gUnZ uP: OIF 2 Letter: March 25, 2004

Marine Who 'Wouldn't Quit Fighting' Is Honored

July 22, 2005 Aaron Austin died in Fallouja repelling an attack. His Silver Star will go to his parents. By Tony Perry, Times Staff Writer On the last night of his life, Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin joined a prayer session with other Marines hunkered down in a bullet-riddled neighborhood in Fallouja, Iraq. Austin, a 21-year-old machine-gunner, asked God for protection not for himself but for his fellow Marines of Echo Company of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton. The next morning, insurgents attacked from three directions, firing thousands of rounds from AK-47s and other firearms and hurling dozens of grenades. With the Marines in danger of being overrun, Austin exposed himself to enemy fire in order to throw a grenade at their position 20 meters away. The grenade helped repel the attack, but Austin was mortally wounded. For those who knew Austin, his action was no surprise. Today, in a simple ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial in Amarillo, Austin's parents will receive the Silver Star, awarded posthumously to their son. Sgt. Maj. William Skiles, who was with Austin that brutal morning in Fallouja, will present the award — the nation's third-highest medal for bravery in combat. "All the Marines stepped up, and Aaron led the way," Skiles said. Austin's mother, De'on Miller, said she understood her son's actions during the firefight on April 26, 2004. Loyalty, she said, was at the core of her son's personality. "He loved the people he was with," Miller said from her home in Lovington, N.M. "That was Aaron: When he was loyal, he put his entire heart into it. He wouldn't quit fighting." Austin's Silver Star is the third for a Marine from the "Two-One," one of the units that led last year's assault on the insurgent stronghold. Lt. Ben Wagner remembered the prayer session the night before Austin was killed. "Aaron was praying for the safety of the other Marines," he said. "That was his personality, concerned with others, not himself." The Marines were searching buildings in the war-torn Jolan neighborhood when they came under attack in one of the bloodiest clashes between the U.S. military and insurgents that spring. Austin helped evacuate the wounded and led other Marines onto a roof to operate a machine gun. When the insurgents kept advancing, he took a grenade from his vest and moved into the open for a better throwing position. "Several enemy bullets struck Lance Cpl. Austin in the chest," said the official Marine Corps account. "Undaunted by his injury and with heroic effort, he threw his hand grenade at the enemy on the adjacent rooftop." The grenade hit the bull's-eye and forced the insurgents to halt their attack. When the battle was over, Marines erected a makeshift memorial to Austin in one of the buildings they had fought to defend. Austin joined the Marines after graduating from high school, which had been marked by his love of parties and football (although he quit the team in solidarity when his cousin had a run-in with the coach). His parents supported the decision, deciding the Marines would give him discipline and direction. When he would call home from Iraq — where he was also part of the 2003 assault that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime — Austin avoided talking about combat and the chances of death. But his voice had a tone of foreboding, his parents said. "All I ever wanted was for Aaron to come back. That's all I wanted," said his father, Doug, who owns a small grocery store. Aaron Austin was buried near his father's Amarillo home. Among fellow Marines, Austin was known for his laugh and his confidence."There's no place I'd rather be than here with my Marines," Austin told the Los Angeles Times two days before the firefight. "I'll always remember this time." Lt. Gen. James Mattis, who commanded the 1st Marine Division during the spring 2004 offensive, said this week that Austin "represented the very best of us.""They don't write the foreign policy," Mattis said of Austin and other Marines, "but they faithfully serve our country, even at their peril." Copyright latimes.com

Cruz

Friday 25, June [2004] By LCpl Jose Cruz, USMC One day shy of two months ago exactly marks the worst day of my life. The window in my heart that was left open that day now lets in an icy gust of the entire length of my body. The fireball in the sky that puts out that energy draining heat has now disappeared below the horizon. Now a half moon looks down at me in my tactical pause. Its silvery light filtering through the wavy and inconsistent nylon pattern of the cammie netting that stands above us, held up by poles with plastic tentacles at the ends. These poles must look like giants with outstretched arms holding up the sky to the mosquitoes that come out at night only to harass and annoy me as I stand, or try to, a watchful and vigilant watch. Most of the time I spend fighting the little pestering insects though. It seems as if the bug repellent I spray on myself only attracts them even more, announcing a feast under the cammie netting. Like it screams “buffet tent;” with arrows that flash pointing towards my direction. But during the day it provides a nice refreshing shade, keeping the fireball’s heat to a bearable degree. Everything outside of the cammie netting is an outline of buildings casting their shadows as the moon’s light floods down on the land. A running generator and the distant barking and howling of flea infested homeless dogs are the only sounds of the night along with the occasional menacing roar of fighter jet engines piercing the sky as they pass by. There is a rumor that is lingering in the air like the rotting stench of trash and corpses in this country. There is talk about launching a full combat offensive again. Normally I would be pumped about this but something is not quite the same. I feel alone, like I’m missing something. Something that managed to escape through that open window in my heart. Something that used to give me energy, and pump me up before the attacks, raids and ambushes that we had done before. Something that used to tell me that everything would be okay, confidence booming in its voice, like the bass you can hear coming down from a teenager’s car two blocks down the road. And I know what I am missing…. I am missing my teacher. I am missing my roommate. I am missing my friend. I am missing my brother. I am missing my comrade. I am missing my dip and cigarette provider. I am missing my role model and hero. I am missing Aaron. And it is hard to think that he is no longer here. That I will no longer hear his echoing voice. His ability to convince me to do things for him. To have a beer with him (or Gentleman’s Jack), or party in Texas and California like we had planned to do. And I ask myself why him but I know that only God himself knows why, and I dare not question my Lord and Aaron’s savior. All I know is that we will meet again in the gates of heaven. I don’t know when, only time will tell. A slight breeze rolls through, making the cammie netting shiver as if it knew what I was thinking, allowing some of the stars to peek through. And I know that one of those stars is Aaron, lighting my path and watching over us. But right now, I feel like the moon. I feel that the other half is missing….

