You would always see him at the grocery store. It was just a normal part of life. It makes life what it is."
The first Alaskan to die in combat in Iraq, Lance Cpl. Jeremiah Kinchen, was also a Marine. Kinchen, of Salcha, was killed in April in an explosion while on patrol with his unit.
An Army sergeant with ties to Anchorage died in July 2003 in Iraq. Sgt. Mason Douglas Whetstone's death was attributed to noncombat injuries. He graduated from Dimond High School in 1990.
A Georgetown, S.C., native based at Elmendorf was killed by a roadside bomb near Mosul in August 2004. Airman 1st Class Carl L. Anderson was assigned to the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron.Late Alaskan Marine known for humor, desire to serve
Daily News staff
Published: August 12th, 2005
Last Modified: August 12th, 2005 at 01:23 AM
Lance Cpl. Grant Bruce Fraser, 22, died Aug. 3, 2005, in Operation Quick Strike in Anbar province, Iraq.
A memorial service with full military honors will be at 4 p.m. Monday at Kincaid Park. Refreshments and an informal gathering celebrating his life will take place afterward.
Born Feb. 3, 1983, in Anchorage, he attended Rogers Park and O'Malley elementary schools and Atheneum Middle School. He was a 2001 Service High School graduate, taking his senior year classes through the Alaska Pacific University Early Honors program.
Declaring to his parents that this was "not my scholarly time of life," he left his studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2002 and enlisted in the Marines.
"Always eager to live life to the fullest," his family wrote, "Grant had a wide range of interests: He was an accomplished actor preferring comedic roles, mountain biker, skier, pianist, scuba diver, rock climber, occasional tennis player (Service varsity tennis squad) and sailor. His reading preferences included Shakespeare, Homer, Poe and Popular Science, and he enjoyed a rousing round of 'Squabble,' as it's called in his family.
"Grant's sense of loyalty and commitment grew even stronger during his time in the Marines to embody fully the principles of semper fi. He traveled through life to the beat of his own drum, with an infectious sense of humor and an unflaggingly buoyant spirit. One day while Grant was trundling around the house in his diapers and mukluk slippers, his father asked, 'Sprout, why are you so happy?' Grant paused, then answered, 'Because mommy and daddy are happy at me.'
"Sometime later, while in boot camp, he entertained his comrades (and drew disciplinary action) by juggling the rubber hand grenades used in training. Teasing about his sister, of whom he was enormously proud and protective, was the only way to 'get to him,' explained fellow Marines calling home from Iraq to console the family."
He planned to return home to his beloved Alaska, family and friends after his tour in Iraq. He intended to continue at UAA and train as a paramedic. Having earned the rare qualification of Combat Water Safety Swimmer in the Marines, he hoped to work with the Anchorage Fire Department as a paramedic firefighter assigned to the Dive Rescue Team. In honor of the future he planned and his dedication to service, the Grant B. Fraser Memorial Endowment for Trauma Care at Providence Alaska Medical Center has been established. This fund will remain in perpetuity, devoted to training personnel and equipping Alaska's only Level 1 trauma center.
Grant Fraser is survived by his parents, Sharon Long and Dr. James A. Fraser; sister, Victoria Fraser; maternal grandmother, Marjorie Davis Cross; paternal uncle, Alexander Fraser; paternal aunt, Kathleen Lindsay; maternal uncle, David Long and his wife, Tammye, and their children, Katye, Elise, Nancy and Christian; maternal aunt, Nancy Long, and her son, Zachary Pease; and many cousins from New York to Washington and Oregon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Grant B. Fraser Memorial Endowment for Trauma Care at Providence Alaska Medical Center, Providence Foundation, 3200 Providence Drive, Anchorage 99508, or to the Grant Fraser Scholarship Fund, c/o The Alaska Theatre of Youth, P.O. Box 101212, Anchorage 99510.
Postscript: On September 30, 2016 Lance Cpl. Fraser was interred in Arlington National Cemetery. He is in Section 60. I am grateful to his mother for sharing this information with me.
