10-22-2004, 12:09 PM
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11th MEU 'jokester' missed by all
11th MEU 'jokester' missed by all
Submitted by: 11th MEU Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Matthew S. Richards Story Identification #: 2004102212440 CAMP FORWARD OPERATING BASE DUKE, Iraq – (Oct. 22, 2004) -- Even though he was only with his platoon for three months, he left a lasting memory. To his fellow mortarmen, Sgt. Yadir Reynoso, a native of Yakime, Wash., was a prankster and a professional, a joker and an expert in Marine affairs. Reynoso, squad leader, 81mm Mortar Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), only spent three months with the platoon before he died fighting in the Wadi Al Salam cemetery during combat operations in An Najaf, Iraq, on Aug. 6. His fellow Marines affectionately called him "tattoo" for the abundance of permanent artwork that completely covered his arms. But aside from just his nickname, his unique personality is remembered in two different shades, one of fun and the other of intense exertion. "He liked messing with the Marines," said Sgt. Nelson A. Martinez, squad leader, 81mm Plt. "He liked to make people laugh." The occasions were so numerous that Martinez had trouble remembering specific stories. "He was a jokester and a prankster in his free time, but when it came time to work he was very professional. He never really showed any of that around the gunny or me," said 1st Lt. Lamar D. Breshears, platoon commander, 81mm Plt. "When it came to his job, he was very aggressive." The funny to serious shift is well remembered by a couple Marines in 81mm Plt. who actually had Reynoso as an instructor in the School of Infantry on Camp Pendleton, Calif., before he came to BLT 1/4. "He'd joke around with us a lot and everybody would be laughing, but then we'd go and do something stupid and it would all change," said Lance Cpl. Paul T. Ricotta, mortarman, 81mm Plt., implying Reynoso would then change from joking around to strictly correcting them. However, the fun never got in the way of accomplishing the mission. "He loved playing games but made sure the Marines knew their stuff," said Lance Cpl. George A. Snyder, forward observer, 81mm Plt. "He was real smart in infantry and mortars." He readily shared his knowledge with the less experienced Marines. "We could always go up to him and ask him a question at any time," said Lance Cpl. Kevin J. Knight, mortarman, 81mm Plt. Ricotta, Snyder and Knight were in Reynoso's 81mm squad even after he instructed them at SOI. Reynoso's expertise impressed his superiors as well. They recall him fitting right into the platoon when he arrived. While on ship, right after he arrived to the unit, he jumped right in to help teach the Marines small arms manipulation and mortar gun drills. "He had a vast knowledge of the capabilities of each weapon," Breshears said. "He wasn't a squad leader then, but he assumed the responsibilities immediately." Martinez didn't notice a single glitch when Reynoso arrived. "When I first met him I didn't know who he was, but right away I could tell he would fit right in," Martinez said. Martinez suspects Reynoso's outgoing personality may have caused this. He fit perfectly into the platoon so much that was if he had always been there. "The whole way driving up here I would have thought I had known him my whole life, instead of two weeks," Martinez said. Reynoso's comical side never tainted Breshears' image of him. "It was nothing bad or anything," Breshears chuckled. "He was just messing around with other sergeants." Some thought that even with his serious side, he could never totally hide his love of life. "He was always happy and always outgoing," said Sgt. Joel D. Reilly, squad leader, 81mm Plt. "I can't remember when he was in a bad mood." Martinez recalled one time, when he brought a smile to everyone's face while they were at Forward Operating Base Echo. "He wore this body spray that smelled disgusting," Martinez said. "He always put it on, and I asked him why he used it." Reynoso smiled and said he "had to smell good." Martinez laughed and asked whom he "wanted to smell good for, since we are in the middle of Iraq. "He said 'for you guys,' just joking around," Martinez said. Reilly and Martinez laughed. "Everybody liked him and we never had any problems, he fit right in," Reilly said. Martinez recalled how Reynoso also had a knack for making the Marines feel at home. "Once he made a mural in front of our squad bay out here out of rocks," he said. "It said USMC in old English letters and he painted it black and gold. He liked to express himself in many ways." Even though he was only with the platoon for three months, they all miss him. "If there is ever a missing piece of the puzzle, he is that piece," said Gunnery Sgt. Corey S. Bennin, platoon sergeant, 81mm Plt. This is the fifth in a series of seven articles paying homage to the Marines of the 11th MEU who bravely fought and lost their lives during fighting in An Najaf, Iraq, this August. |
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10-22-2004, 01:10 PM
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#22 (permalink) | ||
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U.S. Army Moderator  Military Police Vietnam Veteran 
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AKA: Ken
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cherryville, NC
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Re: Memoriam
Army Staff Sgt. Darren J. Cunningham 2004-09-30 40, of Groton, Mass.; assigned to the 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas; killed Sept. 30 when his unit came under mortar attack in Baghdad.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army 1st Lt. Timothy E. Price 2004-09-07 25, of Midlothian, Va.; assigned to the 127th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, V Corps, Hanau, Germany; killed Sept. 7 by small-arms fire in Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. Danny B. Daniels II 2004-07-20 23, of Varney, W.V.; assigned to the 630th Military Police Company, 793rd Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Bamberg, Germany; killed July 20 when his patrol vehicle came under attack by small-arms fire, then hit an improvised explosive device in Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. Craig S. Frank 2004-07-17 24, of Lincoln Park, Mich.; assigned to the 1775th Military Police Company, Michigan Army National Guard, Pontiac, Mich.; killed July 17 when his convoy vehicle hit an improvised explosive device near Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Staff Sgt. Stephen G. Martin 2004-07-01 39, of Rhinelander, Wis.; assigned to the 330th Military Police Detachment, Army Reserve, Sheboygan, Wis.; died July 1 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., from injuries sustained June 24 when a car bomb exploded near his guard post in Mosul, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Staff Sgt. Charles A. Kiser 2004-06-24 37, of Cleveland, Wis.; assigned to the 330th Military Police Detachment, Army Reserve, Sheboygan, Wis.; killed June 24 when an explosion occurred near his convoy in Mosul, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. Thai Vue 2004-06-18 22, of Willows, Calif.; assigned to the 127th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, V Corps, Hanau, Germany; killed June 18 when a mortar round hit the motor pool where he was working in Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sgt. Arthur S. Mastrapa 2004-06-16 35, of Apopka, Fla.; assigned to the 351 Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade, Army Reserve, Ocala, Fla.; killed June 16 during a mortar attack when mortar rounds hit his camp in Balad, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Pfc. Andrew L. Tuazon 2004-05-10 21, of Chesapeake, Va.; assigned to the 293rd Military Police Company, 3rd Military Police Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed May 10 by hostile fire while on guard duty in Mosul, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sgt. Rodney A. Murray 2004-05-09 28, of Ayden, N.C.; assigned to the 351st Military Police Company, Army Reserve, Ocala, Fla.; killed May 9 when a Bradley Fighting Vehicle and his military vehicle collided between Baghdad and Scania, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Pfc. Jesse R. Buryj 2004-05-05 21, of Canton, Ohio; assigned to the 66th Military Police Company, Fort Lewis, Wash.; killed May 5 when his military vehicle was struck by a dump truck whose driver had been shot while trying to run through a control point in Karbala, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sgt. Landis W. Garrison 2004-04-29 23, of Rapids City, Ill.; assigned to 333rd Military Police Company, Illinois National Guard, Freeport, Ill.; died April 29 of non-combat-related injuries in Abu Ghraib, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Master Sgt. Herbert R. Claunch 2004-04-18 58, of Wetumpka, Ala.; assigned to 217th Military Police Company, Alabama National Guard, Prattville, Ala.; died April 18 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after collapsing on the floor in his quarters. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wisconcin Army National Guard Spc. Michelle M. Witmer 2004-04-09 20, of New Berlin, Wis.; assigned to the Army National Guard’s 32nd Military Police Company, Milwaukee, Wis.; killed April 9 during an attack by small-arms fire and an improvised explosive device in Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. Jonathan R. Kephart 2004-04-09 21, of Oil City, Penn.; assigned to 230th Military Police Company, from Kaiserslautern, Germany; died April 9 in Baghdad from injuries sustained when his patrol was ambushed near Baghdad on April 8. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Staff Sgt. Wentz Jerome Henry Shanaberger III 2004-03-24 33, of Naples, Fla.; assigned to 21st Military Police Company, 16th Military Police Brigade, XVIIIth Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.; killed March 24 when he came under attack by individuals using small arms and an improvised explosive device as he was investigating a suspicious vehicle in Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. David E. Hall 2004-02-25 21, of Uniontown, Kan.; assigned to 805th Military Police Company, 16th Military Police Brigade, U.S. Army Reserve, Raleigh, N.C.; died in a non-hostile accident on Feb. 25 in Kabul, Afghanistan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama Army National Guard Spc. Christopher M. Taylor 2004-02-16 25, of Daphne, Ala.; assigned to the 1165th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, Fairhope, Ala.; attached to the 18th Military Police Brigade; killed Feb. 16 when an improvised explosive device struck his convoy in Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. Eric U. Ramirez 2004-02-12 31, of San Diego, Calif.; assigned to the 670th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, National City, Calif.; killed Feb. 12 when he was attacked by small-arms fire, a rocket-propelled grenade and an improvised explosive device in Abu Ghraib, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Staff Sgt. James D. Mowris 2004-01-29 37, of Aurora Mo.; assigned to 805th Military Police Company, Army Reserve, Raleigh, N.C.; killed when a weapons cache exploded Jan. 29, 2004, in Afghanistan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sgt. Keicia M. Hines 2004-01-14 27, of Citrus Heights, Calif.; assigned to the 108th Military Police, Combat Support Co., Fort Bragg, N.C. died Jan. 14 when she was struck by a vehicle on Mosul Airfield in Mosul, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. Michael G. Mihalakis 2003-12-26 18, of San Jose, Calif.; assigned to the 270th Military Police Company, 49th Military Police Battalion, 100th Troop Command, California Combat Support Command, Army National Guard, based in Fairfield, Calif.; died of injuries sustained in a non-combat vehicle accident at the Baghdad International Airport, on Dec. 26, 2003, in Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. Todd M. Bates 2003-12-10 20, of Bellaire, Ohio; assigned to the 135th Military Police Company, Army National Guard based in Brookpark, Ohio; placed on duty status whereabouts unknown. Bates was on a river patrol on the Tigris River south of Baghdad Dec. 10 when his squad leader fell overboard. He dove into the water after his squad leader, Staff Sgt. Aaron T. Reese, but did not surface. Reese did not survive. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Staff Sgt. Aaron T. Reese 2003-12-10 31, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio; assigned to the 135th Military Police Company, Army National Guard based in Brookpark, Ohio; killed while on patrol Dec. 10 when he fell into the Tigris River south of Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Tomko 2003-11-09 24, of Pittsburgh, Pa.; assigned to the 307th Military Police Company, U.S. Army Reserve, New Kensington, Pa.; killed while riding as the door gunner in a convoy vehicle Nov. 9 when his team came under small-arms attack in Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama Army National Guard Sgt. Aubrey D. Bell 2003-10-27 33, of Tuskegee, Ala.; assigned to the 214th Military Police Company, Alabama National Guard; Oct. 27 at Al Bayra Police Station in Baghdad when his unit came under small-arms fire and an improvised explosive device detonated. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Pfc. Rachel K. Bosveld 2003-10-26 19, of Waupun, Wis.; assigned to the 527th Military Police Company, V Corps, Giesen, Germany; killed Oct. 26 during a mortar attack on the Abu Ghraib Police Station in Abu Ghraib, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New York Army National Guard Spc. Michael L. Williams 2003-10-17 46, of Buffalo, N.Y.; assigned to the 105th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, based in New York; killed in action Oct. 17 when his vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device near Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Bellavia 2003-10-16 28, of Wakefield, Mass.; assigned to the 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based in Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed while attempting to negotiate with armed men who were congregating on a road near a mosque after curfew on Oct. 16 in Karbala, Iraq. Also killed in the attack were Lt. Col. Kim S. Orlando, the commanding officer of the 716th, and Cpl. Sean R. Grilley. Seven other U.S. soldiers were wounded. