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North Branch, Minn.

Slain marine remembered in North Branch service

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(AP) More than 500 people filled an auditorium at the high school here on Sunday to remember Marine Cpl. Johnathan Benson, who died after being wounded in Iraq. Gov. Tim Pawlenty spoke at the funeral, saying it was a good time to reflect on the cost of building a free country in Iraq. "Not everybody pays the same price," he said. "Some pay a lot more."

The funeral included a Marine honor guard, and Benson's father, Steve Benson, mourned his son while dressed in his Air Force uniform.

Benson, 21, died Sept. 9 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio of injuries he suffered in June during his second tour of duty in Iraq. Benson served with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division and was injured by a roadside bomb June 17. He lost a leg and part of an arm in the explosion and later, in the hospital, suffered strokes on both sides of his brain.

Burial was planned for Monday at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. =