2nd Battalion, 1st Marines Lineage

1922-1924 Activated 1 August 1922 at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment and assigned to the 2nd Brigade. Participated in the occupation of the Dominican Republic, Deactivated 20 July 1924 *** 1941-1947 Reactivated 1 March 1941 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and assigned to the 1st Marine Division, fleet Marine Force Deployed during April 1941 to Parris Island, SC Deactivated 14 June 1941 Reactivated 11 February 1942 at New River, NC, and assigned to the 1st Marines Division, Fleet Marine Force Deployed during July 1942 to Wellington, New Zealand Participated in the following World War II campaigns Guadalcanal Finschhafen New Britain Peleliu Okinawa Redeployed during September 1945 to Tiensin, China Participated in the occupation of North China, September 1945-October 1947 1950-1964 Reactivated 4 August 1950 at Camp Lejuene, North Carolina, and assigned to the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force Deployed during August 1950 to Kobe, Japan Participated in the Korean War, September 1950-July 1953, Operating from Inchon-Seoul Chosin Reservoir East Central Western Front Participated in the defense of the Korean demilitarized zone July 1953- April 1955 Relocated during April 1955 to Camp Pendleton, CA Participated in the Battalion transplacement system between the 1st Marine Division and the 3rd Marine Division during *** June 1959-July 1960 Participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis, October-December 1962 *** 1965-1974 Deployed during November 1965 to the Republic of Vietnam, and assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force Participated in the War in Vietnam, November 1965-May 1971, Operating from Hue/Phu Bai Da Nang Quang Tri Thua Thien Quang Nam Detached during April 1971 from the 1st Marine Division, and reassigned to the 3rd Marine Amphibious Brigade, Fleet Marine Force Relocated during June 1971 to Camp Pendleton, CA, and reassigned to the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force *** 1975-1997 Participated during April - May 1975 in Operation New Arrival, the relocation of refugees from Indochina Participated in numerous training exercises during the 1970's and 1980's Participated in the Battalion rotation between the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa and Divisions stationed in the United States during the 1980's Deactivated 24 January 1989 Reactivated 9 September 1994 at Camp Pendleton, CA, and assigned to the 1st Marine Division *** 2003-2006 Participated from January to June 2003 in Operation Enduring Freedom I with the 15th MEU. Participated from February to October 2004 in Operation Iraqi Freedom II wi 1st Marine Division. Participated from October 2005 to December 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom 04-06 with 2nd Marine Division and the 13th MEU.

From Da Gunny, aka 1stSgt, aka SgtMaj.Ploskonka

"To everyone especially Aaron,This is the first time I have been on this site. I am very glad to have found it after a long reading session and alot of tears. Don't dare tell anyone! I will deny it. Just kidding. I have shed many tears for you Aaron. So now I get to babble as usual. I was remembering a young PFC Austin back in 2002 checking into Echo Company. As I recall a loud mouth and no bearing.....just the observation of an old Gunny. I soon learned that behind that was a Marine with an infectious spirit and appetite for honor, courage and committment. Oh, and the infectious smile made me lose my bearing a couple times to! Of course you still "owe me for that to Austin". Aaron will know what that means. I also recall many of my walks up and down the catwalks of the barracks that Sgt Rettenberger spoke of on the second floor after liberty call to check on the Marines. Of course Austin and Koci would be drinking there "Power Shakes" before heading to the gym to get there lift on. The motivation and enthusiasm that exuded from that one room (this will blow your mind....I remember it well as room 211) inspired even myself to give more. Thanks very much to both of you!!! SNCO's do not hang out with junior Marines and we probably do not let them know enough how great they truly are but, Echo Company has ranked very high in my best company I was in stories. That is because of Marines like Aaron. So on those walks I would stop and chat and learn more from them than they would learn from me. Even though it is supposed to be the other way around. I also remember during many gun drills and field evolutions that Aaron never slacked off. It did not matter the temperature, day of week, number of times or the attitude of the Marines around him he always smiled and gave an oorah and went about doing it the Marine way. At this point I will mention I miss you very much Aaron. So during OIF I knew that we were in good hands. I remember trooping the line during a rain storm (mom close your ears) passing out cigarettes to the young Marines that ran out of them due to lack of inbound mail. Aaron smiled and said something about doing some pushups for more smokes. Let me say he did many pushups. Many of them. Then as I walked away he yelled out "got cake". This was in reference to cake that I also passed out during my trooping the line. This soon became the communication between myself and him. It went on so much that it became a mutual challenge and password between us. I then remember getting a wound in our defensive position up north and when I returned to the Company from medical Austin had the gun position to our north and looked back at the Company CP saw me and yelled "Oorah Gunny" "got cake". What a big mouth. We were in the defense at sunset. I told him to shut up and put his helmet on. He replied with that smile, turned around and put his helmet on. As this deployment came to a close I was transfered due to a promotion to another unit. I would stop by every now and then to check on these hoodlems that I left behind and could never miss Aarons smile from across the parade deck at Horno and his yelling out "got cake". Did I mention that I miss you Aaron. So then it was time to go to OIF II. My unit left just before 2/1 but, I did get the chance to see Echo in Kuwait do to my units convoy being delayed for a day. I remember being outside the tents of the camp and walking up to the Company that was outside. All the smiles and handshakes reminded me of awesome times with incredible Marines and even better human beings! I started feeling the butterflies in the stomach as I chatted with them and vividly remember wishing that I was going with them. Not because my current unit was bad but because I knew these guys longer and better. I knew what they were capable of achieving. I am very very happy that I had the chance to see them before heading north. The Company had to go to a class in the tent and I had to get back to my unit in the convoy staging area. So why am I going on and on about this? Well as I walked away while the company went into the tent I looked at the ground with a very heavy heart listening to the crunch of sand and pebbles under my feet. Then I heard Austin yell "First Sergeant" I turned around and saw his smile from ear to ear and he yelled "got cake". I said I wish I did and told him to be safe. Of course the rest is in all the messages below. I have been back to Camp Pendleton a few times and one of the last times I got to see Harrell at Camp Margerita where I took a photo of the building dedicated to Aaron. I have that photo on the wall beside my desk to remind me of an incredible man and Marine. I am very glad to have known Aaron and all of the Marines of Echo Company. I think of you all often and especially Aaron. Mom.....you raised a wonderful human being and should be very proud of the man that he became. I am a better person for having known him! Best of luck to all andSEMPER FI"Cheese and Rice""DA FIRST SERGEANT""1stSgt John P. Ploskonka, AKA "DA GUNNY" of Bravo Co. Mar Bks Wash DC

Over France

The last time I saw Aunt Janice (pronounced Janeese) was in 1955 at a Grigsby Family Reunion at MaMa and PaPa’s house in Amherst, Texas. I was six months old. Imagine my great-aunt’s surprise when she gets a phone call from this same babe who is now fifty-one, a niece from long ago in a ruffled sundress, the new addition to a family already well rehearsed in the art of child conception.“Aunt Janice, this is Harvey Junior’s oldest daughter, De’on. He gave me your number so I could ask you some questions about Uncle Norman.”“This is who now …? Just a minute,” she says, as she must’ve fiddled with some background noise.“Harvey’s daughter, De’on,” I repeated the words and added a familiar tone to the volume of my voice. My dad sat within hearing distance, but still leaned forward in his chair as if to hear well the conversation from one end.“Oh, honey, how are you?” She had heard about my loss of Aaron from a niece of hers. And right away a kinship was born across the phone lines strung from New Mexico to Louisiana. It was blood. It was loss. Its understanding penetrated deeper than our familial roots. Sacrifice understood.And weaved among the fabric of mere fact.Norman Morgan volunteered for the Army Air Corps in 1944. When his young wife asked him why he would volunteer, why he’d give up the job he had with Douglas Aircraft (now, Boeing-McDonnell Douglas), he responded with,” We’re at war. I have a wife and a son to protect.” He gave up his job in a plant in Tulsa with the company who manufactured B-17’s, the Flying Fortresses.Sergeant Norman Morgan was a ball turret gunner on a B-17. He wrote a letter to his wife on March 3, 1945. “I think we’re flying our first mission tomorrow,” he wrote.The next day, March 4, 1945, after the hostilities had already died in the European theater, two B-17’s departed England and collided mid-air, five miles over a fog-enveloped France. There was only one survivor, and he was not the husband of twenty-one year old Janice, not the father of K. Eugene Morgan.Honey, he was killed in the same plane he’d helped to build, my aunt had said to me.Janice Grigsby Morgan received the news of her husband’s death by telegram on March 19, 1945. Cells of what remained, perhaps not much more than a vapor now lie in rest in Normandy, France.When I asked the eighty-two year old woman, now blind, but still far from handicapped, “How long did it hurt?”Following a cough, a chuckle, some perpetual catch in a survivor’s expression, it was the voice of a young woman which spoke back to me, “Well, this is 2006, so, sixty-one years. It’s the same today as 1945. Honey, it never goes away.”