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Cpl. Sean R. Grilley 2003-10-16 24, of San Bernardino, Calif.; assigned to the 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based in Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed while attempting to negotiate with armed men who were congregating on a road near a mosque after curfew on Oct. 16 in Karbala, Iraq. Also killed in the attack were Lt. Col. Kim S. Orlando, the commanding officer of the 716th, and Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Bellavia. Seven other U.S. soldiers were wounded. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Lt. Col. Kim S. Orlando 2003-10-16 43, of Tennessee; commanding officer of the 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based in Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed while attempting to negotiate with armed men who were congregating on a road near a mosque after curfew on Oct. 16 in Karbala, Iraq. Also killed in the attack were Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Bellavia and Cpl. Sean R. Grilley. Seven other U.S. soldiers were wounded. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Pfc. Charles M. Sims 2003-10-03 18, of Miami, Fla., assigned to the 549th Military Police Company, Fort Stewart, Ga.; drowned on Oct. 3 in Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kentucky Army National Guard Sgt. Darrin K. Potter 2003-09-29 24, of Louisville, Ky.; assigned to the 223rd Military Police Company, Army National Guard, Louisville, Ky.; killed Sept. 29 when his vehicle left a road and went into a canal during a mission to search an area near Abu Ghraib Prison, outside Baghdad, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhode Island Army National Guard Spc. Michael Andrade 2003-09-24 28, of Bristol, Rhode Island; attached to the 115th Military Police Company, U.S. Army National Guard; died Sept. 24 of injuries he sustained when a 5-ton truck struck his Humvee in Balad, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhode Island Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Joseph Camara 2003-09-01 40, of New Bedford, Mass.; assigned to the 115th Military Police Company, U.S. Army National Guard, Cranston, R.I.; killed Sept. 1 on Main Supply Route Tampa, south of Baghdad, Iraq, when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Another soldier also died in the incident. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sgt. Charles T. Caldwell 2003-09-01 38, of North Providence, R.I.; assigned to the 115th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, Cranston, R.I.; killed Sept. 1 when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device on Main Supply Route Tampa, south of Baghdad, Iraq. Caldwell was one of two soldiers killed in the incident. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- North Carolina Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Bobby C. Franklin 2003-08-20 38, of Mineral Bluff, Ga.; assigned to the 210th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, Murphy N.C.; killed by an improvised explosive device Aug. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. Eric R. Hull 2003-08-18 23, of Uniontown, Pa.; assigned to the 307th Military Police Company, U.S. Army Reserve, New Kensington, Pa.; killed when a military vehicle he was riding in hit an improvised explosive device Aug. 18 in Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Staff Sgt. David S. Perry 2003-08-10 36, of Bakersfield, Calif.; assigned to 649th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, Camp San Luis Obispo, Calif.; killed when a suspicious package he was inspecting exploded Aug. 10 in Baquabah, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Pfc. Brandon Ramsey 2003-08-08 21, of Calumet City, Ill.; assigned to the 933rd Military Police Company, Army National Guard, Chicago; killed in a vehicle accident Aug. 8 in Tallil, Iraq. Ramsey was part of a convoy escort mission when the vehicle in which he was riding rolled over during the chase of a suspicious vehicle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sgt. Heath A. McMillin 2003-07-27 29, of Canandaigua, N.Y.; assigned to the 105th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, Buffalo, N.Y.; killed while on patrol July 27 when he came under attack from rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire south of Baghdad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sgt. Jaror C. Puello-Coronado 2003-07-13 36, of Pocono Summit, Pa.; assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 310th Military Police Battalion, in Uniondale, N.Y.; killed in a traffic accident July 13 at Camp Edson, Iraq. Puello-Coronado was manning a traffic point when the operator of a dump truck lost control of the vehicle and struck him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Puerto Rico Army National Guard Spc. Richard P. Orengo 2003-06-26 32, of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico; assigned to the 755th Military Police Company, Arecibo, Puerto Rico; killed by enemy fire June 26 in Najif, Iraq. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Pvt. Jesse M. Halling 2003-06-07 19, of Indianapolis, Ind.; assigned to 401st Military Police Company, Fort Hood, Texas; killed in Tikrit, Iraq, June 7. Halling was at a military police station when his unit received rifle-propelled grenade and small arms fire. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sgt. Travis L. Burkhardt 2003-06-06 26, of Edina, Mo.; assigned to 170th Military Police Company, Fort Lewis, Wash.; killed on June 6 in Baghdad, Iraq. Burkhardt was part of an escort mission when the vehicle he was in hit a curb along the road and rolled over. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Staff Sgt. Brett J. Petriken 2003-05-26 30, of Flint, Mich.; assigned to the 501st Military Police Company, Wiesbaden, Germany; killed in a vehicle accident in Samawah, Iraq, May 26. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Pvt. 2 Kenneth A. Nalley 2003-05-26 19, of Hamburg, Iowa, assigned to the 501st Military Police Company, Wiesbaden, Germany; killed in a vehicle accident in Samawah, Iraq, May 26. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Pvt. 2 David Evans Jr. 2003-05-25 18, of Buffalo, N.Y.; assigned to the 977th Military Police Company, Fort Riley, Kan.; killed in an Iraqi ammunition plant explosion in Diwaniyah, Iraq, May 25. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Spc. Narson B. Sullivan 2003-04-25 21, of North Brunswick, N.J.; assigned to the 411th Military Police Company based in Fort Hood, Texas; killed by a non-combat weapon discharge in Iraq. The incident is under investigation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Army Pvt. 2 James Henry Ebbers 2002-10-14 19, of Bridgeview, Ill.; assigned to the 551st Military Police Company, Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 14, 2002, in Djibuoti, Africa. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Ken |
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10-23-2004, 11:24 PM
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#23 (permalink) | ||
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Senior Member
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Re: Memoriam
Services held for 19-year-old Watsonville Marine killed in Iraq
As mariachi musicians gently strummed guitars in the background, nearly 1,000 mourners paid their last respects Friday to Lance Cpl. Victor A. Gonzalez, with words of praise and gratitude and long-stemmed white roses placed on his casket, one at a time. Gonzalez, a 19-year-old Marine and Watsonville High graduate, was killed in the line of duty in Iraq on Oct. 14. "I am so happy and pleased that there are so many people here today," said the fallen soldier's mother, Amalia Gonzalez, who donned a red and white dress and bright blue jacket - similar to the colors on the carefully folded American flag she and her husband were presented with. "He brings all these people together," she continued, as family members ushered her toward a limousine waiting to take her back to St. Patrick's Church, where the ceremonies began earlier in the day. "I just want people to know he died a hero." Gonzalez's younger sister, Edenia, was also touched by the massive turnout at Valley Cemetery, where roughly two dozen Marines and a handful of local veterans joined family members and friends for a traditional military burial and 21-gun salute. "I didn't think that this many people would care," Edenia said. "I thought people would just see him as another dead soldier, but that isn't true. They really do care about our soldiers. The community has been so involved - sent us so many letters." She specifically thanked the hundreds of students from Lakeview Middle School and St. Francis Central Coast High School, who lined Highway 152 with flags and signs and stood in silent support as the funeral possession first drove into the cemetery. "To see all of them out there today meant so much," Edenia said. Though he died at such a young age, it was evident Friday that Gonzalez inspired many people - both young and old - during his short lifetime. "Victor was willing to give the ultimate gift - to lay down his life for others," said Father Greg Sandman, who led Friday's Mass before a standing-room-only crowd. "To his friends and family, I'd just want to say: Admire his bravery. Admire his bravery. Strive for the great things that he did in his life. Look to his goodness and his courage and try to imitate him." The somber ceremony drew swarms of reporters and numerous officials from city, county, state and national government, including U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Carmel), who said a few words at the start of the Mass. "This is a very sad day for me to be here with all of you - to bring Victor home to his community," Farr said. "I asked Congress to fly a flag over our nation's Capitol to honor him as a hero. I'm here today to present that flag and a certificate to his family. ... Lance Cpl. Gonzalez served his country with honor and represented the best and brightest of his country." At his gravesite, Gonzalez's parents were presented with the Purple Heart, which he was awarded for his bravery in combat and sacrifice for his country. As a lone trumpet player performed a haunting version of "Taps," hundreds of red, white and blue balloons were released into the clear blue sky. Gonzalez's death hit home especially hard at the Watsonville Police Department, where the young soldier had hoped to live out his lifelong dream of becoming a police officer once he finished his time in the military. More than 40 Watsonville police officers, many in uniform, as well as a handful of department staff members and police cadets were in attendance Friday. Gonzalez served as a cadet for nearly 3 1/2 years during high school. "It's so sad because he would have made the best police officer, and now we'll never have the chance to see him do that," Watsonville police officer Frank Ibarra said. "He was a great kid - a local who loved his community. He wasn't a kid anymore, though. The last time I saw him in his military uniform he'd really grown up into a great young man. He always said 'God bless' when he spoke to anyone." His death, as well as that of Soquel High graduate Morgen Jacobs - who was killed in Iraq exactly one week earlier and was expected to be buried today - has really brought home the impact of the war in Iraq for many on the Central Coast. "I didn't even know Victor Gonzalez or his family, but my own 24-year-old son is a soldier who has served in Iraq and will likely have to go back, and this really affected me," Ray Pereyra said. "I hope that this is not the first of many funerals like this that we're going to be having here in Watsonville. I think this funeral is really symbolic today, as it is for many people that are here. It's really brought everything home." Ibarra said the department's Veterans' Day ceremony in November would have new meaning this year. "Victor was a brave man," Ibarra said. "It takes a lot of courage to enlist, especially after the war had already started, and to go over to Iraq knowing the risks that he was taking. But he did it, and he died for his country. He had a lot more courage than I have." Several Marines at Friday's ceremony echoed those sentiments. "Even though Victor is no longer with us, if his family needs us for anything, we will be here to support them because we are their family now, too," said U.S. Marine Sgt. Richard Diaz. |
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11-01-2004, 05:44 PM
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#24 (permalink) | ||
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Senior Member
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Local Marine dies in Iraq
Posted on Mon, Nov. 01, 2004
Local Marine dies in Iraq Associated Press SPARTANBURG, S.C. - A South Carolina Marine was among those who died this weekend from enemy action in Iraq, the Pentagon said Monday. Lance Cpl. Travis A. Fox, 25, of Cowpens, died Saturday in Al Anbar, Iraq, the Pentagon said in a brief statement. Eight Marines were killed and nine others were wounded Saturday outside Fallujah, in the deadliest attack against the American military in nearly six months. The Marine deaths came when a car bomb went off next to a truck southwest of Baghdad. "We don't know if he was in the car bombing," Fox's sister, Tiffanie Fox, said Monday. Fox was among four dead Marines that were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay in Windward Oahu. The deaths came as U.S. forces are gearing up for a major assault on Fallujah, seen as the toughest bastion of Sunni Muslim guerrillas, ahead of crucial elections due by Jan. 31. Fox was a 1998 graduate of Broome High School and trained at Parris Island near Beaufort, the (Spartanburg) Herald-Journal reported on its Web site Monday evening. He was married in June to the former Casie Easterlin Hendricks of Greer. |
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12-03-2004, 11:23 AM
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#25 (permalink) | ||
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A Hero's sacrifice
Submitted by: 1st Force Service Support Group
