Cpl. Gurpreet Singh, an Antelope resident who was serving his second tour with the Marines, died June 22 of injuries during combat in Afghanistan. He was 21.
The U.S. Department of Defense said Cpl. Singh died from wounds he suffered in Helmand province. He was an infantryman with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
Cpl. Singh had been in Afghanistan for about seven months before he was killed, said his father, Nirmal. Although originally scheduled to return home in October, he extended his tour by one month to help train new Marines, his father said.
"He was supposed to come back in November," Nirmal Singh said.
Cpl. Singh received the Purple Heart and other ribbons and medals for his service.
Born in 1989 in Punjab state in India, he immigrated to the United States with his family in 2000.
He grew up in Antelope and joined the Marines in 2007 after graduating from Oakmont High School in Roseville. He trained at Camp Pendleton before going to Afghanistan.
"He said he wanted to do something for the country," his father said. "All the time, he said he wanted to do something special."
Besides his father, survivors include his mother, Satnam Kaur of Antelope; sister, Manpreet Kaur of Antelope; and grandmother, Nasib Kaur of Antelope.
A funeral is set for 11 a.m. today at Mount Vernon Memorial Park and Mortuary, 8201 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks. Donations may be made to the Semper Fi Fund, which provides financial support to injured service members and their families, at semperfifund.org.
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