"Our family dynamic has changed," an aunt, Nancy Long, said of his death. "He was the oldest of all the cousins, the leader in our family. We all supported him, and we will miss him immensely."
Fraser, who left college to join the Marines, was 22. He is the second Alaskan to die in combat in Iraq.
Fraser was described Thursday by friends and family as a talented, loyal, animated and adventure-loving young man who always seemed to be in a good mood, ready to crack a joke.
"He was athletic and agile and really serious and dedicated to the Marine Corps," said his mother, Sharon Long. "But when they were crawling in the mud and doing that kind of training, he would chuckle. And his officers would say, 'You find this funny, Fraser?' And he would say, 'Yes, sir.' He would tell me, 'Mom, there's something absurd about having all these grown men crawl in the mud.' He brought a lighter side."
In June of 2002 Fraser joined Company E, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion based at Elmendorf Air Force Base.
He was sent to Iraq in January where he joined another unit based out of Ohio in Anbar province.
He grew up in a Hillside family. His father, James Fraser, is a doctor, and his mother is active in the School District and the Anchorage Concert Association.
A dozen or so of the slain Marine's friends and family gathered Thursday afternoon at the Veterans Memorial downtown to talk about their loss.
Friends who knew Fraser as a child said they were shocked when they learned he had joined the Marines.
"He was very smart, kind of a scrawny, nerdy kid with glasses, and he was so gentle. I was surprised to hear that he had enlisted himself and had decided to go into the military. It just didn't seem like a very Grant thing to do," said Natasha Korshin, who went to school with Fraser through high school but had mostly lost touch with him.
The explosion Wednesday contributed to what has been a particularly brutal week for American forces in Iraq. Six Marine snipers were killed Monday by an ambush in Haditha, a roadside bomb killed three soldiers late Wednesday in Baghdad, and a Marine was killed late Wednesday in small arms fire in Ramadi, according to The Associated Press.
At least 1,826 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq since the war started, according to The Associated Press.
"He chose the Marines for himself, and we stood firmly with him," Long said of her son.
Fraser's parents were adamant about him receiving the very best education. His mother was on the early advisory committee of the Atheneum School, a small private school, and Fraser was in the founding class there.
He went on to attend Service High School, graduating in 2001. At the time, he won credits from the Alaska Pacific University early honors program, which rewards high school students with college credits. He attended the University of Alaska Anchorage for a brief period before joining the Marines.
"We had always planned that he was going to go to college right out of high school," Sharon Long said. "He announced to us that this was not his scholarly time of life and he wanted to join the Marines. He wanted to be more active, and he needed a big challenge. That was not our plan. That was his plan. He chose his own way since he was very young."
Fraser went to San Diego for basic training and graduated on crutches after the weight of the packs caused stress fractures to his feet.
"He persevered. He loved what he was doing," Long said. "He refused to fall out."
Fraser was planning on training to become a rescue firefighter when he returned to Alaska from Iraq.
Friends and family said he was spontaneous and had a hint of mischief but took his responsibilities seriously.
"He needed supervision sometimes for his spontaneity," Long said. "You couldn't walk through the grocery store with Grant without him juggling the oranges or onions. When they gave him rubber grenades while he was in training, he started juggling the grenades."
Fraser loved sports, music and acting. He was an avid rock climber and a piano player, and he acted in plays throughout his childhood.
Long said that he especially loved Shakespeare and preferred the comic roles. "He was the porter in 'Macbeth.' Grant was a happy guy, and the porter is the only comic relief in 'Macbeth,' so he loved that role." Long also remembered him playing Bottom in "Midsummer Night's Dream" and Odysseus in "The Odyssey."
"He took things with a sense of responsibility and seriousness when that was appropriate," said Lydia Ossorgin, the founding director of the Atheneum School. "When he was playing a warrior in 'Odysseus' and that was a big deal to him, he delivered it. It was sort of uncanny."
Friends and family said Thursday they will feel a constant void now.
Elizabeth Hensley grew up with Fraser and had seen him around town over the years.
"He was such a constant presence. You would always see him at the grocery store. It was just a normal part of life. It makes life what it is."