Story Identification #: 2004123102943 Story by Lance Cpl. T. J. Kaemmerer FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 02, 2004) -- "You’re still here, don’t forget that. Tell your kids, your grandkids, what Sgt. Peralta did for you and the other Marines today." As a combat correspondent, I was attached to Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment for Operation Al Fajr, to make sure the stories of heroic actions and the daily realities of battle were told. On this day, I found myself without my camera. With the batteries dead, I decided to leave the camera behind and live up to the ethos "every Marine a rifleman," by volunteering to help clear the fateful buildings that lined streets. After seven days of intense fighting in Fallujah, the Marines of 1/3 embraced a new day with a faceless enemy. We awoke November 15, 2004, around day-break in the abandoned, battle-worn house we had made our home for the night. We shaved, ate breakfast from a Meal, Ready-to-Eat pouch and waited for the word to move. The word came, and we started what we had done since the operation began – clear the city of insurgents, building by building. As an attachment to the unit, I had been placed as the third man in a six-man group, or what Marines call a 'stack.' Two stacks of Marines were used to clear a house. Moving quickly from the third house to the fourth, our order in the stack changed. I found Sgt. Rafael Peralta in my spot, so I fell in behind him as we moved toward the house. A Mexican-American who lived in San Diego, Peralta earned his citizenship after he joined the Marine Corps. He was a platoon scout, which meant he could have stayed back in safety while the squads of 1st Platoon went into the danger filled streets, but he was constantly asking to help out by giving them an extra Marine. I learned by speaking with him and other Marines the night before that he frequently put his safety, reputation and career on the line for the needs and morale of the junior Marines around him. When we reached the fourth house, we breached the gate and swiftly approached the building. The first Marine in the stack kicked in the front door, revealing a locked door to their front and another at the right. Kicking in the doors simultaneously, one stack filed swiftly into the room to the front as the other group of Marines darted off to the right. "Clear!" screamed the Marines in one of the rooms followed only seconds later by another shout of "clear!" from the second room. One word told us all we wanted to know about the rooms: there was no one in there to shoot at us. We found that the two rooms were adjoined and we had another closed door in front of us. We spread ourselves throughout the rooms to avoid a cluster going through the next door. Two Marines stacked to the left of the door as Peralta, rifle in hand, tested the handle. I watched from the middle, slightly off to the right of the room as the handle turned with ease. Ready to rush into the rear part of the house, Peralta threw open the door. ‘POP! POP! POP!’ Multiple bursts of cap-gun-like sounding AK-47 fire rang throughout the house. Three insurgents with AK-47s were waiting for us behind the door. Peralta was hit several times in his upper torso and face at point-blank range by the fully-automatic 7.62mm weapons employed by three terrorists. Mortally wounded, he jumped into the already cleared, adjoining room, giving the rest of us a clear line of fire through the doorway to the rear of the house. We opened fire, adding the bangs of M-16A2 service rifles, and the deafening, rolling cracks of a Squad Automatic Weapon, or “SAW,” to the already nerve-racking sound of the AKs. One Marine was shot through the forearm and continued to fire at the enemy. I fired until Marines closer to the door began to maneuver into better firing positions, blocking my line of fire. Not being an infantryman, I watched to see what those with more extensive training were doing. I saw four Marines firing from the adjoining room when a yellow, foreign-made, oval-shaped grenade bounced into the room, rolling to a stop close to Peralta’s nearly lifeless body. In an act living up to the heroes of the Marine Corps’ past, such as Medal of Honor recipients Pfc. James LaBelle and Lance Cpl. Richard Anderson, Peralta – in his last fleeting moments of consciousness- reached out and pulled the grenade into his body. LaBelle fought on Iwo Jima and Anderson in Vietnam, both died saving their fellow Marines by smothering the blast of enemy grenades. Peralta did the same for all of us in those rooms. I watched in fear and horror as the other four Marines scrambled to the corners of the room and the majority of the blast was absorbed by Peralta’s now lifeless body. His selflessness left four other Marines with only minor injuries from smaller fragments of the grenade. During the fight, a fire was sparked in the rear of the house. The flames were becoming visible through the door. The decision was made by the Marine in charge of the squad to evacuate the injured Marines from the house, regroup and return to finish the fight and retrieve Peralta’s body. We quickly ran for shelter, three or four houses up the street, in a house that had already been cleared and was occupied by the squad’s platoon. As Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Murdock took a count of the Marines coming back, he found it to be one man short, and demanded to know the whereabouts of the missing Marine. "Sergeant Peralta! He’s dead! He’s f------ dead," screamed Lance Cpl. Adam Morrison, a machine gunner with the squad, as he came around a corner. "He’s still in there. We have to go back." The ingrained code Marines have of never leaving a man behind drove the next few moments. Within seconds, we headed back to the house unknown what we may encounter yet ready for another round. I don't remember walking back down the street or through the gate in front of the house, but walking through the door the second time, I prayed that we wouldn't lose another brother. We entered the house and met no resistance. We couldn't clear the rest of the house because the fire had grown immensely and the danger of the enemy’s weapons cache exploding in the house was increasing by the second. Most of us provided security while Peralta's body was removed from the house. We carried him back to our rally point and upon returning were told that the other Marines who went to support us encountered and killed the three insurgents from inside the house. Later that night, while I was thinking about the day’s somber events, Cpl. Richard A. Mason, an infantryman with Headquarters Platoon, who, in the short time I was with the company became a good friend, told me, "You’re still here, don’t forget that. Tell your kids, your grandkids, what Sgt. Peralta did for you and the other Marines today." As a combat correspondent, this is not only my job, but an honor. Throughout Operation Al Fajr, we were constantly being told that we were making history, but if the books never mention this battle in the future, I’m sure that the day and the sacrifice that was made, will never be forgotten by the Marines who were there. |
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12-03-2004, 02:09 PM
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#26 (permalink) | |||
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Marine Corps Moderator  Semper Fi! 
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Re: Memoriam
Sgt Edinger Bronze Star with V summary of action -
This Posthumous Award recommendation bears witness to the indomitable fighting spirit of ALL our Marines everywhere; each one of us, regardless of MOS, is a Rifleman (and Machine Gunner, too!) This young Devil Dog worked with us in the G-6 Shop, H&S Bn, 3d FSSG, as a computer programmer and technician. He left about the time I got here in 2002, but only last month I heard Marines talking about him and his great attitude. (Then) Corporal Edinger volunteered to serve with Force Reconnaissance when he left here. He died following his dreams and fighting the Good Fight. His Legacy endures... Service member was in receipt of IDP. Combat distinguishing device is authorized. Sergeant Benjamin C. Edinger is enthusiastically recommended for the Bronze Star Medal with combat distinguishing device, POSTHOUMOUSLY for his heroic actions as Force Recon team communicator and machine gunner, Team 2, 2d Platoon from 15 July 2004 to 14 November 2004. During this period, Sergeant Edinger conducted 21 combat patrols and 47 direct action raids in Northern Babil and South Baghdad Provinces as part of 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) Maritime Special Purpose Force during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II (OIF II). Throughout an exceptionally difficult combat tour; his personal discipline and stalwart performance were an example to both senior and subordinate. He ably performed his duties, putting himself in danger countless times. The following is a record of excerpts of his service: Although a computer technician by trade, Sergeant Edinger was recruited to come to 2d platoon as a radio operator after his noteworthy service with 2d Force Reconnaissance Company, Task Force Tarawa during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He immediately made an impact on his team by mastering the difficult communication systems required of his job and applying this mastery during a shortened unit training phase and MEU Pre-Deployment Training Phase. His mastery of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force SIDS (MSIDS) data system allowed his team to provide Reconnaissance and Surveillance to 2d Bn, 5th Special Forces Group during their pre-deployment training for OIF II, thus marking a new relationship between these two units. Upon deployment to Iraq for OIF II, Sergeant Edinger was designated a heavy machine gunner for his team due to the expertise he displayed on the weapon system during pre-deployment training. In 11 engagements with the enemy, Sergeant Edinger demonstrated his acumen with the machine gun by providing accurate, suppressive fires when warranted. His personal discipline was on display most in this capacity, as he never failed to cover his sectors of fire and provide security for his team. During a combined direct action raid with Hillah SWAT in the town of Lutafiyah, Northern Babil province, on 11 October, Sergeant Edinger's team was attacked with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) along Alternate Supply Route (ASR) Jackson, and then immediately engaged with small arms fire from an adjacent palm grove. Sergeant Edinger provided accurate suppressive fires on the enemy, allowing the platoon corpsman to render medical attention to a wounded Marine, and the rest of the platoon to sweep through in the direction of the enemy. As a result of these suppressive fires, the platoon was able to close with and destroy the trigger man and an enemy observer and thus disable the threat and exfiltrate the contact area. During a combined direct action raid with Hillah SWAT in Haswah, Northern Babil province, Sergeant Edinger's team was again the subject of a complex enemy attack. While providing security for the raid force, Sergeant Edinger's stack was attacked with an IED mixed with homemade napalm, and small arms fire from two men in a truck in the area. Sergeant Edinger along with his team returned fire, destroying the truck and the two terrorists inside. His immediate action, and the actions of the Marines around him, allowed the platoon to continue their raid unabated. During the same raid, Sergeant Edinger again showed significant physical courage, when his position was probed by a white Bongo truck forced into the area by the local terrorists. A red Opal followed the truck as it charged through Bravo Stack's trigger lines, and gained speed even after warned. Suspecting the truck to be a Vehicle Borne IED, Sergeant Edinger and his team engaged the truck, halting its advance. Due in large parts to his diligence, seven enemy detainees were captured. On 14 November, during a mission to extract from an Observation Post (OP), Sergeant Edinger's team was again engaged by an IED ambush. Although mortally wounded, Sergeant Edinger continued to man his gun, fighting for air, until he was relieved of it in order to receive medical attention. Sergeant Edinger was an inspiration to those around him with his physical courage, buoyant fighting spirit, and "never quit" attitude. He will be sorely missed by his platoon, and the Reconnaissance Brotherhood. EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS Above summary of action reflects eyewitness account of Capt. T.A. Douglas XXX-XX-XXXX/0302 The above statement is true to the best of my recollection. Sgt. Edinger was an outstanding young Marine who's toughness and physical courage will be sorely missed. GySgt. BR Reid xxx-xx-xxxx/0321 Recommended Citation: Quote:
