United States Marine Shane Kielion, an Omaha native, has been killed in combat operations in Iraq. The 23-year-old Kielion died Monday, the very day that his wife, April, gave birth to the couple's son.

Shane Kielion is being remembered as a courageous marine who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Nick Sidzyik remembers the day his best friend Shane told him that he was going to become a marine.

"He started crying," Nick says. "He said, 'I'm sorry bro'. I'm not leaving you. This is just something I have to do.'"

That was in 2002.

The friend who loved sports, video games and jet skiing was soon at war in Iraq.

On Tuesday morning came word that Shane was killed Monday in Fallujah, the insurgent stronghold where U.S. and Iraqi forces have seen intense fighting. It was the day that Shane's wife April gave birth to their first child.

Shane and April were high school sweethearts.

Nick Sidzyik says, "Shane's the kind of guy who could go and spend three hours with kids and just play with them nonstop. Just totally loveable. He would have been an awesome father."

That's a sentiment shared by Shane's former South High football coach, Jay Ball, who saw Shane just last August.

Ball says, "One of the last things he told me was, 'coach I'm going back to Fallujah and I'm going to kick some butt.' I believed him. I was worried."

Shane was a South High quarterback and captain of the team that, in 1998, was the school's first to make the state playoffs in 15 years. He was an all-division quarterback who worked hard and was well-liked.

Jay Ball says, "He was a great kid. If people can do what Shane did then the world would be a better place in terms of how he carried his life and how he lived his life and how he treated people."

While it will be a few years before Shane's son understands what happened, he'll grow up knowing that his dad made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

Nick Sidzyik says, "He's a great warrior, a great hero and a great friend. I love him."

There was a great deal of sadness at South High Tuesday where many of the teachers and staff remember Shane as a student and athlete.

Shane's friend Nick says Shane and April recently celebrated their one year anniversary.

The exact cause of Shane Kielion's death is uncertain. A military spokesperson could say only that he was killed in a combat operation.