Tests Confirm Marine Was a Combat Victim

Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta this week added another picture to its walls memorializing former students who were killed while serving their country.

Marine Lance Cpl. Donald John Cline Jr. was reported missing in action along with eight other Marines three weeks ago outside of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq. This week, the Defense Department announced that DNA tests had confirmed that Cline, 21, died in combat.

He is one of three soldiers with ties to California who the Pentagon announced this week had died in Iraq.

Born in Sierra Madre, Cline moved with his family to La Crescenta, where he attended Monte Vista Elementary, Rosemont Middle and Crescenta Valley High schools. While he was in high school, his family moved to Sparks, Nev. He joined the military after graduating. He was based in Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Tamme Sweringen, Cline’s mother-in-law, said his death was hard for the family and came after weeks of uncertainty. Since he was listed as missing in action, the family had held out hope that he would be found alive. “Our first thought was that it was a mistake,” she said.

Cline is survived by his wife, Tina, and two children, Dakota, 2 and Dylan, 7 months.

“As young as he was, he was such a family man,” Sweringen said. “I think he got more joy out of playing with the toys than the kids did.”

At Crescenta Valley High School, the principal informed students of Cline’s death in a special announcement. The Student Council is raising money for the family.

The Defense Department also announced that Cpl. Jesus A. Gonzalez, 22, of Indio was killed Sunday at a checkpoint in Baghdad. He was assigned to Twentynine Palms.

Neighbors said Gonzalez attended Indio High School and had a wife and small daughter. They said he joined the military two years ago.

The Pentagon also said Marine Lance Cpl. David Edward Owens Jr., 20, died of wounds received in action Sunday in central Iraq. Owens was assigned to Camp Pendleton and was from Winchester, Va.

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Times staff writer Louis Sahagun contributed to this report.