Marines prepare to place items to construct a field memorial, July 8, 2012. A helmet and dog tags are placed on an inverted rifle to signify a break in action and a time of prayer. Boots represent the Marines’ last march. During the ceremony, Marines with 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6, paid tribute to Pfc. Steven P. Stevens II, Lance Cpl. Niall W. Coti-Sears, Lance Cpl. Hunter D. Hogan and Lance Cpl. Eugene C. Mills III. Stevens and Mills were killed in action June 22 while participating in Operation Jaws in the Sangin Valley District, Afghanistan. Hogan and Coti-Sears were killed in action the following day during the same operation. Stevens was a combat engineer with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion supporting Weapons Company. Coti-Sears was a rifleman with Weapons Co. Hogan and Mills were were riflemen with Bravo Co., and attached to Weapons Co., for the operation.
