Lieutenant Colonel Max Galea'i, is the first American Samoan marine casualty of the war in Iraq.
His funeral services over the next two days will be the first time that the territory has witnessed the full funeral honours accorded by the US marines to fallen comrades.
Lt. Colonel Galea'I, who was 42, was killed June 26th in Anbar Province in a suicide bomb attack along with two other Marines.
A 17 member marine honour guard flew in on a military aircraft to perform the funeral honors.
Staff Sgt. Bryan Eguez leads the group:
"We will be here on island to lay him to rest in a military fashion. We will perform a 21 gun salute. We will do a flag folding presentation to his mother and his wife. And we will also prepare full honours and perform some other ceremonial activities. All our marines here,, all 17 of us, will be in the dress blue uniform and pay full respects."
