PFC Zachary "Zach" Wayne Riffle, US

USMC - 18 years old

Jan 19th marks the anniversary of the passing of Private First Class Zachary "Zach" Wayne Riffle, US Marine Corps, 18. We honor and remember him, his family and his mother Rebecca Jean Woods Riffle of Kingwood WV. He was born June 11, 2003.

Zach played basketball, baseball, track, football and was in the band in Junior High. While in High School, he played football and wrestling and left Preston High School early so he could enlist in the Marines. Zach was serving his country in the United States Marine Corps and was a landing support specialist with Combat Logistics Battalion 24, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. Zach passed away on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 following a tactical vehicle rollover outside of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina near Jacksonville, NC.

Zach was a collector of knives, enjoyed dirt bike races, playing Xbox, fishing and helping family do construction work. Zach was always a hard worker, always smiling, laughing and was the life of the party.

Riffle’s wrestling coach, Bradley Reed, says he will be missed by everyone who knew him. “The things that stick out to me about Zach from his wrestling career was he was kind of a goof. He was a great kid, you know, always had a smile on his face, was quick with a joke.”

Soccer coach Josh Russell says he taught Riffle the teen’s junior year. “[I] am a former Marine and he didn’t even tell me, I found out after the fact when he was gone... so yeah it kind of hits hard,” Russell adds that Zach had a huge rock as a hall pass. “One day another student kicked her bag out and he tripped and fell and the rock hit the... I’ll probably get in trouble if this comes out, but you know hit the floor. So there’s a crack on my floor that... that’s always going to be my memory of Zach Riffle.”

Before Zach graduated from Preston High, Reed says Zach told him he was going to join the Marine Corps. “When he texts me that and says that’s what he was going to do, I was really proud of his decision to step out of that, you know, being a young man to being a man. That’s the kind of person I think Zach was, he made the decision on his own to serve his country and to graduate early, I was never more proud of Zach than when he told me that.”

Let us always remember him and his family, and always.. 

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