------------------------------------------------------ Marine died ‘doing what he wanted to do’ Friends, family pay tribute to former UW-Oshkosh student By Nathan Phelps Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers Nov. 26, 2004 GREEN BAY — Benjamin Edinger liked to take on challenges. After attending a year of classes at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the Green Bay man decided to join the Marines. “He chose the Marines, I think, because that was the branch of the service he was going to get the most challenge from,” said Jim Downey, Benjamin’s uncle. “When he set his mind to something, he did it,” Edinger, 24, died Tuesday from shrapnel wounds he received in the blast of a roadside bomb in Iraq on Nov. 14. It was his second tour in Iraq. The challenge of the Marines took Sgt. Benjamin Edinger into 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company — a highly trained and specialized combat unit. “He was originally a computer operator and he volunteered for recon,” Downey said. “Sitting behind a desk wasn’t a challenge for him. He wanted to get out there.” Downey said Ben had several months left in the Marine Corps and then planned on attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison with the hope of becoming a veterinarian. The former high school rugby player also said he had another goal in his sights at Madison. “He wanted to play football at the University of Wisconsin,” Downey said. “I kind of kidded him about that because of his age but he was a driven man and I have no doubt that he would have been in the cardinal and white — or at least a red shirt — if he’d gone and done it.” Randy and Rose Scannell, Ben’s mother and step-father, both live in Green Bay while his father, Mont Edinger, lives in Plano, Ill. He is also survived by his older brother, Jim. Downey said the family has not been told where Edinger was operating when he was wounded, other than it was not in, or around, Fallujah. After he was hit, Edinger was moved to a hospital in Germany and late last week was sent to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. After showing some improvement, he died there Tuesday. “He died doing what it was he wanted to do,” Downey said. Nicole Neuville, 23, of Green Bay, attended West High School with Edinger. She remembers him as a guy that made class fun. “He was a really funny guy that was always laughing,” she said Wednesday. “I still see him in school cracking his jokes and laughing at other people’s jokes. “He just made class enjoyable,” Neuville said. They both graduated from West High School in 1999. Downey said his nephew was subtle. “Ben was not the life of the party, but he was certainly at the party and part of it,” he said. “He was not a flashy person. “Ben did what Ben did and he did it because it’s what he wanted to do,” Downey said. That included serving in the Marines. Edinger is the fifth person from the Green Bay area to die in Iraq. Nathan Phelps writes for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. ------------------------------------------------ Here's a glimpse of this young Marine from 3 years ago... notice the date in the byline Marines working at Army post find conditions there 'real nice' Stars & Stripes Monday, 10 September 2001 By Franklin Fisher, Taegu bureau chief TAEGU, South Korea — If the U.S. Marines aren’t careful, the U.S. Army may turn them soft. At least that’s how life at an Army post in South Korea struck some Marines recently. They spent two weeks enjoying indoor showers and air-conditioned tents of the Army’s Camp Carroll, a sprawling logistics base at Waegwan in South Korea. The hundred or so Marines were from Okinawa’s 3rd Force Service Support Group [FSSG]. They went home last week after participating in the annual Ulchi Focus Lens exercise. While at Carroll they practiced logistics: working closely with the Army and others in the military supply chain to ensure U.S. Marines fighting in Korea would get the supplies they need. Their stint at Camp Carroll also gave a glimpse at basic differences between the nation’s two ground combat branches. “As far as training, I didn’t expect anything like this,” said Lance Cpl. Benjamin Edinger, 20, of Green Bay, Wis. Edinger is a small-computer systems specialist with the 3rd FSSG’s Headquarters and Service Battalion. “I didn’t expect to have air-conditioned bivouac tents,” said Edinger. “I didn’t expect to have hot showers. I didn’t expect anything like that. I expected to be taking a field shower with a canteen cup. Real nice. It was real nice what they had here.” Lance Cpl. Andrew Truesdell, 22, of Edwards, N.Y., liked Camp Carroll, too. He works in the G-3 plans section of Headquarters and Service Battalion. “I liked it a lot,” Truesdell said. “Nobody got into any interservice fights or anything like that. I thought that was pretty cool.” “It was a little bit luxurious having a chow hall and a gym and a real bathroom. There’s a gym on the base too. It’s a decent gym. The chow hall is nice. Real bathrooms, real showers. We were livin’ it up,” Truesdell said. “The food quality was a little bit better than the Marines — I don’t want to downplay the Marines,” Truesdell said. “They do their best. So yeah, it was real cushy out here. Wooden floors, cots. It was nice.” Lance Cpl. Jacob Freeby, 19, of Nocona, Texas, said he liked Camp Carroll, too. He’s an S-3 clerk with the 3rd FSSG’s 3rd Transportation Battalion. “Well, I enjoyed it because the facilities are better, though I’m not putting down the Marine Corps facilities. The people, the Army personnel, they were nice. Cooperative with questions we’d ask them, where things were and how things worked. “Yeah, I could see they probably do live better,” Freeby said. “But that’s how it is. I don’t want to sound like I’m whining or anything.” Edinger had a good time talking with Army people, too. “I got to talk to some of the people in the Army about what they do, their sorts of training,” Edinger said. “I got to talk to a few military personnel a little higher ranking, some sergeant majors. It was very interesting.” Being among the few Marines on an Army post actually made Edinger and some others feel even more proud than usual of being in the Corps, he said. “One thing I did notice is the Marines tended to walk around with a little bit more pride, it seemed like,” Edinger said. “I’m not sure. It’s something more within myself, but I just feel real proud wearing the nametape ‘U.S. Marines’ than just anywhere in general.” It’s no accident the Army at times can keep its troops in conditions less spartan than what Marines are used to, said Marine Lt. Col. Bob Weinkle, G-3 Plans officer for the 3rd FSSG. “We tend to rough it a bit more, because we do have to get in and get out very quickly,” Weinkle said of the Marines. “It’s a very expeditionary force and an expeditionary mind-set, and that’s ingrained in the Marines from boot camp to their time in what we call the Fleet, the operating forces. “So, it really goes to that expeditionary mind-set from Day One,” Weinkle said. "We have to be ready to move on a moment’s notice. Very quick, highly mobile, less-stuff kind of a mindset. And that’s across the board for all Marines, including logistics, which tend to be the heaviest things that we have to bring in. We definitely have a different perspective than the Army. We definitely have to go lighter.” Truesdell was somewhat worried the taste of the good life might spoil some of the younger Marines. “I’m afraid that some of the newer people wouldn’t know what to do in a real situation,” Truesdell said. “They’d be complaining and whining and saying, ‘Well, it wasn’t like this when I was at Camp Carroll.’” But he thought about it another moment and felt reassured. “I don’t think it’s going to turn any Marine soft,” said Truesdell. “Marines are always going to be Marines.” Rest in peace, Marine |
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12-03-2004, 03:52 PM
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#27 (permalink) | ||
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Super Moderator
British Army 
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Re: Memoriam
This is the first time I've been in this thread and I found it incredibly sad reading the names and personal accounts of all these brave individuals who have lost their lives doing something honourable. I hope their sacrifice is never forgotten.
-Chief Muppet |
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12-05-2004, 01:46 AM
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#28 (permalink) | ||
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Marine
USMC Chuter
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NW US
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Threads: 113 UserID: 175 |
Re: Memoriam
A Hero's sacrifice
Submitted by: 1st Force Service Support Group Story Identification #: 2004123102943 Story by Lance Cpl. T. J. Kaemmerer FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 02, 2004) -- "You’re still here, don’t forget that. Tell your kids, your grandkids, what Sgt. Peralta did for you and the other Marines today." As a combat correspondent, I was attached to Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment for Operation Al Fajr, to make sure the stories of heroic actions and the daily realities of battle were told. On this day, I found myself without my camera. With the batteries dead, I decided to leave the camera behind and live up to the ethos "every Marine a rifleman," by volunteering to help clear the fateful buildings that lined streets. After seven days of intense fighting in Fallujah, the Marines of 1/3 embraced a new day with a faceless enemy. We awoke November 15, 2004, around day-break in the abandoned, battle-worn house we had made our home for the night. We shaved, ate breakfast from a Meal, Ready-to-Eat pouch and waited for the word to move. The word came, and we started what we had done since the operation began – clear the city of insurgents, building by building. As an attachment to the unit, I had been placed as the third man in a six-man group, or what Marines call a 'stack.' Two stacks of Marines were used to clear a house. Moving quickly from the third house to the fourth, our order in the stack changed. I found Sgt. Rafael Peralta in my spot, so I fell in behind him as we moved toward the house. A Mexican-American who lived in San Diego, Peralta earned his citizenship after he joined the Marine Corps. He was a platoon scout, which meant he could have stayed back in safety while the squads of 1st Platoon went into the danger filled streets, but he was constantly asking to help out by giving them an extra Marine. I learned by speaking with him and other Marines the night before that he frequently put his safety, reputation and career on the line for the needs and morale of the junior Marines around him. When we reached the fourth house, we breached the gate and swiftly approached the building. The first Marine in the stack kicked in the front door, revealing a locked door to their front and another at the right. Kicking in the doors simultaneously, one stack filed swiftly into the room to the front as the other group of Marines darted off to the right. "Clear!" screamed the Marines in one of the rooms followed only seconds later by another shout of "clear!" from the second room. One word told us all we wanted to know about the rooms: there was no one in there to shoot at us. We found that the two rooms were adjoined and we had another closed door in front of us. We spread ourselves throughout the rooms to avoid a cluster going through the next door. Two Marines stacked to the left of the door as Peralta, rifle in hand, tested the handle. I watched from the middle, slightly off to the right of the room as the handle turned with ease. Ready to rush into the rear part of the house, Peralta threw open the door. ‘POP! POP! POP!’ Multiple bursts of cap-gun-like sounding AK-47 fire rang throughout the house. Three insurgents with AK-47s were waiting for us behind the door. Peralta was hit several times in his upper torso and face at point-blank range by the fully-automatic 7.62mm weapons employed by three terrorists. Mortally wounded, he jumped into the already cleared, adjoining room, giving the rest of us a clear line of fire through the doorway to the rear of the house. We opened fire, adding the bangs of M-16A2 service rifles, and the deafening, rolling cracks of a Squad Automatic Weapon, or “SAW,” to the already nerve-racking sound of the AKs. One Marine was shot through the forearm and continued to fire at the enemy. I fired until Marines closer to the door began to maneuver into better firing positions, blocking my line of fire. Not being an infantryman, I watched to see what those with more extensive training were doing. I saw four Marines firing from the adjoining room when a yellow, foreign-made, oval-shaped grenade bounced into the room, rolling to a stop close to Peralta’s nearly lifeless body. In an act living up to the heroes of the Marine Corps’ past, such as Medal of Honor recipients Pfc. James LaBelle and Lance Cpl. Richard Anderson, Peralta – in his last fleeting moments of consciousness- reached out and pulled the grenade into his body. LaBelle fought on Iwo Jima and Anderson in Vietnam, both died saving their fellow Marines by smothering the blast of enemy grenades. Peralta did the same for all of us in those rooms. I watched in fear and horror as the other four Marines scrambled to the corners of the room and the majority of the blast was absorbed by Peralta’s now lifeless body. His selflessness left four other Marines with only minor injuries from smaller fragments of the grenade. During the fight, a fire was sparked in the rear of the house. The flames were becoming visible through the door. The decision was made by the Marine in charge of the squad to evacuate the injured Marines from the house, regroup and return to finish the fight and retrieve Peralta’s body. We quickly ran for shelter, three or four houses up the street, in a house that had already been cleared and was occupied by the squad’s platoon. As Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Murdock took a count of the Marines coming back, he found it to be one man short, and demanded to know the whereabouts of the missing Marine. "Sergeant Peralta! He’s dead! He’s f------ dead," screamed Lance Cpl. Adam Morrison, a machine gunner with the squad, as he came around a corner. "He’s still in there. We have to go back." The ingrained code Marines have of never leaving a man behind drove the next few moments. Within seconds, we headed back to the house unknown what we may encounter yet ready for another round. I don't remember walking back down the street or through the gate in front of the house, but walking through the door the second time, I prayed that we wouldn't lose another brother. We entered the house and met no resistance. We couldn't clear the rest of the house because the fire had grown immensely and the danger of the enemy’s weapons cache exploding in the house was increasing by the second. Most of us provided security while Peralta's body was removed from the house. We carried him back to our rally point and upon returning were told that the other Marines who went to support us encountered and killed the three insurgents from inside the house. Later that night, while I was thinking about the day’s somber events, Cpl. Richard A. Mason, an infantryman with Headquarters Platoon, who, in the short time I was with the company became a good friend, told me, "You’re still here, don’t forget that. Tell your kids, your grandkids, what Sgt. Peralta did for you and the other Marines today." As a combat correspondent, this is not only my job, but an honor. Throughout Operation Al Fajr, we were constantly being told that we were making history, but if the books never mention this battle in the future, I’m sure that the day and the sacrifice that was made, will never be forgotten by the Marines who were there. |
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12-05-2004, 02:02 AM
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#29 (permalink) | ||
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Marine
USMC Chuter
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NW US
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Threads: 113 UserID: 175 |
Re: Memoriam
Just a reminder... We were losing good people in the War on Terror long before 9/11. Here is an outstanding piece written about one such incident. The fallen Marine happened to be a friend of mine.