The first Alaskan to die in combat in Iraq, Lance Cpl. Jeremiah Kinchen, was also a Marine. Kinchen, of Salcha, was killed in April in an explosion while on patrol with his unit.
An Army sergeant with ties to Anchorage died in July 2003 in Iraq. Sgt. Mason Douglas Whetstone's death was attributed to noncombat injuries. He graduated from Dimond High School in 1990.
A Georgetown, S.C., native based at Elmendorf was killed by a roadside bomb near Mosul in August 2004. Airman 1st Class Carl L. Anderson was assigned to the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron.Late Alaskan Marine known for humor, desire to serve
Daily News staff
Published: August 12th, 2005
Last Modified: August 12th, 2005 at 01:23 AM
Lance Cpl. Grant Bruce Fraser, 22, died Aug. 3, 2005, in Operation Quick Strike in Anbar province, Iraq.
A memorial service with full military honors will be at 4 p.m. Monday at Kincaid Park. Refreshments and an informal gathering celebrating his life will take place afterward.
Born Feb. 3, 1983, in Anchorage, he attended Rogers Park and O'Malley elementary schools and Atheneum Middle School. He was a 2001 Service High School graduate, taking his senior year classes through the Alaska Pacific University Early Honors program.
Declaring to his parents that this was "not my scholarly time of life," he left his studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2002 and enlisted in the Marines.
"Always eager to live life to the fullest," his family wrote, "Grant had a wide range of interests: He was an accomplished actor preferring comedic roles, mountain biker, skier, pianist, scuba diver, rock climber, occasional tennis player (Service varsity tennis squad) and sailor. His reading preferences included Shakespeare, Homer, Poe and Popular Science, and he enjoyed a rousing round of 'Squabble,' as it's called in his family.
"Grant's sense of loyalty and commitment grew even stronger during his time in the Marines to embody fully the principles of semper fi. He traveled through life to the beat of his own drum, with an infectious sense of humor and an unflaggingly buoyant spirit. One day while Grant was trundling around the house in his diapers and mukluk slippers, his father asked, 'Sprout, why are you so happy?' Grant paused, then answered, 'Because mommy and daddy are happy at me.'
"Sometime later, while in boot camp, he entertained his comrades (and drew disciplinary action) by juggling the rubber hand grenades used in training. Teasing about his sister, of whom he was enormously proud and protective, was the only way to 'get to him,' explained fellow Marines calling home from Iraq to console the family."
He planned to return home to his beloved Alaska, family and friends after his tour in Iraq. He intended to continue at UAA and train as a paramedic. Having earned the rare qualification of Combat Water Safety Swimmer in the Marines, he hoped to work with the Anchorage Fire Department as a paramedic firefighter assigned to the Dive Rescue Team. In honor of the future he planned and his dedication to service, the Grant B. Fraser Memorial Endowment for Trauma Care at Providence Alaska Medical Center has been established. This fund will remain in perpetuity, devoted to training personnel and equipping Alaska's only Level 1 trauma center.
Grant Fraser is survived by his parents, Sharon Long and Dr. James A. Fraser; sister, Victoria Fraser; maternal grandmother, Marjorie Davis Cross; paternal uncle, Alexander Fraser; paternal aunt, Kathleen Lindsay; maternal uncle, David Long and his wife, Tammye, and their children, Katye, Elise, Nancy and Christian; maternal aunt, Nancy Long, and her son, Zachary Pease; and many cousins from New York to Washington and Oregon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Grant B. Fraser Memorial Endowment for Trauma Care at Providence Alaska Medical Center, Providence Foundation, 3200 Providence Drive, Anchorage 99508, or to the Grant Fraser Scholarship Fund, c/o The Alaska Theatre of Youth, P.O. Box 101212, Anchorage 99510.
Postscript: On September 30, 2016 Lance Cpl. Fraser was interred in Arlington National Cemetery. He is in Section 60. I am grateful to his mother for sharing this information with me.
