Lee High Mourns Soldier's Death

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Family and friends are mourning the loss of a soldier from the First Coast. The defense department says 23-year-old private first class Tavarus Setzler was killed in southern Iraq after a vehicle he was in hit an explosive device.

Setzler was a part of the Reserve Officers' Training Corp program at Robert E. Lee High School.

First Coast News spoke to his ROTC instructor Tuesday.

Lieutenant Dean Williams has given commands to Lee High ROTC cadets for years. Tavarus was one.

"He was a good kid. He was my go-to guy. He was a good student. We never had any problems with him, discipline wise, if you asked him to do something, he would do it, and he'd do it first class," said Williams.

Tavarus became a private first class in the army, and always kept in touch with Williams.

"He came in after boot camp and showed off his uniform and all, and he's proud, and he should be," said Williams.

When Tavarus left for war, Williams gave him the same advice he gives all his war-bound cadets.

"Be safe, keep your head down, and come back and visit us when you get back. Unfortunately, it didn't work out this time," said Williams.

Saturday, Williams got the call.

"My assistant called me and said, 'hey, we lost Tavarus,' and I knew, when he said that, what he meant. It's a hard thing. Even though he wasn't my child, I felt like he was," said Williams.

Williams will go on teaching young children discipline and respect - a respect he will always hold for Tavarus, who died serving his country.

"I'm proud he was doing what he wanted to be doing, and he was doing it for us," said Williams.

When rescue arrived to save Tavarus? life, Williams says one of the rescuers was also a former cadet of his.

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