Photo by James Short.
The intersection outside of Huff & Lakjer Funeral Home in Lansdale’s West Ward stood silent Saturday night, save for the low hum of engines and the occasional crackle of a police radio.
It was quiet enough to hear a tear drop.
Beneath a dark sky heavy with grief, a massive American flag rippled between the raised ladders of two Fairmount Fire trucks — its fabric catching the wind like a solemn salute.
This was no ordinary homecoming.
At 10:30 p.m. Saturday, the body of a Lansdale son and retired Marine returned to the place he once called home, draped not in celebration, but in the stars and stripes of sacrifice.
Killed in October while fighting as a volunteer on the side Ukrainian forces, 1st Sgt. Corey Nawrocki was escorted with reverence from Philadelphia International Airport by Pennsylvania State Police, then handed over to a procession of fire engines, EMS crews, veterans’ groups, and first responders of numerous area public safety agencies.
As the headlights of the solemn motorcade illuminated the darkness of Cannon Avenue and made its way toward Huff & Lakjer, more than 200 neighbors, friends, strangers and family members stood waiting — hearts heavy, eyes full, hands gripping Old Glory — ready to receive their hero one final time.
As a bagpiper played “Amazing Grace,” a color guard and pall bearers of veterans carried the casket of the Class of 2001 North Penn graduate into the vestibule of the funeral home, where select family and friends said their goodbyes to the decorated veteran and two-time Purple Heart recipient.
Nawrocki’s body will remain at Huff & Lakjer until such time that he can be interred at Arlington National Cemetery alongside his fallen brothers and sisters.
By James Short 
By James Short 
By James Short Nawrocki, 41, was killed in action October 27, 2024 in the Bryansk region of Russia during a reported reconnaissance and sabotage incursion as a volunteer fighter with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to multiple online reports and Northern Provisions on Instagram. He was found with an alleged American volunteer fighter who had a U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Regiment tattoo on his arm, per reports.
He spent 20 years with the U.S. Marine Corps, serving multiple tours of duty, finally retiring in 2021. He was a gunnery sergeant at the Marine Barracks Washington and served with the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines B-Co. and the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Blackfoot Co.
“Fat Stacks,” as he was known by his Marine brothers and sisters, grew up on the 600 block of Spruce Street.
By James Short According to The Moscow Times, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed responsibility for killing four “saboteurs” of a Diversion Reconnaissance Group who attempted to cross into Bryansk with the A3449 military unit of Ukraine. Per reports, he was issued a military ID on Sept. 4, 2024.
In October, Nawrocki’s fellow Marines wished Nawrocki “Fair Winds & Following Seas: Semper Fi.”
“(He) had every single medal the Marine Corps could offer and more. 1st Sgt. Nawrocki was more than just a Marine 1st Sgt. He was a mentor, a friend, a leader, a well of knowledge, a gunslinging motivator, but above all a hero,” wrote Jared Romero on Facebook. “This is a loss that hits home. Nawrocki cared about all his Marines he served with. He was a pure joy to have as a 1st Sgt. and a friend.”
Fellow Marine Terry McElwain, on the eve of Nawrocki’s retirement, wrote on Facebook that “Corey has always swayed with confidence, passion for his craft and understanding … Your service to the nation cannot be repaid and we shall be forever in your debt. You have led a life of valor and courage and bled for our great nation.”
“You knew you did not want to come home unless it was on your shield,” wrote McElwain. “His memory will live on with us - along with his bravery, nobility, and sacrifice. He will be remembered.”
Nawrocki is survived by his mother, Sandy Rosenski Nawrocki. His father, John, a Moosic, PA native, died in August 1983 at the age of 21 in Lackawanna County after his Jeep crashed into a utility pole.
In the wake of his death, Nawrocki’s body was exploited online by Russian forces and, according to The News & Observer, waged a digital campaign of cruelty against his mother.
However, Sandy did not give up and worked with the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine and the R.T. Weatherman Foundation to return her son home.
And now, at long last, Corey is home – not just to the streets that shaped him or the town that will forever carry his name in its heart, but to a deeper peace beyond this world.
As his flag-draped casket passed beneath the towering symbol of the nation he loved — and the ideals he died defending — it was not only a community that welcomed him, but something greater. One can imagine St. Michael the Archangel, patron of warriors, standing watch, guiding Corey gently into the arms of eternity.
And waiting there, with open arms and a father's pride, was the man he never had the chance to know — his father — now reunited with his son in a place where no more battles need be fought, and where love endures forever.
Semper Fidelis, Corey.