Michael Reagan: by Semper Fi Mom

Michael Reagan, Artist When De’on assigned the essay portion of her test, I knew which artist I would write about. Michael Reagan’s Fallen Heroes Project caught my attention the first time I read about it on Gunz Up. When a loved one is lost, pictures of that loved one and the memories that go along with them, are a wonderful remembrance portrait done of my second son when he was in preschool. It is a profile view drawn as he watched Barney on TV. Not that he would admit today that he ever watched Barney! I never tire of looking at it. I see the sweet curve of his little four year old cheek and the tilt of his perfect nose. I see his wispy blond hair brushing the back of his neck right in that spot where he was so ticklish. That pastel portrait, even more than most of the photos I have of him at that age, is very dear to me. It is one of the first things I would grab if my house were on fire. Somehow it captures that time in his (and my) life. Maybe. A lovingly hand drawn portrait would be even more cherished. I have, hanging in my bedroom, a pastel it is the attention and care that goes into the drawing of a portrait that makes it so appealing and timeless. It is something to be treasured and passed down from generation to generation, not just zoomed past in a busy photo album. I can only imagine how important a portrait done by Mr. Reagan would be to a family who had lost their loved one to war. I truly admire Mr. Reagan, a Vietnam veteran, for using his God given abilities to celebrate the lives of those who have been lost in the War on Terror by hand drawing custom portraits free of charge. His portraits must be a source of emotional nourishment and healing to the families left behind. As God’s children, we are not on this earth to merely make a living or amuse ourselves. We must find the work that God wants to do through us. Mr. Reagan has found that work. May God bless him as he follows his calling.

Peter Hurd: by aunt karen

Peter Hurd and the Legend of San Ysidro When Gunz up posted the portraits of Airmen painted by Peter Hurd, Life Magazine's war correspondent during World War II, I was particularly drawn back, time and again, to these wonderful paintings. I love how true to life they are and the attention paid to every detail of each man and his job is now a recorded part of our history that would be lost to us if not for these works. When the Teach requested an essay on either this artist or Michael Reagan, I immediately picked Peter Hurd because of this history. Life Magazine was one of the first publications that wanted to present the "mysteries and spectacle of war" and Peter Hurd was one of seven chosen combat artists sent to war theatres to create sketches and paintings of what they saw first hand. As I researched further, I learned that not only did he serve our country in this way during World War II with his artistic talent, his whole life was dedicated to his art and he was also renowned for his murals and paintings depicting the history of Southwestern life here in America. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was born in Roswell, New Mexico in 1904. He was raised in the life of ranching and farming and he found beauty in the New Mexico landscape. He loved the Military and attended West Point, but he also had a love of his art, painting. He left West Point after a couple of years in 1923 to go to Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, where he met and became a student of N.C. Wyeth, a renowned illustrator that he deeply admired and respected. For ten years he lived and painted under the strict guidance of Wyeth, and in 1929, he married Wyeth's oldest daughter, Henriette, who is also an accomplished artist. After marrying, he longed for home in his beloved New Mexico, so he moved his new wife to Sentinal Ranch in San Patricio, New Mexico, where they lived and shared a studio and their love of painting. In 1959, Hurd was appointed to the Presidents Commission of Fine Arts by President Dwight D Eisenhower and in 1966 he painted the official portrait of President Lyndon B Johnson, which was rejected by Johnson, and now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. As I looked on the internet at his works, that to this day are displayed in galleries and museums throughout the country, I was pulled into the beautiful murals and paintings of farming and ranch life, the wonderful landscapes of the sometimes desolate beauty of his surroundings. Paintings with names like Artesian Windmill, Hondo Valley, Sunday Afternoon in New Mexico and Rio Hondo. I was especially touched by one of his paintings called “The Legend of San Ysidro". The painting is a tranquil scene of a valley, nestled beneath mountains, depicting a day in the life of San Ysidro. It is one of the most beautiful and peaceful paintings I have ever seen. Peter Hurd generously donated this painting to the St. Jude Catholic Mission in San Patricio, New Mexico in 1967 and the following is the text from the document, handwritten by Peter Hurd that accompanied the gift of the painting. I think it describes this beautiful painting perfectly, and you can feel his art, his love of capturing the moment and his love of the panoramic views surrounding him through his own words : “The Legend of San Ysidro" Many years ago in far away Spain, which is a country that looks very much like New Mexico, there lived a man named Ysidro. A good man, being both devout and hard working he was destined to become a saint. Although Ysidro's last name is lost in the dust of centuries, it is known that he was a faithful and trusted laborer for a rich farmer named Juan Vargas. But as sometimes happens among people, a spirit of envy and resentment toward Ysidro arose among the other workers on the farm. At first Don Juan paid no attention to this but as the gossip continued and other workers reported that Ysidro really didn't work nearly as hard or faithfully as some people believed, Don Juan decided to see for himself. So early one morning while dew glistened on the grass and before the sun had peeped from behind the foothills of the Sierra Guadarrama, Don Juan walked toward a field, which Ysidro had been told to plow. After pushing through a willow thicket that flanked a beautiful mountain stream, very much like our own Rio Ruidoso, he came suddenly to the field and there before him was Ysidro, but instead of plowing the earth as he has been told to do he was kneeling, his head bowed and hands clasped. His Patron was on the very verge of telling him angrily that he should be working and not loafing while the field went unplowed. But the scolding was never delivered for suddenly a most awesome and beautiful sight drew the attention of Don Juan Vargas. For there behind the kneeling figure of Ysidro who remained lost in a devotional dream, there gliding slowly across the field was a yolk of milk-white oxen. Holding the plow which the oxen were pulling was a winged angel wearing a golden surcoat . And so Ysidro's name has come down through the years ever since the 12th century when he lived. Throughout the Spanish speaking countries he is known as San Ysidro, El Labrador, the patron saint of farmers and ranchers and workers everywhere . This painting is a gift to the new church of San Patricio and to my neighbors up and down the valley. I hope that they will share with me my delight in the subject. As they will see, I have not painted the dress and implements of the 12th century in Spain; rather I have attempted to stress the universal and timeless beauty of the Legend of San Ysidro, making him someone who might have lived in our own valley and in Recent Times. Peter Hurd San Patricio September 1967 by aunt karen

Not Above The Call of Duty; Ever They Give.

