In Memoriam

A Marine from Fort Dodge who hoped to make a career of the military has been killed in action in Iraq.

Sgt. Jon E. Bonnell Jr., 22, died when he stepped on an improvised explosive device, according to his father, Jon Bonnell Sr., of Fort Dodge. He said his son was on foot, looking for roadside bombs at the time.

The elder Bonnell said the deadly blast happened at about 8:35 p.m. Monday. The family was notified by the military early Tuesday morning.

The Department of Defense confirmed the death and reported that it occurred in Iraq’s violent Al Anbar province.

Bonnell was a member of B Battery, 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, which is part of the 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He was on his second deployment to Iraq.

Jon Bonnell Sr. said he hopes his son is remembered for his ‘‘hard work and bravery for our country.’’

‘‘He’s a hero,’’ said Matt Elsbecker, who was Bonnell’s baseball coach at Fort Dodge Senior High School. ‘‘He’ll always be a hero for what he did.’’

Elsbecker said the baseball team will do something to honor Bonnell’s memory.

In addition to his father, the Marine is survived by his mother, Denise Rork; sisters Sara Bonnell, Brandy Rork and Tasha Rork; and grandmother Donna Bonnell. All of his immediate family members live in Fort Dodge.

Throughout the day Tuesday, family members converged on the Bonnell home on Avenue N West.

‘‘I have a big family and we’re all just here and supporting each other,’’ the Marine’s father said.

J.J. Bonnell enlisted in the Marine Corps while still a senior in high school.

‘‘I was very proud of him because I knew that was something he wanted to do,’’ his father said. ‘‘It was a scary thing for me, though.’’

He graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in 2003. Elsbecker clearly remembers Bonnell telling him he was joining the Marine Corps during a baseball team potluck dinner. About a year later, Bonnell returned for a visit while on leave and his former coach was impressed with the way he had matured.

‘‘He looked like a solid young man, physically and mentally,’’ Elsbecker said.

Bonnell was a pitcher and first baseman for the Dodgers. Elsbecker described him as ‘‘one of the foundations that built Dodger baseball up to what it is today.’’

Funeral arrangements haven’t been announced yet.