Colonel Burgess, This email has been slightly revised to include the incredible words which were voiced concerning the actions of our Marines during a meeting held this morning by the Charge d' affairs in Dares Salaam. 11 August, 1998 It has been almost 96 hours since the devastating blasts ripped through the American Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. With the situation at both embassies now somewhat stabilized, I want to take a few moments and attempt to paint a picture of the events leading up to the blasts as well as provide you with a commander's perspective of the actions of our Marines subsequent to the explosions. On Friday morning, 8 August 1998 at 10:30 am local Kenyan time (03:30 EST), Corporal Samuel Gonite was standing Post One inthe American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. The detachment commander, Gunnery Sergeant Cross was making his rounds throughout the embassy. Atapproximately 10:35, Marine Sergeant Jesse "Nathan" Aliganga walked into theembassy to cash a check. Corporal Gonite watched Sergeant Aliganga walk past Post One, get onto the elevator, and ascend to the bank. At the same time and unbeknownst to anyone in the embassy, two men pulled up to the rear guard shack of the embassy, which was manned by the local Kenyan security force. This parking lot, which was sandwiched in between a 60 story bank building and a smaller bank building, was also the entrance into the underground garage for the embassy. Reportedly, a man approached the local guard and demanded he open the gate (leading into the embassy's underground garage) to which the local guard refused. At this time, the man hurled what was believed to be a grenade in the direction of the guard. Inside the embassy, people heard the explosion and reportedly got up to look out of their windows when at 10:40 am, a truck filled with explosives crashed into the rear wall of the embassy adjacent to the underground garage, and exploded. The only Marines on duty at thetime of the blast were the detachment commander and Corporal Gonite, who was immediately knocked to the ground by the concussion of theblast. The glass surrounding Post One was shattered but remained intact.The detachment commander, upon hearing the first blast, immediately tookcover in the ladder well and was shielded from the main blast. The Chancery was in shambles. When the truck exploded, the small bank building behind the embassy collapsed onto the chancery's emergency generator, spilling thousands of gallons of diesel fuel into the basement of the embassy.The diesel fuel ignited and smoke and fire were billowing throughout the embassy. As injured and confused people were running out of the chancery screaming and choking, the Marines were running into the building looking for survivors. With no thought for their own lives, having no idea what else may happen, or whether or not the shattered structure would cave in on them, the Marines immediately reacted and began a sweep of the building. Sergeant Briehl, who was waiting outside the embassy in the car, immediately darted into the building looking for Sergeant Aliganga. He ran to the elevator shafts behind post one, which were completely destroyed, and fell two floors down into the shaft, breaking three ribs and sustaining multiple lacerations and bruises. SergeantBriehl managed to climb out of the elevator shaft and continued his search for Sergeant Aliganga. Sergeant Outt, who was in Nairobi from Bujumbura for a dental appointment, as well as Sergeant Harper, who was on COT leave in Nairobi from Accra, immediately reacted with the Marines and manned posts around the embassy. At this time, we had Gunnery Sergeant Cross, Sergeants Russel, Jiminez, Briehl, Outt, Harper, and Corporal Gonite on board. These Marines immediately made their way through the rubble, fire and smoke looking for survivors, fended off local looters who swarmed the embassy moments after the blast, secured classified material, and most importantly to them, began the search for their brother, Sergeant Aliganga. To provide a bit of situational awareness, the embassy in Nairobi is a seven floor concrete structure with five above ground and two below ground levels. It was situated on two major avenues of approach with minimal stand off distance between the road and the structure. When the bomb exploded, the force of the blast was so devastating that it blew out almost every closed window and frame on the building. Twelve inch thick concrete walls on all floors of the embassy were shattered like thin plates of glass. Solid wooden doors mounted on steel frames were sent airborne landing throughout the structure. Windows on office buildings over a quarter of a mile away were shattered. There was not an office space that survived inside of the embassy. Bodies were spread all over, most of which were buried under up to eight feet of rubble. At the same time, the Regional Security Officer for the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, John DiCarlo, a former Marine Security Guard, had taken post one from Corporal Johnson in order for him to make a head call. At approximately 10:40 am, a truck bomb exploded outside the security gate, ripping through the embassy. Corporal Johnson was knocked to the deck. He stood up, and immediately ran to Post One where he found it intact, but inoperable. Corporal Johnson immediately reacted the Marines, which were all at the Marine BEQ during the explosion, and informed all mission personnel to evacuate the building. Corporal Johnson donned his react gear and took control of the Command Center. The detachment commander, Gunnery Sergeant Kimble, arrived at the Embassy approximately 4-5 minutes after the blast and began checking offices throughout the chancery to insure all personnel were safely out of the building. One of the casualties of the explosion was Gunnery Sergeant Kimble's wife Cynthia, who sustained bruises and eye injuries from flying glass. While Cynthia was flown to London to receive eye surgery, Gunnery Sergeant Kimble never lost focus on the mission at hand. Within eight minutes of the blast, Sergeant Sivason, and first poster's Corporals Bohn, Hatfield, Johnson, and McCabe began working through the chancery clearing all rooms of personnel. No direction was required as each Marine knew exactly what had to be done. Keep in mind that numerous secondary explosions (which turned out to be fuel tanks in automobiles)were occurring all around the compound as Marines continued to sweep the building. For a period of time, they had no idea if the embassy was actually being assaulted or overrun. Due to the enormous amount of smoke and fire raging throughout the chancery and near the underground fuel tanks, the decision was made to evacuate Post One and the Marines fell back to their secondary positions. Corporal Johnson took security for the mission personnel at the rear of the Embassy, and all other Marines took up perimeter security around the building. The force of the blast blew out every window in the chancery, and all doors except post one. The hardline doors, which are located on the opposite side of the embassy, were forced open by the blast. Emergency fire exits on the opposite side of the building in which the blast occurred were blown off the hinges. Concrete walls within the Embassy were knocked down and safes were moved and in some cases knocked over. During the search of the building the Marines had to bust through walls in order to get to areas unattainable during their sweep. Within four hours of the truck bomb, which damaged diplomatic properties and houses up to1000 meters away, the embassy was secure with MSGs maintaining 24 hour security on the building until the arrival of the FAST team. In Nairobi, Marines continued to work throughout the day clearing the embassy, providing local security (as the local constabulary proved worthless), moving the injured and the dead from the rubble to safety. The condition of many of the dead was horrific, making the task of search and rescue that much more difficult for all concerned. By 03:00, I arrived on the scene with my XO, 1stSgt, and admin chief, all of whom had been stationed in the Nairobi embassy for over a year and knew the ground, and two MSGs from the Pretoria Detachment, who quickly took up posts around the embassy. By 04:00, a number of Army special forces NCOs had volunteered to stand post to give the Marines a much needed break. 1stSgt Guzman took the post from the detachment commander and I ordered the Marines home to shower and sleep. At first light, all of the Marines were back to continue their Mission while looking for Sergeant Aliganga. After hours of digging by hand through tons of rubble, behind Post One and in the elevator shafts, we moved to the area of the bank. This was one of the hardest hit areas as it was one floor up and only about 50 feet from the blast site. Twelve inch slabs of reinforced concrete were piled up to the ceiling, while desks, computers, and file cabinets were reduced to scrap. The Marines and Army S/F personnel, along with DOS personnel worked frantically against the clock. By this time, over thirty bodies had been recovered from the rubble, including ten Americans. Finally, at exactly 14:30 local time, after 27 hours and fifty minutes of relentless digging with their bare hands, the body of Sergeant Aliganga was recovered from the rubble. Once positively identified, the Marines then gently wrapped Sergeant Aliganga in the American flag, and very purposefully marched him through the rubble and out of the embassy to the waiting vehicle. Although there were no cameras present, nor was there any music playing, the crowds seemed to still, and people stood erect, with tears running down their faces, as the body of another United States Marine, who gave his life in defense of his country, was ushered away. By nightfall, the FAST team arrived and quickly took up the perimeter security of the embassy, freeing the MSGs to return to the still ongoing task of recovering classified material and equipment from the rubble. Sir, I apologize that my words are insufficient to more accurately describe the true essence of this horrific tragedy. What must not be missed is the incredible bravery and heroism displayed by our Marine Security Guards. Without any regard for their own lives or safety, they maintained incredible presence of mind in the face of tremendous devastation. Each Marine continued to serve our country and our Department of State with distinction. Even through the chaos and the fog, our Marines never lost focus of their mission. They were models of strength to be emulated by all. During a meeting this morning called by the Charge d'affairs in Dares Salaam who assembled the Marines together to personally recognize them for their heroism, the following statement was made, "The Marines are to be commended for how exceptionally well they performed their duties under extreme conditions of chaos and terror. Their bravery and heroism was displayed in such a confident and purposeful manner that their very presence transferred to others, allowing them to get through the situation." Please keep in mind that we are talking initially about only six Marines. Four corporals with less than five months on the MSG program; one supply admin clerk, one communicator, one tank crewman, and a canvass repair specialist, an 0311 Sergeant and a Gunnery Sergeant who is a legal chief. This situation brought true meaning to the fact that every Marine is a rifleman. As you finish reading this synopsis, the Marines from Nairobi and Dares Salaam, augmented by Sergeant Harper from Accra, Sergeant Lawlor from Bonn, Sergeant Outt from Bujumbura, Sergeant Boudah from Dublin, Corporal Graff and Sergeant Wolf from Frankfurt, Sergeant Salizar from the Hague, Sergeant Alberto and Corporal Durden from London, SergeantJackson from Paris, Sergeant Smith and Corporal Cornell from Pretoria, andSergeant Reynolds from Rome, are manning makeshift embassies as ourMSGs continue to support our Department of State. They have not missed a beat and will continue guarding Americans and America's interests abroad, as Marines have done for over 222 years. Semper Fidelis and Very Respectfully, Dennis G. Sabal Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps Commanding |
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12-06-2004, 02:08 PM
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#30 (permalink) | ||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
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Re: Memoriam
Lima Company Marines remember fallen team leader
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Story Identification #: 20041211506 Story by Sgt. Nathan K. LaForte  1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, poses for a picture while taking a day of rest at their battalion forward position outside of Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 15. The squad was involved in heavy fighting in Iraq during Operation Al Fajr. The fighting claimed their trusted team leader, Cpl. Theodore A. Bowling, on Nov. 11. FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec 1, 2004) -- "And when he gets to heaven to St. Peter he will tell, one more Marine reporting sir, I've served my time in hell," read a poem on the grave of a Marine at Guadalcanal in 1942. As evidence of this poem, death and hardship has been a constant for Marines in combat since their beginning 229 years ago. The hardest day to date for the Marines of 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, was Nov. 11. The day one of their most respected team leaders and friend was taken from them by enemy fire on the hostile streets of Fallujah. These Marines with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, were clearing houses and gaining ground in the Jolan district of Fallujah for three days since the start of Operation Al Fajr Nov. 8, said Lance Cpl. Ralph E. Arzate, fire team leader. "We've been going through (Fallujah)," said the 22-year-old native of Victorville, Calif. "We've been sweeping down and searching out and destroying the enemy. We cleared houses in our area of operations, and were doing a lot of (military operations in urban terrain). "We were tasked with the area south of the train station of the city called the Jolan district. We heard that it was the (worst) part. The risk was pretty high and this proved to be true." On the morning of Nov. 11, the Marines stood in awe as a fighter jet dropped a bomb on a four-story building south of their position. 