Ceremony planned for slain Lake Stevens soldier

LAKE STEVENS – Teachers and students at Lake Stevens High School will dedicate a plaque Wednesday in memory of slain U.S. Marines machine gunner Cody Calavan.

Calavan, 19, joined the Marines after graduating from Lake Stevens High School in 2003. He was serving in Iraq when he was killed May 29 in an explosion.

Calavan is the first student from the high school killed in battle, said teacher Ruth Smethers.

“Most of Cody’s teachers and students here couldn’t go to his funeral,” said Smethers, who taught Calavan. “We wanted to do something, and this is our way of making sure he’s remembered.”

Several teachers will speak about Calavan, she said. The event is open to the public.

The memorial is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. Wednesday at the flagpole at Lake Stevens High School, 2908 113th Ave. NE.

Calavan, whose name was also added to the Lake Stevens war memorial downtown, was living with his father and stepmother in Stanwood prior to leaving for Iraq.

Calavan was the second serviceman from Snohomish County to be killed in Iraq. Justin W. Hebert of Silvana died Aug. 1, 2003, when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the Humvee he was driving. He was 20.

Also killed in Iraq was Mariner High School graduate Todd Drobnick, 35, who worked for San Diego, Calif., defense contractor Titan Corp.