KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The family of 20-year-old U.S. Marine Nicholas Hand spent Monday mourning as they found out he had been killed by small arms fire in Afghanistan.

Nicholas had just left for Afghanistan on Oct. 17.

The family said they are holding tight to the memories of a son and brother who they said wanted nothing more than to be a soldier.

The family of 11 said Nicholas was a born soldier.

"He's been looking forward to it since high school," 11-year-old brother Casey Hand said.

"It was really cool to think your brother was going to be a marine," 9-year-old sister Sydney Hand said.

Nick had already completed a tour in Iraq, but was new to fighting in Afghanistan.

"We knew it was hostile," Nicholas' mother, Dawn Hand, said. "We knew he was going to be in the push. It was going to be different than Iraq."

Dawn said she refused to believe the news when an officer knocked on her door.

"I just looked at him," Dawn said. "He asked if I was Dawn Hand. I said, 'I don't believe this,' and just turned and walked."

The family said they are holding tight to their memories of Nicholas and the fact that he was a hero to many, especially to his family, as evidenced by a poster one of his brothers made for school.

"He was a good Marine, but a better brother," Dawn Hand said.

Nicholas' parents will fly to Dover Air Force Base Tuesday to pick up their son's body and continue to make funeral arrangements.