2nd Lt. Benjamin T. Budde. By late afternoon, they steadily advanced south toward their objective despite light enemy contact. Sergeant Nathan J. Sauer, a 25-year-old squad leader from Collyer, Kansas, lead his weary but ready Marines into the four-story building they saw nearly destroyed earlier that day. "Immediately we began to take enemy fire," he said. "It was a really heavy engagement, but the squad was holding strong." The squad kept taking fire from buildings on the opposite side of the street from just about everywhere, Arzate remembered. While he was loading a 40 mm high explosive grenade into his M-203 grenade launcher, the seemingly impossible happened. "When I was loading a round into the breach of my weapon, (Cpl. Theodore Bowling) was hit," said Arzate. "I didn't know how bad his wounds were so I was pulling him out and I got hit. At that time, our squad leader and a few others came and picked him up and got him out of harm's way." All the Marines in the squad barely had time to breath after their revered team leader had been hit, but they kept engaging the enemy like they were trained, said Lance Cpl. Nic J. Gowanlock, a designated marksman. "Things got pretty real, pretty quick," Gowanlock said. "As a Marine, you face the fact that you might not come back, but you know you're doing the right thing. You know you're doing your job." "He was a good Marine," he said, "a Marine who taught us a lot about everything. He was someone we looked at as kind of invincible. We never thought he would ever go down." After Arzate was hit, he low-crawled back to his position, where Gowanlock patched him up as best he could. Bowling and Arzate were hit, but "we had to keep going," Gowanlock said. "We had to figure out where the fire came from and send rounds back down range." The platoon's senior corpsman, Petty Officer 3rd Class Kyle L. Coker, and the platoon guide then showed up to take care of Bowling while Arzate was escorted to safety. That was when the squad was notified by unit radio traffic that Bowling, the trusted 25-year-old team leader from Casselberry, Fla., had died of his wounds. "When you hear about things like this over the (radio) net, it hits everyone pretty hard," said Arzate. One Marine who felt the immediate repercussions was Gowanlock, who had to step up to fill the leadership gap. "It was pretty difficult having to step up after losing two team leaders in one day," he said. "Early on we didn't see any combat like this. It's toward the end of the deployment that we get thrown into a real hot combat zone, and we start losing Marines. That's probably the hardest thing to deal with." Since that day, the Multi-national Force steamroller has all but flattened the enemy in Fallujah. In hindsight, the Marines have lost one of their best and most revered leaders, but they had to keep going. "Maybe it was bound to happen ... just not to our platoon and our squad," Gowanlock said. "When it happened, it shook us up and made us realize that this is no joke. We had to keep going and do our mission." The loss was felt all the way up the chain of command, and Bowling's sacrifice has not gone unnoticed, said Capt. Brian G. Heatherman, 32, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and the commanding officer, Company L. The boys did awesome, but it's weird, we fight all day and just when you think things are winding down, a firefight happens. Third platoon lost a good Marine that day. First squad, 3rd Platoon, Lima Co., 3/1 is currently still in Fallujah wrapping up operations. Lance Cpl. Arzate has returned to full duty and re-joined his Marines as one of the team leaders.  Cpl. Dawud J. Sabater, team leader, 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, holds security while standing outside of a house in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 9. The 22-year-old Marine from the Bronx, N.Y., would later lose one of his best friends during fighting in the city.  Lance Cpl. Ralph E. Arzate, team leader, 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, walks as a dismounted patrolman down a deserted street in Fallujah, Iraq in the late afternoon hours of Nov. 14. Arzate, a 22-year-old Marine from Victorville, Calif., was wounded in a firefight that claimed the life of one of his fellow team leaders. The Marine returned to his unit days later with intentions of completing his mission in Iraq. |
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12-06-2004, 02:10 PM
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#31 (permalink) | ||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
Vulture6
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Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Memoriam
Battalions 34 OIF fallen remembered
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton Story Identification #: 2004122121455 Story by Lance Cpl. Paul Robbins Jr  Dave J. Wroblewski, 21-year-old brother of 2nd Lt. John T. Wroblewski, clutches a group of identification tags signifying all Marines lost in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, during a memorial ceremony Tuesday at San Mateo Memorial Park. Wroblewski died April 6, just 10 days before his 26th birthday. He was the oldest of four brothers. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Paul Robbins Jr. MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Dec. 2, 2004) -- The sun shone down over a Kevlar helmet draped loosely over a rifle, weighed down by the identification tags of nearly three dozen Marines. Families wept over the memories of those they've lost Tuesday. That image - all too frequent and familiar for Camp Pendleton families in recent months - marked 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment's memorial service at the Camp San Mateo Memorial Park. Marines representing each of the battalion's companies, along with family and friends, were on hand to honor 34 Marines who lost their lives in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 34 deaths - accounting for all of the unit's losses in Iraq - all occurred since April. "They were great Marines, they will be missed. I think about them every day," said Cpl. James D. Gentile, a team leader for Company G. Families and friends of a few of the Marines shared memories that stood out the most. "I'm very proud of the honorable young man he was," said Mark Crowley, father of Lance Cpl. Kyle D. Crowley, 18, from San Ramon. Crowley shared an excerpt from a letter his son sent: "Never forget." That's one of the things Kyle wrote in a letter. I didn't find the letter until after he passed. It said, 'No matter what happens, never forget.'" While some spoke of fallen Marines' pride and dedication to duty, others reminisced about their sense of humor and embarrassing moments. "I remember when we were moving into Iraq, Hallal was up on top of the 7-ton (truck) arguing with somebody, and he just fell off and hit the ground. Everyone was busting up laughing," Gentile recalled about Pfc. Deryk L. Hallal, 25, of Indianapolis. Others attending the ceremony idolized the fallen for their bravery, compassion or love of life. "He is my hero," said Joanna L. Wroblewski, widow of 2nd Lt. John T. Wroblewski, a Morris, N.J., Marine, who died 10 days short of his 26th birthday. "He lived more in 25 years than most people do in 80." As the ceremony concluded, Marines, family and friends lined up to pay their respects at the memorial raised for the event. |
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12-06-2004, 02:12 PM
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#32 (permalink) | ||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
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Re: Memoriam
24th MEU honors fallen brothers
Submitted by: 24th MEU Story Identification #: 200412612813 Story by Sgt. Zachary A. Bathon  Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit pay their respects at a display erected for Sgt. Benjamin C. Edinger and Sgt. Nicholas S. Nolte during a memorial service at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, Dec. 5. The traditional display is composed of an inverted rifle with attached bayonet, identification tags, desert boots and helmet. Edinger, 24, of Green Bay, Wis., was assigned to the MEU's Force Reconnaissance Platoon. Nolte, 25, of Fall City, Neb., was assigned to the Low-Altitude Air Defense Detachment, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263, and to the MEU's Personal Security Detachment. Both Marines died from wounds suffered in separate roadside-bomb attacks last month while conducting security and stability operations in northern Babil province. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Sarah A. Beavers FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq (Dec. 5, 2004) -- Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit gathered here Dec. 5 to pay tribute to two of its fallen brothers. The morning service memorialized Sgt. Benjamin C. Edinger, 24, of Green Bay, Wis., and the MEU's Force Reconnaissance Platoon and Sgt. Nicholas S. Nolte, 25, of Fall City, Neb., and Low-Altitude Air Defense Detachment, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263, and the MEU's Personal Security Detachment. The men were killed last month by separate roadside bomb attacks in northern Babil province. "Today we are here to honor two men who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country," said Col. Ron Johnson, 24th MEU commander. "Sgt. Edinger and Sgt. Nolte gave their life in defense of our nation. If you knew both men, you would know that they were Marines' Marines." At the center of the formation, representing the fallen Marines, stood two inverted rifles adorned with Kevlar helmets, dog tags and two sets of boots. Marines from all four major subordinate elements of the MEU listened intently to the benediction by the MEU Chaplain, Lt. Cmdr. Louis Rosa, and the comments by Johnson. After the MEU commander finished, leaders and team members spoke of the lives of each Marine and the effect each had on those around him. Capt. Tad Douglas, Edinger's platoon commander, read one of the Marine's favorite quotes from an autobiography he had written when he first arrived at 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company. "When a man has not discovered something worth dying for, he is not fit to live," said Douglas. "Ben Edinger had found something worth dying for. It was his brothers in the reconnaissance community. He gave his life as one of us, for us, and he will be sorely missed." Staff Sgt. Daniel D. Hoeman spoke of Edinger's dedication to duty. He told the story about the day Edinger was wounded. Because of his dedication, he would not step away from his gun. It took two Marines to pry him away to receive medical treatment. "He was the kind of man on watch, that when he had duty he would take it all night," Hoeman said. "Anything -- anything said to him to be done, he did it. Today we lay Ben's career to rest, but we don't lay him to rest. We all hold a piece of him in our heart and we always will." Capt. Michael S. McFadden, Sgt. Nolte's officer-in-charge, said Nolte epitomized the word Marine. "I know I speak for all the Marines of the LAAD section and the (Marine Air Control Group) detachment when I say that we were extremely saddened when we received the news of Sgt. Nole's passing," said McFadden. "I was fortunate to have worked with Sgt. Nolte for most of the last year. And in that short time I could not have been more pleased with his performance. ... He was a fine man, a loving husband, a proud father, and outstanding Marine. I have been associated with few men of such high honor." Staff Sgt. Terry A. Erb also spoke of Nolte's dedication to his men and his duty as a Marine. "As a Marine I can't think of anyone else I would like to serve beside," said Erb. "While lying on a stretcher awaiting his (medical evacuation), he looked up to the MEU (commanding officer) and said he was sorry we didn't make it to Haswah. This was indicative of the commitment Nick had to the mission, and the Marine Corps. To me, his devotion to duty and his love of the Marine Corps need not be questioned. For he was one of the most dedicated Marines I have ever known. He will always be remembered as a true warrior and a brother." During his remarks, Col. Johnson captured the significance of the Marines' sacrifice. "Napoleon once said that fighting men are mere mortals -- they all eventually die -- but what they do for their regiment is immortal," said Johnson Men will die, but if they are brave -- they and their regiments will live forever. Sgt. Edinger and Sgt. Nolte were brave. They will be missed but will never be forgotten." |
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12-13-2004, 11:27 AM
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#34 (permalink) | ||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
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Re: Memoriam
3/1 Marines pay respects to their fallen
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division Story Identification #: 2004121363210 Story by Cpl. Randy L. Bernard  Two fallen Marines of Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment were remembered by their friends and teammates in a memorial service. Sgt. Byron W. Norwood was killed November 13, and Lance Cpl. Abraham Simpson was killed 9 November. Both of the Marines were serving in support of the offensive against the insurgents in the city of Fallujah. Photo by: Cpl. Randy L. Bernard CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 13, 2004) -- The Marines of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, gathered recently to remember two of their fallen brothers. The fallen were Sgt. Byron W. Norwood, 25, a native of Austin Texas, and Lance Cpl. Abraham Simpson, 19, a native of Chino, Calif. Both of the Marines were assigned to Weapons Company, 3/1. Norwood, a member of the Combined Anti-Armor Team, was killed Nov. 13 by sniper fire during the assault on the city of Fallujah. Simpson, a mortarman with the 81-millimeter mortar platoon, was killed Nov. 9 by a rocket-propelled grenade during the same attack. Their friends and teammates, who were reflecting upon the significance of their passing, memorialized the two Marines. “I was pretty devastated the night I heard Sgt. Norwood was killed,” said Sgt. Matt Bassett, a squad leader with CAAT platoon. “I still have mixed emotions about it. Sometimes I wake up and I can’t really believe that he is gone. You just have to know that they are in a better place and know that they had a good life and they were productive, and he was both of those.” Some of the Marines present were more than just friends and considered themselves family. “The reason (Lance Cpl. Simpson and I) got along so well was because of our faith in Christ,” said Lance Cpl. Alexander Roman, a mortarman. “I really needed a church family to go to. I didn’t really have a church to go to in California. He introduced me to his church and that’s how we became close friends. It was hard for him to believe that such a close friend could be taken away. “I was woken up around noon, and they told me that my friend passed away,” said Roman. “I couldn’t believe that. He was a guy that nobody around here would believe could have died. He was so strong in his faith and he was always happy. He never complained about anything.” Roman described his friend Simpson as a person with such a positive attitude, that nothing could bring him down. “He was always in such a good mood and always had high spirits,” said Roman. “I miss him because I felt like I was part of his family. I was like a brother to him, and it feels like I lost a brother.” Simpson was known for his good moods, while Norwood was known for putting others in a good mood. “His sense of humor was awesome,” said Bassett. “No matter how grave the situation, he had a sense of humor that would blow your mind. It rubbed off on other Marines and a lot of Marines in Weapons Company picked up on that. His sense of humor was a great attribute to have. He’ll be greatly missed; it’s hard to find someone like Sgt. Norwood.” Though the Marines will be missed, the appreciation of their hard work will never fade. “I talked to (Simpson’s) dad recently, and he wanted to thank all of the Marines from 3/1,” said Roman. “He appreciates all of our efforts out here in Iraq, and what we do for their freedoms back home.” Norwood’s personal decorations include the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Ribbon. He is survived by his parents William and Janet Norwood. Simpson’s personal decorations include the Purple Heart, and the Combat Action Ribbon. He is survived by his parents James and Maria Simpson. |
