CHARLOTTE, NC– A Union County marine is being remembered as a leader and a Warrior.
Eighteen-year-old Private First Class Joshua Islam died Monday during a screening test at Camp Pendleton in California. A test that involved treading water in a pool for 30 minutes.
Islam’s friend Zachary McLoughin remembers a vibrant young man with ambition, a love for life, and heart—seen both in the classroom and on the baseball field.
McLoughlin says Islam was the kind of guy everyone wanted to be friends with. “He was funny. He was always good with the girls. He was the number one choice to go to prom with. Everyone just loved being around him.”
Friends and classmates say that Islam was a true example of a Warrior, and that his legacy will live on at Weddington High School for years to come.
Weddington High School Principal Jonathan Bowers says Islam was the true model of what it means to be a student-athlete: hard-working, disciplined, and eager to lead. He says his classmates and teachers will remember a young man with honor.
WCCB asked the Marines how many people were in the pool with Islam, and how many supervisors were around at the time of his death. A Colonel tells WCCB that it is still too early in the investigation, and couldn’t give any specifics.
