HORSEHEADS, N.Y. (WENY) -- Marines honored Sgt. Christopher Truax, Jr. this afternoon with a 21-Gun-Salute following his funeral ceremony at His Tabernacle Church. 

"He was a very loving young man and will be sorely missed, sorely missed," says Christopher Truax, Sr. 

The 21-year-old Horseheads native was found with a gunshot wound to the head earlier this month in San Diego. Family members say an estimated 400 people attended the services on Tuesday to pay their final respects. 

"Obviously we know this is a very difficult time and I just really want to thank everybody because it just shows...it's a real testament that Chris was really loved and our family's loved," Truax, Sr. says. 

For family, the lack of answers surrounding the Marine Corp Sgt.'s death - which is now being investigated as a homicide - is difficult to grapple with. 

"One of the toughest things to wrap your head around is that Chris has done a few deployments and made it back safe and then to come back home and something tragic like this occurs on our own land here at home..." says Truax, Sr. 

Truax, Sr. describes his son as an amazing kid, great athlete and a role model to many. It's a loss not only felt by those who knew and loved him, but also for the community as a whole. 

"My son is going to be missed, I mean he's the type of a young man that he lights up a room. He's just a bright star no matter where he went," Truax, Sr. says. 

And when it came to his own family, Traux, Jr.'s father describes his son as a fantastic dad and a loving husband. 

"Chris was his pride and joy. He loved his beautiful wife dearly. His little boy - I'd Facetime with him quite often and he'd always have him in his arms and couldn't stop kissing him and hugging him tight. And I do the same thing. I look at the baby - look in his eyes and I see Chris all over again. So he left us a bundle of joy for sure," Truax, Sr. says. 

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations through a GoFundMe to create a trust-fund for Sgt. Truax Jr.'s son, Christopher Truax III. That link can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/RememberChrisJr

Sgt. Truax, Jr. will be laid to rest on Wednesday, September 19th at Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira.