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United States Army Corporal Luigi Marciante Jr., 25, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was killed in action in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, on Sept. 20, 2007.
Luigi "Louie" was born November 10, 1981, in Elizabeth. He was a beloved husband, father, son, and hero to all who knew him. He was renowned and cherished for his love of life, sense of humor and uncanny ability to bring happiness to every life he touched. Physically gone but not forgotten, our lives are richer having known him, and his presence will sustain us forever, not only in our hearts but in the eyes of his son.
Marciante, a 1999 graduate of Elizabeth High School, had been assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Lewis, Washington.
The youngest of four children, Marciante was born in Elizabeth to Luigi and Maria Marciante and was baby brother to Accursio, Ronnie and Enza. He loved club music, and after graduating from Elizabeth High decided to try his hand at deejaying but what Louie longed to become was a cop.
His father had been a police officer in Italy before immigrating to the U.S. and Marciante had long dreamed of following in his father's footsteps. The Army seemed like a good place to start.
While assigned to Fort Lewis, Marciante met his future wife, Stephanie, a Brick, NJ native who was an Army MP. The couple married in the summer of 2006. When Stephanie was five months pregnant, Louie was deployed to Iraq. He took his new mission in stride, but was keenly aware of the dangers. He longed to be by his wife's side and cherished the regular letters he'd get from friends and family.
A newlywed four months into his first Iraq tour, Marciante had been given an 18-day leave so he could return home for the birth of his son and Louie soaked in every minute with Lorenzo. When he donned his fatigues again on August 23 for his flight back to Iraq, Marciante could only talk about when he'd be able to return home for good, raise his son and fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer.
Luigi is survived by wife, Stephanie (Busby) Marciante, and his newborn son, Lorenzo, both of Brick, N.J.; parents, Maria and Luigi Marciante (proprietor of Larry's Generator, Elizabeth, N.J.), of Jackson; two brothers and one sister, Accursio and his wife, Maria, of Union, Raniero and his wife, Renee, of Folsom, Pa., and Enza and her husband, Richard Jacobowitz, of Jackson. He had many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and acquaintances.