A Camp Pendleton Marine killed in Afghanistan was remembered in a packed memorial service at a base chapel Wednesday.

Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor died Oct. 9 when he stepped on a roadside bomb, one of six base troops to die in Afghanistan this month. October is now the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the 8-year-old war.

A 27-year-old Minnesota native, Taylor joined the Marine Corps in 2002 and re-enlisted in 2006 to become an explosives technician.

He had been in Afghanistan for six weeks when he triggered a hidden bomb while checking a bridge for improvised explosive devices or IEDs.

"His mission was not to find and defeat IEDs; his job was to save lives," his commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Matt Puglisi, said in a statement read to the 300 troops, family members and friends who gathered for the hourlong service.

Taylor's job, one of the most dangerous in the military, was celebrated during the memorial, as was his decision to join the Marine Corps.

His father, Clifford Taylor, evoked laughter when he told the story of when his son announced in 2002 that he was enlisting in the Marines.

"I said, 'Jeez, that's dangerous business,'" his dad recalled. "'Can't you think of something better to do, like join the Air Force?'"

His son's response was succinct: "No, Dad. I want to be the best."

Taylor's fiancee, Stephanie Jacobowitz, said her intended was indeed one of the best.

"He was my beloved," she said. "He was strong, but he also had compassion. I thank all of you for serving beside my Marine."

Memorials are becoming much more frequent for local troops and their families. On Monday, four Camp Pendleton Marines were killed when two helicopters collided over the Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

Helmand was where Taylor was working for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing's Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing Support Group 37 when he was killed. It's also where the base lost another Marine to a roadside bomb last week.

On Tuesday, eight more U.S. troops were killed by roadside bombs, bringing the October death toll to 55.

Taylor had done the same job during a combat assignment in Iraq in 2008.

His loss was symbolized at the front of the church by the traditional helmet and dog tags hung over a rifle with a pair of military boots fronting the display.

A large picture of a smiling Taylor that looked out on the assembled inside the wooden chapel was representative of the man mourners recalled during the service ---- a positive, upbeat individual who brought smiles to the faces of those around him in good times and bad.

"His life and the way he lived it made the biggest impression," Puglisi said in his statement, which ended with a simple declaration: "He was a hero."

Taylor has been posthumously awarded a Bronze Star with a Combat Distinguishing Device.

Call staff writer Mark Walker at 760-740-3529.