Hello, Every once in a while you are blessed with the ability to make a difference and do something extraordinary. Today the TMC at Camp Phoenix had the opportunity to make a difference in a young boys life. Funding from Operation Outreach, your donations of clothing and the staff at TMC Phoenix made todays heart-wrenching event a rewarding memory. Homad is a 2 y.o. boy who somehow got up into a burn barrel and couldn't get out. He was treated by the local hospital and monitored for two weeks. They couldn't do anymore for him and therefore he was released. The father was concerned that he wasn't getting the care he needed and showed up at our front gate. Our medics took one look at him and immediately brought him to the TMC. Homad was given some pain medicine and his burns were treated and wrapped. We all put our heads together and worked out a way to get him to the Cure Hospital in Kabul for their Burn Treatment Center. Homad was given some socks for when he is better and a sweatshirt to keep him warm. We were able to arrange for a taxi to take him to the Cure Hospital after his ambulance ride to the front gate. These pictures will break your heart as they did everyone involved, they are graphic but do tell a story that is improving thanks to you. Your donations, support of the troops, and all of the clothing have once again worked miracles. On behalf of the Camp Phoenix TMC and TF Phoenix, Thank you, Maj. Bea

THEY SUSTAIN: for Billy Knipper, Sgt Rett, Doc Duty and LT Rich

by Karen Grigsby
Test 2 Part C- The essay
THEY SUSTAIN
for Billy Knipper, Sgt Rett, Doc Duty and LT Rich, sustain: sus-, under + tenere, to hold. 1. to keep in existence; keep up; maintain or prolong 2. to provide for the support of; spec. to provide sustenance or nourishment for 3. to support from or as from below; carry the weight or burden of 4. to strengthen the spirits, courage, etc. of; comfort, buoy up; encourage 5. to bear up against; endure; withstand 6. to undergo or suffer (an injury, loss, etc.) 7. to uphold the validity or justice of 8. to confirm; corroborate.

Webster’s World Dictionary; Third College Edition

We, as Americans, know that our Military Forces are the most powerful in the world. In our minds, when we think of War, most of us picture our Warriors, our Infantry, our Marines and Army Soldiers fighting on the ground. We think of our Air Force, powerful aircraft, bombing, fighting in the air. We think of our Navy Battle ships and submarines fighting in the seas. We have expertly trained our Forces for War, establishing the best Armed Forces in the world, but once you have established this mighty Force, how do you sustain it, keep it in existence, make sure that we remain the best? That's where Billy Knipper, Sgt Rett, Doc Duty and LT Rich come in.

Billy Knipper, you are our beloved Marine Gunner. Aaron and others wouldn't be the mighty Marines that they are without you. Victory depends on training, and you carry that weight, you strengthen the spirits and courage of our Warriors. You teach what to fall back on in the heat of it all to make our Gunners the best. Your strength and passion make you a powerful instructor. You sustain.

Sgt Rett, you are our beloved Marine Brother. You have proudly served our country, faced dire combat with our Aaron. You didn't hesitate to lend your aide and support to your Marine Brothers in trouble. You put your own life in danger to carry Aaron and you have continued to carry us, Aaron's family, through our grief, sustaining us. You continue your service to our Country as a Recruiter, giving the opportunity to those with the hearts of Warriors, like yours, the chance, like you, to sustain our Military.

Doc Duty, you are our beloved Corpsman. Our Military couldn't exist without men and women like you. You do your job in the worst of circumstances, put yourself in the worst of situations, not thinking of your own life, to get to and help our wounded, our fallen. Our family was blessed that you were a Corpsman with Aaron's unit. You gave your all for him and he was with someone he knew, that he knew had his back, and that is a comfort, a great sustenance to him, us and our Troops.

LT Rich, you are our beloved Seabee. Our Military simply wouldn't survive without the Seabees. You and all of our Construction Battalions are sustenance to the Marines, Army and Iraqi Soldiers and the other Seabees that you serve with. Your repaired a bridge between two cities, in a region where sustaining the Iraqi's ability to vote depended on a way across that River. You built a city from nothing but dust for our Troops at the dangerous Syrian border, with everything in it to safely sustain. (including a "bad-ass helo pad" your quote) You guided, protected and provided morale for your Troops in daunting conditions. You sustain.

I have loved learning through this wonderful blog, Gunz Up, more about all of the different divisions that make up our Military, and have been honored to get to hear the personal experiences from each of you brave men. Thank you for sharing so much of yourselves, you'll probably never know what you've meant to so many that you sustain. Most of all, thank you for your service that protects our great Military and sustains our Freedom.

aunt karen

He was born as the second of four children to my MaMa and PaPa Curry (the names I called my great-grandparents on my mother’s side) on March 7, 1919 in Claypool, Oklahoma as Lonnie Dean McCurry (and the only one of the four not born in Texas). While in high school, Lonnie was nicknamed “Primo” after an Italian Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Primo Carnera. Lubbock High counted my uncle as a valuable athlete and boxer. Primo (a name that has stuck with him throughout his life) enlisted as a PFC in the United States Marine Corps through the Reserve Officers Corps while in his senior year at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. He was called to active duty after graduation in May 1941. McCurry began his training in Quantico, Virginia and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in September 1941. His training was cut short due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and after two months training at “Arty” school, 2LT McCurry transferred to the West Coast to join 2nd Marine Division before it was split to form 3rd Marine Division. The LT, who was now a part of 3rd Marine Division, was then sent to New Zealand for further training before his first combat action in Bougainville. The 2nd Marine Division had been sent to Guadalcanal. 2LT McCurry served as Battery Commander for a 105MM Howitzer battery with Mike Battery, 4th Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division in Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima. He received the Purple Heart in Guam for his injuries sustained on 21 July 1944 after receiving mine fragments to his left arm. Other decorations include the Navy Unit Commendation with 1 star, the American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Victory Medal WWII, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Service Medal with 2 stars, and the United Defense Service Medal. McCurry retired as a Lieutenant Colonel on 30 June 1961. He was selected for Texas Tech’s Football Hall of Honor in 2000. His selection for this honor is noted: Lonnie "Primo" McCurry (2000) Hometown: Lubbock Football - 1938-40 *Little All-American in 1940 as guard *Helped 1938 team to 10-1 mark and Cotton Bowl appearance *Captained Pete Cawthon's final team to 9-1-1 record *Drafted by Brooklyn, but entered military service instead *Awarded Purple Heart for service during invasion of Guam during World War II +++ I think I've mentioned before that Aaron and Uncle Lonnie met only one time in their lives, at Aaron's Homecoming Party given in celebration of my son's return from OIF 1, which was held in Lubbock, Texas on August 2, 2003. It will always amaze me the tight bond that was experienced by all of us with three Marines from three different generations in our large family's midst, and I will never be able to keep myself from grinning when I think of Uncle Lonnie's words to Aaron as Aaron struggled for an answer to give the reporter from ABC News when she asked my son, the leader of a 240 M Machine gun team,"And what was your job while you were in Iraq?" As Aaron looked around for magical politically correct words with which to answer the reporter, our very distinguished Uncle Lonnie offered out, "You killed people. Isn't that what you did?" Even the reporter had to grin. And of course, the video was well edited before the ten o'clock news that night!

