The Oklahoman newspaper, Tuesday 23 May 2006, front page story: Marietta, OK. For a solid hour after his funeral Monday, friends and family, fellow American Indians, teachers and classmates filed past the open casket of Hatak Yuka Keyu Martin Yearby. One by one, the mourners looked at the young man in his Marine dress uniform. Some put their hands over their mouths and walked away, while others touched his face or chest, then left in tears. One woman rubbed his head, then rubbed hers, as if to take a part of him with her. As honor guards from the U.S. Marine Corps stood at attention, the mourners filed past the casket before leaving the Marietta High School auditorium, where about 1,000 came to celebrate the life of a young newlywed, a Choctaw Indian, a proud Marine. Yearby, 21, was killed by a roadside bomb on Mother's Day - two months after arriving in Iraq. The service was meant to celebrate Yearby's life and with dozens of attendees standing in the packed auditorium, those who spoke managed to garner laughs at Yearby's youthful ways: at how he loved to hunt, but never came back with anything; how he played tricks and won dancing awards at pow-wows; appeared on a magazine for Upward Bound because of a headdress he made from a T-shirt. Yearby lived in Overbrook, in northen Love County, until the day he joined the Marines. He graduated from Marietta High School in 2003 where his athletic talents shined. At one point, nine of his friedsn - known as "The Boys" - stood on stage to remember Yearby. Jake Barber spoke for them, pausing several times to regain his composure. "Many great words describe Hatak. The only real word you need to say is 'brother' ", said Barber, who recounted a few classic stories and said Yearby would always have a spot at their tables. "He will always be known to us as the ace of spades, the most important card in the deck", Barber said. "He touched us so dearly that words cannot explain.". A cadre of about 150 so-called Patriot Guards on motorcycles showed up to pay respect. Later, police and firefighters stood at attention as the procession left the auditorium for the gravesite. The Rev. Tim Emmons spoke of Yearby's three worlds - his life in Marietta, his life as a Choctaw and his life in the military - and how he balanced them with spirituality. He told of Yearby dancing with grace and compassion, with discipline and free spirit - "the way he lived his life.". "He had a desire to be in the military since he was a young boy. And he believed in what he was doing. He was a warriior, and he was a hero and he finished the course.". Emmons told Lindsey Michelle, Yearby's wife, that she helped him fulfill his dream of being a husband. Soon after they married, he was shipped off to Iraq. In the auditorium lobby were several photo displays. One read: "My husband. My World." and included wedding photos and a moment of affection between the couple, with him in uniform. By Penny Cockerell, Oklahoman Staff Writer