DUBLIN, Ohio -- A Marine killed in Iraq was remembered for being inspired to join the military following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

At his funeral Thursday, hundreds of family members and friends recalled how Lance Cpl. Wesley G. Davids, 20, of Dublin, wanted to help his country, even if it meant risking his life.

Davids died May 11, one day after his birthday, from an explosion while conducting combat operations in Karabilah, Iraq. He was a member of the Marine Reserve's 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment, 4th Division in Columbus.

Four other Marines from the unit also were killed in Iraq last week.

Davids paid the ultimate sacrifice for people he didn't even know, said the Rev. Charles Kuck, who gave a eulogy for the Marine at Dublin Community Church in this Columbus suburb.

"His life was a gift to all of us and the people of Iraq," Kuck said.

Schoolchildren, dressed in slickers because of rain, stood in front of the church and clutched small U.S. flags in their hands. A horse-drawn hearse carried Davids' coffin to a nearby cemetery, where the Marine was buried with military honors.