MARINE MOMS ONLINE

WHY DOES MY SON WANT TO BE A MARINE? The reasons why some young Americans have chosen to become United States Marines As told by their mothers, fathers, wives, and other loved ones INTRODUCTION Before our son was to leave for Marine Corps boot camp, I needed to learn why, Why, WHY was he choosing this at this most dangerous time, and of all the branches, why the Marine Corps? He cited a few reasons as “I need more discipline; my life needs to be put into perspective, I will be doing a lot of things I’ve always wanted to do,” none of which I was willing to accept as trade for the risks that I knew lie before him. Discussions were held with our son for three years about his desire to join, but high school graduation arrived and so did his date for Marine Corps boot camp. We lost the battle. On August 21, 2006, off he went. Feeling lost and defeated, I turned to my ever-reliable confidants, the moms and friends of the support group, Marine Moms Online. Did I ever expect to get such an outpour of responses? Without a doubt, I knew they would come through for me. You see, I am speaking of son #2 who is following in his former Marine brother’s footsteps, so I was well aware and ready to reacquaint myself with the power of this group and the people who comprise it. I would like to share a summary of stories and the reasons their sons and daughters shared with me, when I asked the group “Why?” I compiled their replies as a keepsake for myself, but the words are so inspirational that they must be shared. As I read the close to 100 replies, I found myself sitting taller and taller in my computer chair, so tall I might as well have stood -- to salute each and every one of their Marines, and these parents as well, for raising children of such caliber. Ours are an elite breed of kids. They are young men and women who do not stand behind their flag, they stand in front of it, risking their lives, putting their parents’ emotions in peril along side of them, as they fight for what they believe in and are steadfast to protect the freedoms of not only their nation, but that of people in far away lands. The following are excerpts, slightly modified, to fit into the context of this reporting. Names are removed, but the meanings run deep and clearly depict why a young American chooses to become A United States Marine. In reply to my posting stated as such: Can anyone tell me why my son wants to be a Marine? I know about Honor, Courage, and Commitment. I know what the Recruiter promised. My son had other options, but said that first, He Must Become A Marine. He didn't share a lot about the whys, just that he had to do it, and is now in his 2nd week of boot camp. I would love to know why some kids chose to serve, and others wouldn't do it if their life depended on it. Can anyone share why they feel their son/daughter chose to become a United States Marine? Is it a "calling?” When does the pride overshadow the fears I have? Dear Laurie… …I ask myself this very same question almost on a daily basis. The only answer that I can come up with is that we raised some pretty special young people! I look around at some of the kids today and find myself thinking, "They don't have a clue as to what life is all about." …Wow, you stirred up some memories! My son decided to become a Marine for the discipline he needed in his life. There is also the saying that the Marines "are the best" and being one is such an honor that once you achieve that, you can achieve anything. This is right out of the mouth of my Marine son. What they didn't figure when making this choice was that we moms didn't enlist, we were drafted. I believe truly in my heart that to be a mom of any service member deserves a medal in itself. Be proud of the man you brought up because it takes a special breed to recognize this in themselves. You did an outstanding job as a mom. Don't ever forget that much. Welcome to the roller coaster. Hang on for the good times, scary times, worries, distance. …My son joined the Marines a few years out of high school. It coincided with his fiancé transferring to a four-year college. He had a great job, made very good money and the whole thing took us by surprise. He came home 3 days before Christmas and told us he was joining the Marines! He also was very patriotic in high school, drove around with a big old American flag on his truck on Cinco de Mayo, he would get very upset when other groups of kids would threaten to burn the American flag at school and the school administration would support their right to do so (this is in Calif.). When I asked him why he was joining, he would answer that a part of him always wanted to be a Marine. When I'd ask him, "Why the Marines, why not the Navy, Air Force, Army or Coast Guard, he'd say because the Marines are the best, had the hardest training, was more challenging, etc., and would be part of something Greater... You all know what I mean. He also seemed to feel that it was time to stand up for what he believed in. We've had a few boys from our town join the Marines. It's funny; they are all very similar types of kids. We had a group of parents that were trying to keep recruiters out of the high school. They were implying that the recruiters were wooing young men by giving video games, key chains, and other cool stuff. I never new a kid who would sign off 8 years of his life for a video game! Most of these kids have been thinking about this for a long time. They're NOT stupid! I feel they are so special, and yes, maybe they do have a calling. They LOVE THIS COUNTRY! They know that SOMEONE has to protect US! And for whatever their reasons, they want to be a part of it. …When my son was 14 he decided to be a Marine. When he turned 17 he did the delayed enlistment and we went down to the recruiter and I signed him up. Then the following year when he was leaving for boot camp I thought what the !!!! did I do? We are in a time of war and I just signed his life away. I begged him to stay and we would do whatever I could to get him out and he said, “No, mom. I will finish what I started no matter what.” His leave for boot camp was the first time he had ever been away from me and his family. Needless to say, I was hysterical for days. But the proudest day of my life was standing in those bleachers at the MCRD in San Diego and watching him be announced as a Marine. I will never forget that day. When he gave me a hug and I was crying my eyes out, all I could think was he has grown like two inches taller and he was already 6'1, so he had to be at least 6'3 now. How could that be… it’s only been 3 months. So I said to him, “What’s the deal, did you grow, what have they been feeding you?” And his response to me right then is why I know he became a Marine. He looked down at me and said, “No, mom, I'm not taller, they just taught me to stand up straight and proud.” It still makes me cry thinking of that moment but I knew then “Why?” …I honestly and truly don't know where he got the initiative to become a Marine. I can only say it had to be a calling. I guess that's why they are called "The Few, The Proud." …My son doesn't look forward to going to war but does so willingly because he'd rather keep the fight over there than have them bring it to our shores where it could be his family caught in the middle. He was deeply moved by September 11, although he doesn't feel a vengeance, but he does feel we need to stand up to anyone who would seek to destroy our country or her people. He has read enough and researched enough to believe that if our military isn't successful and our government waivers in its stance to defeat terrorism, then we're in for unimaginable trouble as the terrorists will see it as a victory and they will continue to step up their agenda to rid the world of what they call, infidels -- basically everyone who isn't Muslim. Therefore, he is ready to do his part to stop these radicals -- just as it took many brave young men to stop Hitler and his desire to rid the world of those he labeled undesirable. In addition to all of this, my son wanted to do something to make himself proud and for us to be proud of him (something we've always been). He didn't want to be the status quo like most of the kids he'd gone to school with or even the older crowd he knew who just lived from day to day with no real purpose or direction in their lives . . . he could see how easy it would be to fall into that same trap, so the Marine Corps was a way to set himself apart from the crowd. He is very proud of what he's accomplished and the man he's becoming and he knows the Corps has helped him to be the person he is today -- his eyes have been opened to so much that he probably would've continued to take for granted or just simply