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UCLA Student Trades Textbooks For AK-47, Fights Alongside Rebels In Libya

CYPRESS (CBS) — Instead of spending his summer at the beach, a 21-year-old UCLA student is in Libya, assisting rebels in their hunt for Moammar Qaddafi.

Without telling his parents, Chris Jeon traded in his textbooks for an AK-47 to fight in the middle of what he calls "one of the only real revolutions in the world."

Libyan officials confirm they found Jeon with rebels heading toward Tripoli. A graduate of Cypress High School, friends describe him as adventurous and brave.

Peter Duan says he disagreed with Jeon's decision to go and begged his friend to stay.

"His response was that he wanted to see a revolution from the ground up," Duan told CBS2.

Jeon purchased a one-way ticket to Cairo, where he told reporters, "It is the end of my summer vacation, so I thought it would be cool to join the rebels."

Libyan families are now providing housing for Jeon.

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