A Royal Marine's Vegas Sendoff

David Hart, a Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan by a Taliban bomb last year, decided he wanted to be remembered in style. Hart was a member of the UK's 40 Commando Battle Group and was on the security force serving in Sangin in Afghanistan's Helmand Province.

The commando had a £250,000 (around $400,000) life insurance policy. After donating £50,000 t0 his favorite (OK, he was British: "favourite") charity for injured Marines and leaving some money to his family, his will allocated £100,000 ($162,000) to send 32 of his mates on a Las Vegas vacation.

The Sun newspaper talked to Hart's pal Andy Hare:

"In his letter David said he had had a great life and had no regrets about anything. He always said he would do something like this if something bad happened. He said, 'Go and have a good time and spend all this money'. All the lads said, 'What a guy'."

His friends won't be wasting the publicity that Hart's grand gesture is generating. They're planning a charity bike ride in September that will raise money for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. You can find out more at their JustGiving webpage. Story Continues