LCPL Fraser, was traveling in an amphibious, lightly armored transport vehicle with the other Marines when a huge, roadside bomb exploded, flipping the 25-ton carrier and causing it to burst into flames, according to news reports.
"Our family dynamic has changed," an aunt, Nancy Long, said of his death. "He was the oldest of all the cousins, the leader in our family. We all supported him, and we will miss him immensely."
Fraser, who left college to join the Marines, was 22. He is the second Alaskan to die in combat in Iraq.
Fraser was described Thursday by friends and family as a talented, loyal, animated and adventure-loving young man who always seemed to be in a good mood, ready to crack a joke.
"He was athletic and agile and really serious and dedicated to the Marine Corps," said his mother, Sharon Long. "But when they were crawling in the mud and doing that kind of training, he would chuckle. And his officers would say, 'You find this funny, Fraser?' And he would say, 'Yes, sir.' He would tell me, 'Mom, there's something absurd about having all these grown men crawl in the mud.' He brought a lighter side."
In June of 2002 Fraser joined Company E, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion based at Elmendorf Air Force Base.
He was sent to Iraq in January where he joined another unit based out of Ohio in Anbar province.
He grew up in a Hillside family. His father, James Fraser, is a doctor, and his mother is active in the School District and the Anchorage Concert Association.
A dozen or so of the slain Marine's friends and family gathered Thursday afternoon at the Veterans Memorial downtown to talk about their loss.
Friends who knew Fraser as a child said they were shocked when they learned he had joined the Marines.
"He was very smart, kind of a scrawny, nerdy kid with glasses, and he was so gentle. I was surprised to hear that he had enlisted himself and had decided to go into the military. It just didn't seem like a very Grant thing to do," said Natasha Korshin, who went to school with Fraser through high school but had mostly lost touch with him.
The explosion Wednesday contributed to what has been a particularly brutal week for American forces in Iraq. Six Marine snipers were killed Monday by an ambush in Haditha, a roadside bomb killed three soldiers late Wednesday in Baghdad, and a Marine was killed late Wednesday in small arms fire in Ramadi, according to The Associated Press.
At least 1,826 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq since the war started, according to The Associated Press.
"He chose the Marines for himself, and we stood firmly with him," Long said of her son.
Fraser's parents were adamant about him receiving the very best education. His mother was on the early advisory committee of the Atheneum School, a small private school, and Fraser was in the founding class there.
He went on to attend Service High School, graduating in 2001. At the time, he won credits from the Alaska Pacific University early honors program, which rewards high school students with college credits. He attended the University of Alaska Anchorage for a brief period before joining the Marines.
"We had always planned that he was going to go to college right out of high school," Sharon Long said. "He announced to us that this was not his scholarly time of life and he wanted to join the Marines. He wanted to be more active, and he needed a big challenge. That was not our plan. That was his plan. He chose his own way since he was very young."
Fraser went to San Diego for basic training and graduated on crutches after the weight of the packs caused stress fractures to his feet.
"He persevered. He loved what he was doing," Long said. "He refused to fall out."
Fraser was planning on training to become a rescue firefighter when he returned to Alaska from Iraq.
Friends and family said he was spontaneous and had a hint of mischief but took his responsibilities seriously.
"He needed supervision sometimes for his spontaneity," Long said. "You couldn't walk through the grocery store with Grant without him juggling the oranges or onions. When they gave him rubber grenades while he was in training, he started juggling the grenades."
Fraser loved sports, music and acting. He was an avid rock climber and a piano player, and he acted in plays throughout his childhood.
Long said that he especially loved Shakespeare and preferred the comic roles. "He was the porter in 'Macbeth.' Grant was a happy guy, and the porter is the only comic relief in 'Macbeth,' so he loved that role." Long also remembered him playing Bottom in "Midsummer Night's Dream" and Odysseus in "The Odyssey."
"He took things with a sense of responsibility and seriousness when that was appropriate," said Lydia Ossorgin, the founding director of the Atheneum School. "When he was playing a warrior in 'Odysseus' and that was a big deal to him, he delivered it. It was sort of uncanny."
Friends and family said Thursday they will feel a constant void now.
