KEENE, N.H. (AP) – A Marine who grew up around Keene and Fitchburg, Mass., was shot three times in the face and is in critical condition at the Navy hospital in Maryland, his family says.

After treatment in Germany, Lance Cpl. Isaac Croteau, 20, was flown to a military hospital in Bethesda, Md., this week. Family members said doctors put Croteau in a coma, and he was listed in critical but stable condition.

Croteau, the family said, was shot by a sniper in Fallujah. Injuries to his jaw, teeth and nose will require extensive reconstructive surgery, family members said.

A Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday it does not release information on soldiers wounded in action.

Though recovery will be long, his uncle, Dan Croteau of Keene, said the family has “tightened up around him.”

“We’re all very proud of him,” he said. “It takes a lot of courage to be a Marine and he has it.”

Croteau is the third generation of his family to enter the military. His great-uncles fought in World War II, and his uncles, Dan and Paul Croteau, both of Keene, served in the Navy.

Croteau, son of Martin Croteau of Troy, enlisted after his high school prom and has been in Iraq since August, Dan Croteau said. A military stint would help pay for college and give him a dose of adventure, his uncle said.

“His father was just bursting with pride that his son was a Marine,” Dan Croteau said.

“We know it’s not just him,” Croteau said. “There’s a lot of kids over there that this is happening to. It sort of hits home pretty hard, you know? He’s a good kid. He’s a tall, handsome, good-looking kid.”

Croteau grew up in a tight-knit group of 12 cousins, his uncle said. But he is one of only two boys, which meant he got a good share of attention, Dan Croteau said.

Ethel Flynn, Isaac’s grandmother, said he would stop at her home in Keene to help cook breaded chicken and other specialties.

“As bad as it is, were very fortunate that he has his brain, his eyes and all his limbs,” Flynn said. “We’re just praying for him.”

Croteau’s parents, sisters Megan and Amy, and other family members have gathered in Maryland and Dan Croteau has booked plane tickets for Friday.

“We’re going to be there for him,” Dan Croteau said. “Clearly, he’s a tough Marine.”

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Information from: The Keene Sentinel, http://www.keenesentinel.com

AP-ES-02-09-05 1729EST