As his casket lay underneath the basketball hoop at one end of Maxwell High School gymnasium, Chad R. Hildebrandt's former teachers and friends recalled the spots on the court where he would dive for loose balls and make other hustle plays.

He was a prankster, a warrior, the big man on campus, a role model to younger students, a good older brother and a young man "intent on living his life to the fullest," said those who spoke in eulogy.

Hildebrandt, 22, of Springer, N.M., was killed Oct. 17 in Rutba in a gunfight. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton.

Hildebrandt, a 2003 high school graduate, enlisted in the Marines eight days after graduation. Friends said becoming a Marine had always been his dream.

"Chad was the greatest guy. It's not fair that he had to go out like this. But he died doing what he loved. It's all he talked about -- being a Marine," said Hildebrandt's friend Richard Galli.

Hildebrandt's yellow jersey, No. 44, hung from the hoop for his memorial service. When the service was over, Hildebrandt's classmates gave it to his parents, hugging each of them.

He is survived by his parents, Coleen and Bob Hildebrandt.