overlooked if he'd stayed home. …I'm sure it’s different for everyone. I have 3 sons and 1 daughter. My youngest son is our Marine. I have worked for several years at a high school and have seen many young men and women choose to join various branches of the military. Some join to get the benefits of training and money for education, others to stay out of trouble they were heading into, some because they have family members who've served before them, some for the excitement they think it offers, others because they don't really have a family and the military becomes their home and family, others to straighten out their life, some have just dreamed of it since they were a child, others just have a heart of service and a love of their country, some were deeply affected by the events of 911, and for some, all of the above or a combination of several. ….After considerable soul searching on this issue I think he wants to be a Marine because he had no choice. His conscience said he had to enlist and no other option, and there were some, was viable to him. I think his desire to serve was in born and nothing was going to deter it. Many parents, like me, are surprised to find a warrior in their midst but grow to accept it and the extreme pride that goes with it. …My son knew he wanted to be in the military, but he also wanted to be the best of the best and that's why he chose the Marines. Why else, they train harder, they have to earn it. It's not given to them, and once they are in, the Marines have to do more with less, compared to the other branches. …I had the same question last year when my daughter left for Parris Island. I wanted her to start college in September, but her heart was telling her something else. Whenever I asked "why", she never gave me a straight answer. This was something she wanted to do, and nothing we said to her would change her mind. Unlike many whose children are full-time active Marines (God bless them), Sarah is now in the Reserves and she has just started her second semester of college. When I look at my daughter, I now see a very mature, self-confident young lady. She loves being a student at an excellent University, but she also loves being a Marine. I am so proud of her for standing up for what she believed she needed to do at this time in her life. …The Marines was the only branch of the military that didn't try to buy him. … My son said that he wanted to be a Marine to serve his Country. His recruiter told me that it is a rare thing to hear a recruit give that reason anymore. While I know that the military will take care of him and give him reason to be proud, I also know that it will cause him frustration, misery, and heartache. I also know that he will become a better person because of it. …Why do they do it? The reasons are as varied as the men and women themselves. …My son wanted to be a Marine for several reasons. Some of them were to defend what he feels is a great nation. He also felt that other nations deserved our help when they couldn't do their fighting alone. He chose the Marines because they are the best. He agreed that it was kind of a "calling" if you will. …Our son told us since when he was six years old that he was going to be a Marine. I have no idea where it came from. Through junior high and his first two years in high school he was picked on because he was short and chubby. The kids would laugh when he would talk about becoming a Marine. They were convinced it would never happen. Now he is six foot one and carries himself with such pride and confidence. Who’s laughing now? …Maybe he just wants an experience of direction, discipline. In today’s world, a kid is highly respected for his/her decision to go military when others are loafing around from job to menial job, and growing to be 28 and still in your house…. ...From a marine wife / marine mom: My husband would have told you....your son just wanted to be one of the best! …I asked my son to help me understand the "whys" of joining the Marines (of all the scariest things he could/has done to date). Of course, I was able to pooh-pooh every reason. Some are actually laughable! I read it often as a reminder of his decision although I still struggle to understand. I really doubt I ever will. But, as his mother, I support him. The following are her son’s words written to this mom as to why he wants to be a Marine: 1) I’ll have a ton of pride; 2) It will ready me for a police officer position when I return to civilian life; 3) I’m giving back to God and my country; 4) It IS an honorable thing to do; 5) I’ll be in the best shape of my life; 6) I’m glad we took Saddam out of power and that we are trying to fix the middle east; they (our military) need help; 7) My grandpa’s were in the military; 8) Freedom Isn’t Free; 9) They’ll make me a man; 10) There are no negatives in my eyes 11) Kids and citizens will look up to me; 12) I want a sword and to use large guns and grenades; 13) The Marines have the best looking uniforms; 14) I don’t want to sit around while people my own age are fighting a fight that I can easily help out with; 15) I’ll learn martial arts; 16) I’ll make life long friends; 17) I don’t want to get too old and one day say, “I wish I would have followed my gut.” You have to be tough to be a Marine and I think he was trying to prove it to himself that he could do it. …Some of their reasons are very personal or feelings that they cannot put into words. …My son joined the Marines because it gave him Purpose, Education, and a Direction in his young life that most 18 year olds don't have. College wasn't for him; trade school just seemed like more stuff. I asked him that question, "Why?" He said, "If I don't, who will?" He said, "Americans stand behind the flag, Mom, I want to stand in front of it. I want to keep those fu.... terrorists so busy over there that they won't have time to bomb my home again." My son joined the Marines for me!! I thank God everyday and I surround him in prayer. Doubt the doubt... fear not for God has a plan for your son. …He did it because he said if he was to go into the military, then he wanted to be part of the Best of the Best. He wants a career in Law Enforcement and thought the Marine Corps experience would be helpful to him. …I can tell you why my son decided to join; his grades were not that great, plus he wanted to travel, and, yes, he wants to be the "Best of the Best." I am proud of him and I know God has plans for him. He searched all of the military plans and the Marines is what is best for him. It will teach him discipline and help him to grow up. I hope that answers your question. …My son joined just shy of 3 years after high school graduation. He was a pre-med student, almost enough hours to be classified as a junior, and had a full-time job that paid well for a college student. We have had various family members in the various branches of the military through the years, including a nephew currently in the Army and one of my son's best friends joined the Corps right after high school, was with a FAST unit and served in Iraq. Believe me, it wasn't the stories that prompted him to join, his friend hoped he'd never have to do the things he did or see the things that he saw, a lot of stuff was very hard for him to talk about, even to his best friends. …My son was already 21 so didn't consult us on this topic until he had pretty much already made up his mind to quit school and join. I told him it was his decision to make but I wanted him to pray about it and be sure he was being led to do this. He told me he'd already been doing so and he felt he was being called to do this. He's always been and still is one who wants and strives to be the best at everything he does, so I guess the other branches wouldn't have been good enough for him -- he wanted to be one of the best – and he wanted to have the best training. …I think it is enough that they want it. We just need to be there for them, even if we don't understand. … Some might say that is a mystery of the ages – why do we choose what we choose? …I am very proud of my son and all of our young people who choose this very difficult path, especially in times like these. They make so many sacrifices that the common person never even thinks about. They are all a cut above the rest of their generation, in my book, for they have chosen to take on the responsibility to perform tasks that the rest of their peers don't have the courage, loyalty, or stomach to tackle. They are willing to go wherever told and do whatever is asked of them on a moment's notice, not because they are fearless, not because they wouldn't rather be home with family safe and secure, but because they know in their hearts that someone has to make sacrifices for our nation to remain