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Body Of Young Marine Who Died Of Flesh-Eating Disease To Return To Massachusetts

ROCHESTER (CBS) -- The body of Marine from Massachusetts who died from a flesh-eating disease will be brought home Tuesday.

Rochester native Becket Kiernan, 18, was serving in California when he became severely ill.

"By the time they found out what was going on, to the time he passed away, was about eight hours," said his mother, Lynda Kiernan.

A wake is scheduled at the Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Home in Mattapoisett Thursday and a service at Saint Anthony's Church is Friday morning.

A GoFundMe page to create a scholarship honoring Kiernan is also in the works. As of Tuesday morning, the page was less than $200 away from reaching it's $2,500 goal.

Marine-dies-of-flesh-eating-disease
Becket Kiernan, 18, a Marine from Rochester, has died of a rare flesh-eating disease. (Family photo)

Kiernan's mother said that he had wanted to be a Marine ever since he was little.

"We were all so proud," she said. "His whole character has always been about what he could do. He wanted to help others."

Kiernan will be laid to rest at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne on Friday.

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