Aaron Joel Ripperda was born on January 8, 1987, to Kent and Tina Ripperda and grew up kind, rambunctious, enthusiastic, and devoted to helping those in need, often making his sister Kendall laugh. He graduated with honors from Highland High School, studied Sociology and Archaeology at St. Xavier University before transferring to SIUE, and later earned an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and Fine Dining from L'Ecole Culinaire, excelling as a chef and delighting loved ones with his cooking. Drawn to military service, he became a Marine and was deployed twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, first to Haiti for humanitarian relief and to the Middle East and Africa, and later to Afghanistan. He experienced 13 different countries, fed children on three continents, and between deployments taught himself to sail and play the piano. He was killed on the night of March 18, 2013, in Hawthorne, Nevada, when a mortar misfire during a training exercise left seven Marines dead and eight injured. His legacy was one of love, adventure, friendship, and dedicated service, reflected in the United States Marine Corps Meritorious Mast for Outstanding Service, awarded for his courageous and professional conduct as a Team Leader, Assistant Patrol Leader, and Vehicle Commander after an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle during Operation Enduring Freedom.