the strong, free nation that she has been for over 200 years. They have beliefs and convictions that are truly outstanding. This doesn't mean that I'd necessarily like each of them if I met them all, or that they would all like each other, they won't, but they do share a heart of a patriot and it is that heart that made our country. …My son said he chose the military because he believed it could help him develop self-discipline. He visited recruiters for all of the different branches – army, air force, navy, coast guard, and Marines. His stated his reason for choosing the Marines because the recruiter was so much more inspiring than the other guys were. He looked at him and saw “The Best” and wanted to be “The Best” too. Having been raised with the “always do your best” philosophy, it seemed a perfect fit to him. He had his ups and downs in the first few weeks of boot camp, but before the first month there had passed he sent a letter to his dad and me stating he had “found his calling.” He’ll be deployed early next year and is anxious to do his part. …Another young man from our town left for boot camp a couple of weeks ago and has never been fully able to articulate why he chose to become a Marine. That is, other than to say he felt “led” to do it. He had made his college plans and had been accepted but was very reluctant to apply for scholarships or financial aid – he just could never buckle down and do the work even though it didn’t seem difficult. He said he just had the nagging feeling that going to school right now wasn’t where he belonged. He needed to become a Marine. Someday he would like to work in law enforcement so military service is a great path toward that end. It will be interesting to talk with him in a few months when he visits home for his 10-day leave. …In answer to your question – I don’t know, but thank goodness for everyone they do. …My son told me "Mom, it's my generation's turn. And, I don't want you or Chris (his little brother) to worry about stepping out of the front door at home and someone trying to blow you up. I have to help keep them from coming here." That was my son's reason. …They do it for the love of doing it, as boys, and they do it for what they see to be the thrill of it all as well. What you feel is not going to pass, but it’s what it is, and it was his choice. Be oh so proud that he wants to do this and was not told he had to do this. There is a big difference in him knowing he has your blessing, and he will make it through boot camp knowing he has a vpmm (very proud Marine mom). The time he is in boot camp will go by fast. To help yourself and him, send letters, letters, and more letters! He will write home and vent and then he will tell you of his accomplishments, and then you will know Why he wanted to be a United States Marine. I hope this helps you out some. …No one knows the answer to your question. My son too is into his fourth week at boot camp, and I am still in shock. I asked “Why the Marines?” and his reply was, "I've been praying about it Mom, and I keep coming up with the same answer… The Marine Corps." I really am very afraid but at the same time very proud. Know one wants to know that their son has a possibility of going to war, but the reality is who else? My son is my first born, we have endured many things together him and his sisters. But I know this is what he wants to do and our Father in Heaven wants him there also. So we have to be brave and cry our eyes out when no one is looking. Because our sons are brave enough to serve our country, we also should be brave. I know this doesn't ease the worry but keep the attitude that they will endure all things and be protected. They are fighting not only for our families but every one who is blessed to live in this great country. …My son talked to us for 3 years about joining the Marines and I thought he would out grow it. Well he didn't. Three weeks before he turned 18 he asked us to please go and talk to the recruiters with him. We went and listened to them and then I asked him that question... WHY? He told me that his world changed on 9/11 and he wanted to make sure that his family and other would still have the freedoms that we have now. He was willing to fight to make sure that happened. We then asked him, Why now? You will be 18 in 3 weeks and you won't need us to sign for you. He said I know but I want your blessing. Right then my son became a man. I also asked why the Marines? He said that they are the best. Our kids are very special. …Why do our kids choose this kind of life? Look around you at everything you have and stuff others take for granted. Your son only wants to make sure you have everything, freedoms, the right to choose and to be safe. My son, when asked why he is a Marine, his answer is "Why Not!" When told "Thank you for what you are doing," he answers, "My Pleasure." …My husband has been a Marine for almost a year now. I still don't understand completely why it was that he HAD to become a Marine but I can tell you, you will be so proud of your son. I was against him joining the Marines when he did it and even through boot camp I hated it. But in his letters to him I didn't let him know that and I didn't question his decision to join. They don't need discouraging letters while they are in boot camp. But the proudest day of my life was when I went to Parris Island for his graduation. He looked so handsome in his uniform and I could clearly see the changes that the Marines had made in him. Good changes. It takes a little getting use to but I adjusted. Just hang in there. They get great training. Even now he is still training for what to do in case he gets deployed. That makes me feel better. Thank the Lord he hasn't been deployed yet. But I just wanted to tell you that for me, going to his graduation changed my WHOLE view on him being a Marine. Since that day, I've been glad that he choose the Marines and choose to serve our country. …You may well have asked the hardest question in the world to answer. When I asked my son why he joined the Marines, and why he picked infantry, he said he wanted to serve with the best of the best (The Marines) and he wanted to serve our country at the very front. I'm not sure they can put into words why they finally make the decision. …That's a very interesting question. I'd love to hear some of the answers you get from folks on this board who have been in the Marine Corps Family for a while. With my son, it appears as though he was "called." He has planned on becoming a Marine for years. He has never wavered, and is now in his first days at Parris Island. He's a very patriotic young person. Some aren't. He is. All I know is this is something he has to do. …I truly understand how you feel, as I had the same question. Our Marine was absolutely the last person his father and I would have thought would have entered the military, especially the Marine Corps. Our son was 20 and away at college when he (unknown to us) became interested in the Marine Corps. He told us of his interest while we were driving him home after his second year at college. I think his father almost drove off the road when our heads snapped around to look at him sitting in the back seat. All he ever said is that he wanted a challenge. I do not think he has an overwhelming sense of patriotism, but maybe he feels uncomfortable expressing that. From everything I can understand from our chats (he is not the most open of our children), he wanted a challenge and to prove something to himself and chose the Marine Corps because it is the hardest and the best. I am proud of him and of his decision to become a Marine. The Marine Corps has given him so much... and I do not discount the tour in Iraq. Yes, it was very, very difficult (and that word really does not do the experience justice). He is a different person now, but I think a better person. One that he tries to hide but it is there and not always hidden. I will leave you with the comment he made as we were driving away from Parris Island after Boot. He was leaning over the seat talking to us and at one point said, "After boot, I now know that there will never be anything in my life that I cannot accomplish." I thought Wow, if only I had had that sense of self confidence when I was 21. That is what the Marine Corps gave our son, and I wish all 21 year olds could have that same feeling. Our world would be a different place. …When I learned my son wanted to join the Marines, I said to him, "Do you know what is going on in the world right now?" He said, “Yes, and I am choosing to be a part of it.” Some are part of the problem, some chose to be part of the solution. …My son and his friend always wanted to be in the service. His comment was that the uniform really