Elizabeth Hensley grew up with Fraser and had seen him around town over the years.
"He was such a constant presence. You would always see him at the grocery store. It was just a normal part of life. It makes life what it is."
The first Alaskan to die in combat in Iraq, Lance Cpl. Jeremiah Kinchen, was also a Marine. Kinchen, of Salcha, was killed in April in an explosion while on patrol with his unit.
An Army sergeant with ties to Anchorage died in July 2003 in Iraq. Sgt. Mason Douglas Whetstone's death was attributed to noncombat injuries. He graduated from Dimond High School in 1990.
A Georgetown, S.C., native based at Elmendorf was killed by a roadside bomb near Mosul in August 2004. Airman 1st Class Carl L. Anderson was assigned to the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron.Late Alaskan Marine known for humor, desire to serve
Daily News staff
Published: August 12th, 2005
Last Modified: August 12th, 2005 at 01:23 AM
Lance Cpl. Grant Bruce Fraser, 22, died Aug. 3, 2005, in Operation Quick Strike in Anbar province, Iraq.
A memorial service with full military honors will be at 4 p.m. Monday at Kincaid Park. Refreshments and an informal gathering celebrating his life will take place afterward.
Born Feb. 3, 1983, in Anchorage, he attended Rogers Park and O'Malley elementary schools and Atheneum Middle School. He was a 2001 Service High School graduate, taking his senior year classes through the Alaska Pacific University Early Honors program.
Declaring to his parents that this was "not my scholarly time of life," he left his studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2002 and enlisted in the Marines.
"Always eager to live life to the fullest," his family wrote, "Grant had a wide range of interests: He was an accomplished actor preferring comedic roles, mountain biker, skier, pianist, scuba diver, rock climber, occasional tennis player (Service varsity tennis squad) and sailor. His reading preferences included Shakespeare, Homer, Poe and Popular Science, and he enjoyed a rousing round of 'Squabble,' as it's called in his family.
"Grant's sense of loyalty and commitment grew even stronger during his time in the Marines to embody fully the principles of semper fi. He traveled through life to the beat of his own drum, with an infectious sense of humor and an unflaggingly buoyant spirit. One day while Grant was trundling around the house in his diapers and mukluk slippers, his father asked, 'Sprout, why are you so happy?' Grant paused, then answered, 'Because mommy and daddy are happy at me.'
"Sometime later, while in boot camp, he entertained his comrades (and drew disciplinary action) by juggling the rubber hand grenades used in training. Teasing about his sister, of whom he was enormously proud and protective, was the only way to 'get to him,' explained fellow Marines calling home from Iraq to console the family."
He planned to return home to his beloved Alaska, family and friends after his tour in Iraq. He intended to continue at UAA and train as a paramedic. Having earned the rare qualification of Combat Water Safety Swimmer in the Marines, he hoped to work with the Anchorage Fire Department as a paramedic firefighter assigned to the Dive Rescue Team. In honor of the future he planned and his dedication to service, the Grant B. Fraser Memorial Endowment for Trauma Care at Providence Alaska Medical Center has been established. This fund will remain in perpetuity, devoted to training personnel and equipping Alaska's only Level 1 trauma center.
Grant Fraser is survived by his parents, Sharon Long and Dr. James A. Fraser; sister, Victoria Fraser; maternal grandmother, Marjorie Davis Cross; paternal uncle, Alexander Fraser; paternal aunt, Kathleen Lindsay; maternal uncle, David Long and his wife, Tammye, and their children, Katye, Elise, Nancy and Christian; maternal aunt, Nancy Long, and her son, Zachary Pease; and many cousins from New York to Washington and Oregon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Grant B. Fraser Memorial Endowment for Trauma Care at Providence Alaska Medical Center, Providence Foundation, 3200 Providence Drive, Anchorage 99508, or to the Grant Fraser Scholarship Fund, c/o The Alaska Theatre of Youth, P.O. Box 101212, Anchorage 99510.
Postscript: On September 30, 2016 Lance Cpl. Fraser was interred in Arlington National Cemetery. He is in Section 60. I am grateful to his mother for sharing this information with me.
