Sorting Out Life as Muslims and Marines James Estrin/The New York Times

Cpl. Abdulbasset Monstaser, left and Lance Cpl. Ismile Althaibani, his cousin, during a weekend drill at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. Eight of the young men in their family have enlisted since 1992.

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By ANDREA ELLIOTT Published: August 7, 2006

Few people ever see Ismile Althaibani’s Purple Heart. He keeps the medal tucked away in a dresser. His Marine uniform is stored in a closet. His hair is no longer shaved to the scalp.