Reitz Grad Killed in Iraq

Friends say a fallen Tri-state soldier changed their lives in his 21 short years Will Powell-Kerchief was shot while manning an observation post north of Baghdad, Iraq, in the city of Balad. Tonight, family and friends have gathered to grieve and look back at the life of a young man taken too soon. Will Powell-Kerchief is remembered as much more than a student or soldier. He was a life changer, according to friends. In this day of pervasive technology, his high school and church friends have already established a memorial on the networking website Facebook. In just a day it has become the place to share stories of how Will touched and changed their lives. Those friends declined to be interviewed on camera tonight. The pain is too new and fresh, they say. But they want the world to know how Will changed them. One friend recounted how Will rescued him from a high school click headed down the road towards drug abuse and turned him on to faith. Faith was a big part of his life. He mentored kids at First Christian Church in downtown Evansville. He was happiest friends say when he made them smile and laugh. One friend summed up the loss saying the best memories of his life all include Will. No funeral arrangements for have been made yet. The family says they still arent sure when his body will arrive back on US soil. Powell-Kerchief is a 2005 graduate of Reitz High School, and also attended Bosse for two years.