DIGHTON -- When the Marines came to his doorstep a few minutes after 9 Monday night, John Vangyzen III knew it meant the worst for his son, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. John J. Vangyzen IV. Mr. Vangyzen was taking a nap about 9:05 p.m. and his wife, Jane, his son's stepmother, answered the door. "There was no doubt," said Mr. Vangyzen, explaining he instantly knew his son, who was in his second tour of duty in Iraq, had been killed. The Marines "don't visit," Mrs. Vangyzen said. The 21-year-old Vangyzen was one of three Marines killed Monday as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Cpl. Vangyzen, along with Lance Cpl. Michael S. Torres, 21, of El Paso, Texas, and Cpl. Dallas L. Kerns of Mountain Grove, Mo., were all killed. They were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force at Twentynine Palms, Calif. Lance Cpl. Vangyzen is at least the fourth serviceman from Southeastern Massachusetts to die in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Joseph M. Camara, 40, a member of the Rhode Island National Guard and a New Bedford police officer, U.S. Army Sgt. Peter Gerald Enos, 24, of Dartmouth, and Capt. Benjamin W. Sammis, 29, of Rehoboth have also died in the war. Standing outside his Wheeler Street home with his wife, Mr. Vangyzen answered questions about his son the best he could, occasionally breaking down during the brief interview. "He's a hero just like all the soldiers that died in Iraq," he said, his support for the cause unshaken by his son's death. "I'm very proud of what they all did." Fighting back tears, Mr. Vangyzen remembered his son, who was well liked by friends and much loved by his family. "He's just a good kid. You can ask anyone around there and they won't say a bad thing about him. Everyone liked him," he said, pointing to his neighbors' homes off in the distance. Mrs. Vangyzen answered many of the questions from reporters as her husband wrestled with his emotions. The proud father and stepmother had a large photo of Lance Cpl. Vangyzen in dress uniform hanging in the bay window of their home with a U.S. flag and a Marine Corps flag hanging on either side. They also tied a yellow ribbon on a tree off the dirt driveway that leads to their house. "He has never come home to take the yellow ribbon off the tree. I guess he won't now," Mr. Vangyzen said. The couple said he served one tour of duty from January 2003 to September 2003, and then returned home. Mr. Vangyzen said he joined his son in Twentynine Palms, Calif., when Lance Cpl. Vangyzen redeployed in February for the second tour. The young Marine was due to return in late October. They said he feared for his safety, but he also felt serving his country was important. "He was scared. He wasn't happy," said his stepmother. She added his feelings are shared by many Marines who know they must return for a second tour. "They know what they're up against. They were doing their duty," she said. "They are scared. Why wouldn't they?" Mr. Vangyzen said his son told him the enemy is "very well skilled" and fearless. "How do you fight someone who doesn't fear dying?" asked Mrs. Vangyzen. Mrs. Vangyzen said her stepson enlisted in the Marines while he was a student at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, fulfilling a dream. "He wanted nothing more than to be a Marine," she said. The family was unsure about his duties, although his stepmother said his unit has done "door-to-door searches." Mr. Vangyzen said his son had dreams and ambitions. Lance Cpl. Vangyzen planned to re-enlist for four years in the military police, after his return. He felt the Marines would pay for his education and the military police would give him the training he needed to apply for the Massachusetts State Police. "His goal was to become a member of the State Police SWAT Team," Mr. Vangyzen said. Marine Corps officials said Lance Cpl. Vangyzen enlisted on Oct. 9, 2001, and attended recruit training at Parris Island, S.C. He joined 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, as a rifleman on March 20, 2002. His awards included the Combat Action Ribbon, the Presidential Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Lance Cpl. Vangyzen has been recommended for receipt of the Purple Heart. U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., yesterday expressed his "deepest condolences" to the Vangyzen family. I know that no words whether official or personal can ease the sense of loss that a family feels at a tragic time like this," Rep. Frank said, "but it is nonetheless important for all of us to make clear our admiration for this brave man and our profound sadness at the sacrifice of his life in the service of his country." In addition to his father and stepmother, Lance Cpl. Vangyzen is survived by his wife, Amanda, who lives in Twentynine Palms, Calif.; his mother, Dorothy Arsenault, of West Warwick, R.I.; three sisters; and two stepsisters, the Marine Corps and the family said.