A young Marine from Urbandale was killed in Iraq Thursday when a homemade bomb blew up near Fallujah, his family said Saturday.

Pfc. Brandon Sturdy, 19, entered the service shortly after graduating last year from Urbandale High School.

"He was the best of the best and set the bar high for us to reach for," his family said in a prepared statement. "He was an excellent Marine that died for his country and our freedom. We should all try to emulate him."

Sturdy was a machine-gunner in the First Marine Regiment. He had already earned a Purple Heart during his short career, his family said. He was the 14th Iowan to die in Iraq.

"He left behind a loving family, a legacy of honor, courage and commitment, and a sense of pride in the way he lived," the statement said. "He will be greatly missed for years to come."

His survivors include his mother and stepfather, Shelly and Robert Rivera, and his father, David Sturdy, all of Urbandale. He was engaged to marry Tricia Johnson of Grimes.

He started his training last May and finished in October, his family said.

Fallujah, a central Iraqi city west of Baghdad, is dominated by Sunni Muslims, many of whom supported Saddam Hussein. It has been the scene of some of the war's worst violence.

In March, a mob there killed four American security workers, burned their bodies, and strung them up from a bridge. Hundreds of people died in an ensuing battle between U.S. Marines and Iraqi insurgents.