Council Grove ? A former Council Grove High School student was among the 31 killed when a Marine helicopter crashed last month in Iraq.

Lance Cpl. Tony Hernandez, who was rejected for being overweight the first time he tried to join the Marines, died Jan. 26. He was 22.

Hernandez was one of 30 Marines who died when their helicopter crashed in bad weather while they were being flown to provide security for the recent Iraqi national elections. A Navy corpsman also was killed in the crash.

Hernandez’s funeral was Thursday in New Braunfels, Texas.

Hernandez attended Council Grove High School through his junior year, before transferring to Smithson Valley (Texas) High School in 2000.

“Tony was a lot of fun,” said Joe Buchanan, an English teacher and baseball coach at Council Grove High School. “He had a good sense of humor. He wasn’t a very good athlete, but he always had a good time, he always enjoyed himself. He was good to have around.”

After his rejection in 2001, Hernandez began a program of diet and exercise and was admitted to the Marine Corps in 2002.

While on leave, he married his wife, Jacquie. Their first anniversary would have been Monday.