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12-20-2004, 02:09 PM
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#35 (permalink) | ||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
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Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Memoriam
2/1 honors its own 'Magnificent seven'
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton Story Identification #: 20041216215834 Story by Pfc. Antonio Rosas MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Dec. 16, 2004) -- They're among the heroes of Fallujah - the first time around. Call them "The Magnificent Seven." The seven - six Marines and a Navy corpsman with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine regiment - received Bronze Stars, the military's fourth-highest award for combat heroism - Friday for actions last April during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. The recipients - 2nd Lt. Benjamin P. Wagner, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason R. Duty, Sgt. Clifton S. Kirksey, Lance Cpl. Craig C. Bell, Lance Cpl. Rafael G. Valencia, Lance Cpl. Jose A. Cruz and Lance Cpl. John Q. Flores - were recognized for actions during a 30 minute firefight in which they battled insurgents firing and throwing grenades at them from buildings and rooftops. Five of the Marines were with Company E; the other was with Weapons Company. "It's not every day that you see multiple Bronze Stars," noted Lt. Col. Gregg P. Olson, battalion commander. "These Marines had an opportunity to display their best qualities as warriors," Olson said as the Marines gathered into a school circle around him. "I'm intensely proud of the entire battalion. Every single one of them helped in the firefight in order for the other Marines to accomplish their job." First Lt. Nathan B. Chandler, 3rd Platoon commander for Company E, said Wagner's leadership of 2nd Platoon keyed a successful frontal attack on the enemy. "They were able to kill off much of the enemy from a distance of 200 yards," said Chandler, whose platoon supported 2nd Platoon during the mission. While Marines carried out the fight, Duty treated and whisked many of the wounded to safety - even though he came under fire himself. At one point, he dragged a wounded Marine along while firing his 9 mm pistol in an attempt to ward off an insurgent firing an AK-47 assault rifle. "He's a phenomenal corpsman and a hard worker," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Don O. Bradshaw, the battalion's senior corpsman. Duty treated and helped evacuate 13 Marines in 20 minutes under intense mortar and rocket fire, Bradshaw said. He called Duty "an outstanding performer" who "set the example for others." Duty said Marines covered him "with intense fire" as he entered and exited the building to assist the wounded. "I'm glad that everybody (who) put in for the award got it," Duty said. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here today." "I'm honored to be receiving the award, and I am honored to have served with these Marines," said Cruz, adding that he "felt very confident in Fallujah." Col. Geff L. Cooper, the assistant chief of staff for administration with the 1st Marine Division, addressed the gathering, which included friends and family members of the awardees, along with veterans of past wars "There are many heroes in the Marine Corps and we must honor all of them," Cooper said. "This is a great opportunity to give these warriors recognition of their due." |
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12-20-2004, 02:16 PM
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#36 (permalink) | ||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
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Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Memoriam
ATC Marine will be remembered by Marine brothers
Submitted by: MCAS Cherry Point Story Identification #: 2004121771423 Story by Lance Cpl. Cullen J. Tiernan  Cpl. Kyle Renehan worked on a .50 caliber gun aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge, while assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Photo by: Navy Airman Kenny Swartout MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (Dec. 16, 2004) -- "He was the quintessential Marine; totally honest, totally dependable, and much more mature than his 21 years would have you believe. But his greatest personality trait was loyalty. Loyalty not just to his friends or family or work, but to everything he did. He always put himself second." These heartfelt words were spoken by the Marines who knew and respected Cpl. Kyle J. Renehan. Renehan died Dec. 9, in Kaiserslautern, Germany, from injuries suffered Nov. 29 during hostile action in Babil province, Iraq. He will be missed by everyone who has had the good fortune of knowing him. Renehan didn't have to go Iraq, said Cpl. Brandon Strasler and Lance Cpl. Fred Foster, both air traffic controllers and who were good friends of Renehan. "He volunteered for it, and that is who he was, he volunteered for everything," said Strasler. "He was always ready to help, always willing to take that extra step, always sacrificing his time and personal welfare for the good of others," said Foster. Renehan was originally an H&HS Marine. He was temporarily assigned to Marine Air Control Squadron 2 when he volunteered for Iraq. "He was a [junior Marine] with more maturity than some sergeants," said Gunnery Sgt. Timothy Klinger, an Air Traffic Control chief who worked with Renehan. "Renehan was the kind of Marine you loved having work for you, he did no wrong. He was the most junior Marine to be tri-con, terminal radar approach control, rated at Cherry Point. Meaning, he was qualified on every position in the radar breach, one of only six first-term Marines to accomplish this feat in the past decade." Renehan was awarded the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal not only for being tri-con rated, but in credit of all the hard work he did. He was meritoriously promoted lance corporal at his military occupationally specialty school. "As an outstanding leader, mentor and trainer of Marine, Renehan was a superior air traffic controller," said Klinger. "He distinguished himself time and time again by winning multiple ATC and Operation's Boards and a Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Marine of the Quarter board." Renehan picture still hangs at H&HS S1 shop, in honor of the kind of person he was. "He's one of the stellar Marines," said Staff Sgt. Terry Flanary, an ATC chief who worked closely with Renehan. "He was the best of the best of the Marines I've ever seen. I could count on him as a pillar of leadership on everything we accomplished. He excelled in everything he did. He was a good Christian and he was never afraid to show his courage." The sense from all Marines who knew Renehan is that his death is a tremendous loss to the Marine Corps and to its future leadership. Renehan was serving on the front lines of ATC. He was the tip of the spear, doing his job out in the field. It still doesn't seem real, agreed Klinger, Foster and Strasler. "This is a shock to our entire community," said Klinger. "It shows the seriousness of our jobs as Marines." Renehan is the first ATC Marine to die in combat since Vietnam. The sense of devastation of this great loss is being felt by everyone who knew him. "He had one of those magnetic personalities," said Strasler. "We weren't roommates, but we might as well have been. "He will be missed by everyone he was in contact with," said Foster. "He was the kind of person who volunteered all the time." Renehan made weekly visits to a nursing home in Havelock, volunteered at the local elementary school, and worked as a member of the Station Burial Detail. "They say sometimes people get awards without deserving them," said Strasler. "Renehan was not one of these people. When he got awards you honestly felt 'that's all they're giving him?" Renehan leaves behind a legacy of excellence. He was a role model and a natural leader. "You would see Renehan doing something good and it would be contagious," said Strasler. "He kept you motivated. There was something about him that you just can't forget." |
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12-20-2004, 02:18 PM
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#37 (permalink) | |||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
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Re: Memoriam
Leader died avenging fallen comrades
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton Story Identification #: 2004121711047 Story by Lance Cpl. Russel J. Smith MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Dec. 16, 2004) -- Quote:
That's a pursuit 2nd Lt. John T. Wroblewski thought was "worth dying for," in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who uttered the adage that became Wroblewski's life slogan. Wroblewski, a platoon commander for E Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, was one of 34 Marines memorialized here Nov. 30 after dying during service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. By all accounts, he was a grunt's grunt: -He built a training course in his back yard and worked out while wearing a backpack loaded down with weights. -He shunned a career as an aviator, or "fly boy," to become a "ground-pounder." -He led his final infantry charge in gung-ho fashion, ultimately meeting his death in the process. "He was a natural-born leader and always led from the front," said Sgt. Damien R. Coan, Wrobleski's platoon sergeant. On the morning of April 6, several convoys traveling through Ar Ramadi were ambushed. Wroblewski's platoon was tasked to travel to ambush sites and assist Marines taking fire, Coan said. On the way, Wroblewski stopped his humvee to pick up some Marines who had been forced to dismount. When his vehicle stopped, Wroblewski lost radio contact with the front two humvees. By the time the patrol caught up, both humvees had been ambushed by insurgents firing small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, heavy and medium machine guns. The bodies of several Marines lay on the ground, Coan said, citing command accounts and those of Marines who witnessed the events firsthand. Wroblewski and his Marines immediately dismounted. He protected the bodies by laying down suppressive fire, alternately calling via radio for reinforcements, Coan said. Wroblewski and his troops went on the offensive, pursuing the enemy down the street and initiating a second firefight. Wroblewski was hit by enemy fire 10 minutes into the second fight when a round pierced his radio handset and hit him in the jaw, slicing into an artery, Coan said. He was bleeding and had to be evacuated from the scene. Although grievously wounded, he continued to give his troops "thumbs-up" until he was whisked away by helicopter. Wroblewski died later that day, 10 days short of his 26th birthday, Coan said. Wroblewski wanted to be an infantry Marine his whole life, said his wife, Joanna L. Wroblewski. "For him, there was nothing better than joining the Marine Corps, and there was no better job than being a grunt," Joanna said. "He was a grunt at heart 100 percent. It was the way he lived and died, and he had no regrets." At The Basic School in Quantico, Va., Wroblewski was on an air wing contract, but didn't really want to be a "fly-boy," as he called pilots, Joanna said. He took the job only because all the infantry contracts had been taken. But he wasn't meant for aviation. One of the officers-in-charge of the class noted his leadership abilities - and made sure he was offered an infantry contract on the spot, Joanna said. Many had similar first impressions when they met Wrobleski, Coan said. "Nobody could tell he was new when they first met him. He acted with the wisdom and maturity of someone who had already been in four or five years, and was a perfect balance of knowledge and strength," he said. "The Marines of E Company greatly appreciated his leadership and will never forget his steadfast courage under fire," he added. Wroblewski, who majored in exercise science while attending Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., graduated with a bachelor of science degree. He loved learning everything he could about the human body, what it could endure and how it could be improved, Joanna said. Everything he learned, he applied to his own physical training, he said. After 'J.T.', as his family called him, graduated Officer Candidate School, in Quantico, Va., he came home on leave and built his own training camp with a track, pull-up bars and dip bars, said his brother, Dave J. Wroblewski, 21. "J.T. would put a 35-pound plate in his pack and go out there to do pull-ups and run," said his youngest brother, Rich S. Wroblewski, 19. "He was always training." Wroblewski's intelligence, scholarly ways and work ethic helped him become a well-rounded Marine officer and leader of men, his comrades said. "He wasn't the type of person that had on days and off days," recalled Lance Cpl. Derek B Callaway, his radio operator in Iraq, "His leadership was on all the time, and he took charge of every moment." |
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12-20-2004, 02:19 PM
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#38 (permalink) | ||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
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Re: Memoriam
Successful broker leaves Wall Street to join Corps, dies in Fallujah firefight