"Our family dynamic has changed," an aunt, Nancy Long, said of his death. "He was the oldest of all the cousins, the leader in our family. We all supported him, and we will miss him immensely."
Fraser, who left college to join the Marines, was 22. He is the second Alaskan to die in combat in Iraq.
Fraser was described Thursday by friends and family as a talented, loyal, animated and adventure-loving young man who always seemed to be in a good mood, ready to crack a joke.
"He was athletic and agile and really serious and dedicated to the Marine Corps," said his mother, Sharon Long. "But when they were crawling in the mud and doing that kind of training, he would chuckle. And his officers would say, 'You find this funny, Fraser?' And he would say, 'Yes, sir.' He would tell me, 'Mom, there's something absurd about having all these grown men crawl in the mud.' He brought a lighter side."
In June of 2002 Fraser joined Company E, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion based at Elmendorf Air Force Base.
He was sent to Iraq in January where he joined another unit based out of Ohio in Anbar province.
He grew up in a Hillside family. His father, James Fraser, is a doctor, and his mother is active in the School District and the Anchorage Concert Association.
A dozen or so of the slain Marine's friends and family gathered Thursday afternoon at the Veterans Memorial downtown to talk about their loss.
Friends who knew Fraser as a child said they were shocked when they learned he had joined the Marines.
"He was very smart, kind of a scrawny, nerdy kid with glasses, and he was so gentle. I was surprised to hear that he had enlisted himself and had decided to go into the military. It just didn't seem like a very Grant thing to do," said Natasha Korshin, who went to school with Fraser through high school but had mostly lost touch with him.
The explosion Wednesday contributed to what has been a particularly brutal week for American forces in Iraq. Six Marine snipers were killed Monday by an ambush in Haditha, a roadside bomb killed three soldiers late Wednesday in Baghdad, and a Marine was killed late Wednesday in small arms fire in Ramadi, according to The Associated Press.
At least 1,826 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq since the war started, according to The Associated Press.
"He chose the Marines for himself, and we stood firmly with him," Long said of her son.
Fraser's parents were adamant about him receiving the very best education. His mother was on the early advisory committee of the Atheneum School, a small private school, and Fraser was in the founding class there.
He went on to attend Service High School, graduating in 2001. At the time, he won credits from the Alaska Pacific University early honors program, which rewards high school students with college credits. He attended the University of Alaska Anchorage for a brief period before joining the Marines.
"We had always planned that he was going to go to college right out of high school," Sharon Long said. "He announced to us that this was not his scholarly time of life and he wanted to join the Marines. He wanted to be more active, and he needed a big challenge. That was not our plan. That was his plan. He chose his own way since he was very young."
Fraser went to San Diego for basic training and graduated on crutches after the weight of the packs caused stress fractures to his feet.
"He persevered. He loved what he was doing," Long said. "He refused to fall out."
Fraser was planning on training to become a rescue firefighter when he returned to Alaska from Iraq.
Friends and family said he was spontaneous and had a hint of mischief but took his responsibilities seriously.
"He needed supervision sometimes for his spontaneity," Long said. "You couldn't walk through the grocery store with Grant without him juggling the oranges or onions. When they gave him rubber grenades while he was in training, he started juggling the grenades."
Fraser loved sports, music and acting. He was an avid rock climber and a piano player, and he acted in plays throughout his childhood.
Long said that he especially loved Shakespeare and preferred the comic roles. "He was the porter in 'Macbeth.' Grant was a happy guy, and the porter is the only comic relief in 'Macbeth,' so he loved that role." Long also remembered him playing Bottom in "Midsummer Night's Dream" and Odysseus in "The Odyssey."
"He took things with a sense of responsibility and seriousness when that was appropriate," said Lydia Ossorgin, the founding director of the Atheneum School. "When he was playing a warrior in 'Odysseus' and that was a big deal to him, he delivered it. It was sort of uncanny."
Friends and family said Thursday they will feel a constant void now.
Elizabeth Hensley grew up with Fraser and had seen him around town over the years.
