STURBRIDGE, Mass. -- A Sturbridge family is in mourning after a young Marine was killed this week in Iraq.

NewsCenter 5's Pam Cross reported that Marine 2nd Lt. Joshua Booth leaves behind a pregnant wife, a daughter and his parents, Jack and Debra.

Booth, 23, was killed on Tuesday in Iraq. He grew up in Sturbridge, and his family said he always wanted to be a Marine. His mother said it's hard to speak about him in the past tense.

"He loves this country. He believes in what he is doing. And his men and himself took care of each other," Debra Booth said.

Booth went to Iraq last month, where he was stationed in Kaditha. His job was to speak the language and meet the people. A Marine captain told Jack Booth that his son did well with the assignment.

"Josh gathered and Josh's platoon gathered more information and intelligence on the people they were trying to find and those weapons than the intelligence operations in place there for many months," Jack Booth said.

Booth leaves behind a young wife, a 1 1/2 year old daughter and the son his pregnant wife is carrying.

"She loved Josh dearly. She told me that she lost her best friend. You don't see a romance like that very often, and I am just so sad that they didn’t get to live it out a little longer," Debra Booth said.

Booth wanted to be buried in the family plot in Virginia, not Arlington National Cemetery. As for the war, he told his father that he wished Americans voted in elections more and took polls less.

"The day that politicians, pollsters and pundits go on patrol with my privates, that is the day that you and everyone else who likes to take a poll every other day can start getting to vote. Because when I get up with my Marines in the morning, they don't get to vote whether they go out on patrol. They all go as ordered," Jack Booth said his son had told him.

The Booth family is spearheading an effort to get care packages to Marines, particularly to their son's platoon. The Booths said they are looking for cards, letters, DVDs and snack foods. Debra Booth's company will pay for shipping expenses.

Donations can be sent to:

2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment
C/O Debra Booth
GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc.
1 Edgewater Drive
Norwood, MA 02062