Submitted by: MCRD Parris Island Story Identification #: 2004121611927 Story by Cpl. Matt Barkalow .jpg) Lance Cpl. Dimitrios Gavriel, a rifleman assigned to 1st Bn., 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was killed Nov. 19 in a firefight outside Fallujah, Iraq. Gavriel was a successful broker on Wall Street, but gave up his six-figure-a-year career to join the Marines at age 29, as the result of losing friends and co-workers from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. According to his drill instructor, Gunnery Sgt. David Bauman, Gavriel said, 'this recruit didn't want to go his whole life knowing he did not make a difference.' Photo by: Official USMC photo MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (Dec. 16, 2004) -- On Sept. 11, 2001, Dimitrios Gavriel was working as a stockbroker on Wall Street in New York City. After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Gavriel lost two of his friends and even more co-workers. It was a day that inspired him to make a change in career and in life. According to www.militarycity.com, Gavriel, a native of Plaistow, N.H., was a wrestling champion and honor student who graduated from Timberlane Regional High School in 1993. Gavriel earned a wrestling scholarship to Brown University, an Ivy League college, where he earned his bachelor's degree. He then went on to become a financial planner with Bank of America on Wall Street. According to Capt. Roger Mahar, Depot assistant operations officer and visits officer, Gavriel's background is a testament of who he was as a person. "When you factor in the academic level of any Ivy League school and competing in a Division I sport, and that he successfully completed both, you can imagine the type of person he was," said Mahar, an Albany, N.Y., native. In October 2003, he decided it was time for him to leave his job making a six-figure salary to "make a difference" as he said, and arrived at Parris Island for recruit training. "He felt that he had to do something for his family and friends that died, so he wanted to join the Marine Corps," said Mahar, who was Gavriel's series commander at the time. Mahar said he saw the potential for Gavriel to become an officer and started working on a package for him to go through the Enlisted Commissioning Program. However, Gavriel had a stumbling block in his attempt to become an officer. "I saw him nearly [every] day in my office, working on his ECP package," Mahar said. "He was intelligent, articulate and physically fit and met all of the requirements for the Enlisted Commissioning Program, but he had three tattoos that were determined to be unacceptable to be a Marine officer. What is special about the tattoos is that each one represented a person he knew who had died in the 9-11 attacks." According to Gunnery Sgt. David Bauman, senior drill instructor, Charlie Co., 1st RTBn., Gavriel was one of his recruits before he became a senior drill instructor, in Platoon 1002, Alpha Co., 1st RTBn. "He was the scribe when I was the heavy for Platoon 1002," Bauman said. "Gavriel was very smart and serious about being a U.S. Marine, and one of the things I remember most about him was his ambition." After graduating from recruit training in January 2004, 29-year-old Gavriel reported to the School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune, N.C., where he was trained as a rifleman. Upon graduation from SOI, he was assigned to 1st Bn., 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp Lejeune. When 1/8 was sent to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lance Cpl. Gavriel went as well. He was killed Nov. 19 during an intense firefight outside Fallujah. Mahar said he was reading the Marine Corps Times newspaper when he came across his name as a casualty. "I was saddened, but remembered that he was 'doing something' about 9-11," he said. "He truly cared about doing the right thing and died while doing it in Iraq. He has left a lasting impression on me that I will never forget. He has made me remember what a hero is and how they should be." According to Bauman, Gavriel is an example of people who join the service to make a difference, not just because they have no other alternatives. "Gavriel told me something one day, and I will never forget what he said, 'this recruit didn't want to go his whole life knowing he did not make a difference,'" said Bauman. Bauman said he believes Gavriel knew he was doing the right thing and is a good example of someone putting service over self. "He lived his life knowing he did the right thing," he said. "He knew if anything happened to him that people would remember why he did what he did. He died doing what he wanted to do - make a difference." |
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01-03-2005, 03:03 PM
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#39 (permalink) | ||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
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Re: Memoriam
3/1 remembers four fallen Marines
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division Story Identification #: 20051333225 Story by Lance Cpl. Miguel A. Carrasco Jr.  Marine with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, kneels in front of a memorial staged in Camp Abu Ghurab, Iraq, Dec. 27 to remember four of their fallen, Sgt. Christopher T. Heflin, Sgt. Morgan W. Strader, Lance Cpl. Jeremy A. Ailes and Lance Cpl. Juan E. Segura. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Miguel A. Carrasco Jr. CAMP ABU GHURAB, Iraq (Dec. 29, 2004) -- Just inside the camp’s chow hall “Old Glory” stood along side the Marine Corps colors displayed in front of a camouflage background. The mood was somber and the scene was all to familiar for the Marines of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, here Dec. 27. They gathered to remember four of their fallen, Sgt. Christopher T. Heflin, Sgt. Morgan W. Strader, Lance Cpl. Jeremy A. Ailes and Lance Cpl. Juan E. Segura. “Remember all that was good in each of these men,” said Capt. Timothy J. Jent, 38, commanding officer with Company K, 3/1. “As Marines, we have to take something positive from this loss and continue on with our actions.” Heflin, 26, a native of McCracken, Ky., came to Co. K, as a combat replacement from Camp Lejeune, N.C. He was full of southern pride. Many who knew Heflin spoke of his selfless leadership and his everyday ‘happy go lucky’ spirit. “(Heflin) told me, ‘I’m going to bring every Marine in my squad back home,’ and there isn’t one Marine in his squad that isn’t going to go home safe and healthy,” said 1st Lt. Jesse A. Grapes, 3rd Platoon Commander with Co. K, 3/1, as he knocked on the wooden pulpit. Heflin’s peers can remember the wonderful time they spent with him referring to his mother as “Ma’ Kettle” and his passion for the Marine Corps. “I am forever going to be thankful for (Heflin). I am going to tell my mother he was the reason I am alive today. He is a true patriot who put his country before anything else. He died making sure his Marines were safe,” said Cpl. Ricardo C. Orozco, a native of Los Angeles and a team leader with Co. K, 3/1. Heflin’s personal decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a gold star in lieu of second award. He is survived by his father, Daniel K. Heflin, and mother, Meleasa K. Ellis. Strader, 23, a native of McReary, Tenn., was able to rejoin 3/1 just before their deployment to Iraq. He had been assigned to another unit but once he heard word of 3/1’s deployment, he insisted he should go. His selflessness and dedication to his duty did not go unrecognized by the Marines around him. “(Strader) didn’t have to be out there, but he wanted to be with his Marines,” said 2nd Lt. John L. Jacobs, 31, a native of Santa Cruz, Calif., and a platoon Commander with Co. K., 3/1. “A warrior fights not for himself but for his brothers. Strader was a warrior that died fighting with his brothers, as a hero.” For many of the Marines around Strader, they knew he was a great addition, who brought with him an unmatched ability to lead and a genuine devotion to his Marines. During his deployment Strader was faced with a medical problem and a tough choice to make. “He had the opportunity to go home but he stood with his Marines, he chose to stay and fight along side us in Fallujah,” said Sgt. Jonathan C. Scarfe, 25, a native of Suter, Calif and a squad leader with Co. K, 3/1. Strader’s personal decoration includes the Combat Action Ribbon. His is survived by his father, Gary W. Strader, and mother, Linda L. Morgan. Ailes, 22, a native of Gilroy, Calif., joined 3/1 on Jan. 3, 2003. This was his second time serving in Iraq. He was known for his charming character and the smile he carried on him everywhere he went. “I was able to share with his mother that Ailes was one of the best Marines in the platoon and he proudly led his Marines from the front,” said 2nd Lt. Adam P. Mathes, a platoon Commander with Co. K, 3/1. “You always expected something good to come out of Ailes. He was a great Marine and always found a way to put a smile on your face,” said Cpl. James A. Flattery, 22, a native of Marion, Iowa., and a rifleman with Co. K, 3/1. Ailes’ personal decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon. He is survived by his stepfather, Joel M. Ailes and mother, Lana Ailes. Segura, 26, a native of Homestead, Fla., joined the company June 20, 2001. He was known for hitting the punching bag in the gym and constantly talked about his passion for the sport of boxing. “(Segura) said when he got out of the Marine Corps he would go into boxing and was going to have a title match in five years, his determination made you believe it was possible,” said Grapes Despite his callused knuckles, he had a soft heart for the Marines around him. “He may not have been a poster boy Marine but the best word to describe him was, heart,” said Grapes. “What makes a Marine great is having the heart to put your brothers above yourself.” Segura’s personal decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon. He is survived by his father, Jesus Torres Jr., and mother, Maria A. Torres. Many Marines stood in front of the four rifles, topped with a helmet and draped with dog tags. A pair of boots formed the base as each person attending the ceremony paid their last respects to the four fallen Marines. The stories of these heroes will live on in the Marines who stood beside them. 3/1 will not forget the names of the men who were proud to fight in the Marine Corps uniform. “The words of former President Ronald Reagan sums it up best, ‘many people live their lives wondering if they made a difference, Marines don’t have that problem,’” said Mathes, 23, a native of Cobb, Ga. |
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01-03-2005, 03:04 PM
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#40 (permalink) | ||
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Marine Corps Moderator Semper Fi!
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Re: Memoriam
Fallen assaultman mourned
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division Story Identification #: 20051253033 Story by Cpl. Jan M. Bender  A Marine with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, pays his last respects to Lance Cpl. Joshua W. Dickinson as the memorial service comes to an end. A memorial was held at Camp Abu Ghurab for him recently. Photo by: Cpl. Jan M. Bender CAMP ABU GHURAB, Iraq (Dec. 29, 2004) -- The Marines of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, gathered here recently to pay their respects to one of their fallen, who made the ultimate sacrifice while in the service of his country. That man was Lance Cpl. Joshua W. Dickinson. Capt. Robert H. Belknap, the company commander for Weapons Company, began the ceremony with a few words to honor Dickinson, a 25-year-old native of Chattanooga, Tenn., who was assigned to Weapons Company. “Douglas McArthur once stated, ‘a true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He doesn’t set out to be a leader but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent,’” said Belknap. “Dickson displayed all of these and whether he knew it or not he had began to establish himself as a leader; one that Marines wanted to follow.” A close friend and rack mate of Dickinson, who claims they didn’t get along at first because of their clash of egos, stood to tell what he will miss most about him. “He always walked tall, walked proud with his chest out. He wasn’t scared of anybody or anything,” said Lance Cpl. Thomas Bejaran, an assaultman with the combined anti armor platoon, Weapons Co., 3/1. Although Dickinson was a very proud person, he didn’t believe he was above any line of work. “He never complained about anything. He was always the first to volunteer, even for the jobs nobody wanted,” said Bejaran. “Staff sergeant, would always have to pick someone else, because his hand would always be the first one up. He loved this. It was so obvious he was proud to be a Marine.” Bejaran paused for a moment to collect himself and then went on, “He was an awesome Marine and an even better friend,” 2nd Lt Timothy R. Sparks, platoon commander, combined anti armor platoon, Weapons Co., 3/1, used an analogy from the book “On Killing”(written by Marine Lt. Col. Dave Grossman) to describe the type of man Dickinson was. “‘The sheep (referring to most people) pretend that the wolf will never come, but the sheep dog lives for that day,’” said Sparks. “This is the only reason Lance Cpl. Dickinson was here. He was a sheep dog, a warrior, a hero. That’s what attracted other Marines to him and made him a leader.” Sparks, shared a story of not only how tough Dickinson was, but of how strong the bond was that he shared with the Marines around him. “On his first Marine Corps birthday, his only gift was a Purple Heart,” said Sparks. “When a piece of shrapnel went completely through his tricep, we had to force him to leave the battle, and in three days he found his way back to us, operating at 100 percent. “Lance Cpl. Dickinson was here to make a difference. And everyday he put on his uniform, he made one.” As the ceremony went on, Belknap attempted to put the mourning crowd’s minds at ease. “Lance Cpl. Dickson was as fearless as any Marine that I’ve served with. It is his spirit that would tell us, not to slow down or drop our guard but complete the mission we came here to do,” said Belknap. “In my mind, he now joins the only other company worthy of his service and falls in alongside his brothers.” The entire room rose to the position of attention and Taps was sounded. Each Marine then made their way to the front of the room where a rifle topped with a helmet and draped with dog tags stood with pair of boots at it’s base in memory of Dickinson. One by one the Marines said their goodbyes. No matter if they bowed their head in prayer or just clutched his dog tags for a few short seconds, the message was the same. It hurt. Dickinson is survived by his father Benjamin Dickinson. |
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