"He was such a constant presence. You would always see him at the grocery store. It was just a normal part of life. It makes life what it is."
The first Alaskan to die in combat in Iraq, Lance Cpl. Jeremiah Kinchen, was also a Marine. Kinchen, of Salcha, was killed in April in an explosion while on patrol with his unit.
An Army sergeant with ties to Anchorage died in July 2003 in Iraq. Sgt. Mason Douglas Whetstone's death was attributed to noncombat injuries. He graduated from Dimond High School in 1990.
A Georgetown, S.C., native based at Elmendorf was killed by a roadside bomb near Mosul in August 2004. Airman 1st Class Carl L. Anderson was assigned to the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron.Late Alaskan Marine known for humor, desire to serve
Daily News staff
Published: August 12th, 2005
Last Modified: August 12th, 2005 at 01:23 AM
Lance Cpl. Grant Bruce Fraser, 22, died Aug. 3, 2005, in Operation Quick Strike in Anbar province, Iraq.
A memorial service with full military honors will be at 4 p.m. Monday at Kincaid Park. Refreshments and an informal gathering celebrating his life will take place afterward.
Born Feb. 3, 1983, in Anchorage, he attended Rogers Park and O'Malley elementary schools and Atheneum Middle School. He was a 2001 Service High School graduate, taking his senior year classes through the Alaska Pacific University Early Honors program.
Declaring to his parents that this was "not my scholarly time of life," he left his studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2002 and enlisted in the Marines.
"Always eager to live life to the fullest," his family wrote, "Grant had a wide range of interests: He was an accomplished actor preferring comedic roles, mountain biker, skier, pianist, scuba diver, rock climber, occasional tennis player (Service varsity tennis squad) and sailor. His reading preferences included Shakespeare, Homer, Poe and Popular Science, and he enjoyed a rousing round of 'Squabble,' as it's called in his family.
"Grant's sense of loyalty and commitment grew even stronger during his time in the Marines to embody fully the principles of semper fi. He traveled through life to the beat of his own drum, with an infectious sense of humor and an unflaggingly buoyant spirit. One day while Grant was trundling around the house in his diapers and mukluk slippers, his father asked, 'Sprout, why are you so happy?' Grant paused, then answered, 'Because mommy and daddy are happy at me.'
"Sometime later, while in boot camp, he entertained his comrades (and drew disciplinary action) by juggling the rubber hand grenades used in training. Teasing about his sister, of whom he was enormously proud and protective, was the only way to 'get to him,' explained fellow Marines calling home from Iraq to console the family."
He planned to return home to his beloved Alaska, family and friends after his tour in Iraq. He intended to continue at UAA and train as a paramedic. Having earned the rare qualification of Combat Water Safety Swimmer in the Marines, he hoped to work with the Anchorage Fire Department as a paramedic firefighter assigned to the Dive Rescue Team. In honor of the future he planned and his dedication to service, the Grant B. Fraser Memorial Endowment for Trauma Care at Providence Alaska Medical Center has been established. This fund will remain in perpetuity, devoted to training personnel and equipping Alaska's only Level 1 trauma center.
Grant Fraser is survived by his parents, Sharon Long and Dr. James A. Fraser; sister, Victoria Fraser; maternal grandmother, Marjorie Davis Cross; paternal uncle, Alexander Fraser; paternal aunt, Kathleen Lindsay; maternal uncle, David Long and his wife, Tammye, and their children, Katye, Elise, Nancy and Christian; maternal aunt, Nancy Long, and her son, Zachary Pease; and many cousins from New York to Washington and Oregon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Grant B. Fraser Memorial Endowment for Trauma Care at Providence Alaska Medical Center, Providence Foundation, 3200 Providence Drive, Anchorage 99508, or to the Grant Fraser Scholarship Fund, c/o The Alaska Theatre of Youth, P.O. Box 101212, Anchorage 99510.
Postscript: On September 30, 2016 Lance Cpl. Fraser was interred in Arlington National Cemetery. He is in Section 60. I am grateful to his mother for sharing this information with me.
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