looked the best - he really loves the formal part of it. And he liked that they were the ones who watched over the President of the United States. He has learned so much in the Marines and, yes, all have been trying times. He's been overseas three times and will be in the Marines for 6 years in January. There was one movie that he and I went to after he came back from boot camp. It was Jurassic Park, the third one -- the one where the Marines come and pick up the cast in the end. He stood up and yelled ("Yea") because the Marines came in to save them. His comment after was that in other branches -- the army, is listed as soldiers -- the navy, as Seabees, but the Marines have no distinction - they are all Marines no matter what their rank is - that was really important to him. …My son said he was felt he was called to be a Marine. …My son joined because of 9/11. He wanted to protect his country. My son turned down 3 scholarships to college to join the Marines. I think it is a calling to serve. …My son and I had this conversation well into his 4 year commitment. He was a national merit scholar finalist in high school, a GATE student (gifted and talented), and received a scholarship for college in his senior year. He scored 2 points shy of a perfect score on his ASVAB test. He could have chosen anything. He chose infantry. I was a wreck. He chose the Marines because of the camaraderie of it. He chose the Marines because it is one of the many things he wants to have accomplished during his life. He chose the Marines before 9/11. He chose the Marines because he wanted to shoot guns, roll in the dirt and mud with the guys, and blow things up. He loves his Marine brothers. They are the brothers he never had. (He has one sister.) He is now on the recall list and could go back to Iraq, but would rather not. However, if called, he will go...because he signed the contract. It's about brotherhood. It's about the brotherhood he never got growing up or from friends at school. I get it now. And you will too. …Our son wanted to be a Marine for such a long time. We just could not accept that fact, until I asked him and he told me he felt "called" to serve. I know that might sound strange, but after visiting with many Marine moms, they say the same thing. Oh there are some that join for other reasons, but you would be amazed at the number of young men who had plans to do something else, but first "HAVE" to do this. It even makes me prouder that he is also sacrificing his own goals and dreams to follow this calling. …My son told me that he had to because he thought that it would help him become a more responsible man. Getting through boot camp was an enormous accomplishment for him. And I do have to say he is more responsible in many, many ways. The most important reason for my son though was that God put it on his heart to do. …My son's decision to join the Marines was two fold. He didn't want to go to college because he hated high school and it was really difficult to get him through. He indicated to us (mom and dad) that he couldn't cut it in high school so why should he have us shell out thousands of dollars for him to go to college and bomb out. Secondly, he said he needed the discipline that the Marine Corps would give him. I cannot find fault in his decision because he is doing what he thinks is best for him. I'm so proud of him and his ability to make such a decision. I'm also sad. This is our "baby." Someone counseled me by saying that all the decisions and choices that we made to raise our son was for this very point in time: for him to stand up and be an adult and make the decisions that will allow for his own success. We may not like it, but this is how we raised him. …I wondered the same thing. I'm not really sure I know that answer other than some are born warriors. "Somebody has to do it....." I'm so very grateful for those who do, but I've always questioned why it has to be my son. When we asked him, one of the answers was, "I just have to know I can do it." Of course, we received the "I want to serve my country" answer as well. I guess we are just supposed to turn them over to God, the One who created them to be what He wanted them to be, and allow our sons the space to become whatever that is. …I felt exactly the same way when my son announced his plans. He had a baseball scholarship at a nearby college and wanted to turn Pro and play ball every day. Then he crashed his dreams and signed up. I think part of him wanted to prove he could do something by himself. His dad divorcing me at the same time didn't help. First year in college, and his parents split up. Just stand by him...he will question his decision a million times while he is in boot camp and when he is posted on a base he will occasionally question himself again...once he goes over there, he will question himself again! He is a young man who you have raised beautifully. Trust your good parenting...and keep the faith...it is only 8 years of his long life! Write lots of encouraging letters and don't expect a lot back, they have very little precious time alone to sit and write a letter, but when it comes, so will the tears! Be ready! …My son was determined to become a Marine from the time he was 11 years old. Yes, I think it is a "calling" of sorts. My son has always wanted to push himself physically and mentally. He wants to know how good he can be....how strong....how committed. He is also intensely patriotic. He wants to serve his country. Entering the Marines was the only choice that fulfilled all those desires. He is now intensely proud of what he has accomplished and so proud to be a Marine. We are so proud of him we could bust! …I told my son, “No don’t join the Marines… Air Force, Navy, Army, any branch of the service but the Marines”. I think it was his rebellious spirit that made him do it. And now, I am very proud of him and stand by his decision completely. …I ask myself this very same question almost on a daily basis. The only answer that I can come up with is that we raised some pretty special young people! I look around at some of the kids today and find myself thinking, "They don't have a clue as to what life is all about." …When I asked him why, he told me, "Mom, I've thought about this a lot. We take and take all our lives; I want to do something to give back to someone." …Be very proud of your son. You did a great job raising him. Not every mother can say, "My son is a United States Marine"!!!!!! …I replayed the scene of US Marshals pulling in my drive in a highly tinted windowed black Crown Vic or Lincoln Town Car many nights and every time I thought "What would I say" or How would I feel IF that really happened and I think I would just have to find peace in the fact that he was doing what he LOVED, what HE CHOSE to do, what many others did not have the "ka-hoonas" to do...what was GOOD and HONORABLE and what made and still makes this country the best in the world. My son LOVES being a Marine....he may not like all the other Marines but by golly let them get somewhere and someone say something to one of those guys and you better believe that every Marine in ear shot will be there....it is a brotherhood like you would not believe....and it will always be like that.....I find peace in that he has thousands ready willing and able to "get his back" and to fight for him just as they do for us. …Why did my son want to serve, I think it is a calling. My son was raised around no guns, not allowed near guns, but he always had the desire. He crawled through sewers and left greasepaint on our freshly painted walls and light switches. He wanted to be a Navy Seal, so he would don all his gear (bought at the military surplus store) and climbed the fence to the city pool and swam and swam to learn how to handle the cold and the gear in water. He would leave a smear of greasepaint so his friends would know he had been there the night before. He sat on our roof in the middle of winter so he could adapt to being in the cold. And he is very, very religious, but he saw that there is a need for warriors in our world to fight evil and he felt that is what he is meant to do. He changed his desire to be a Navy Seal to the Marines in high school after taking a military history class. IT IS HARD -- VERY, VERY HARD, I have cried and so has my husband, but we love our son and respect him so much. So we swallow our tears and wait for him to finish doing what he feels he is meant to. And we are proud that our son is not just our son, but our hero too. …I don't know about any other guys and gals, but I do know about my son. He is using the Marines as a stepping stone. He knew we didn't have the money to put him through college, so that is one reason. He also said he wanted to travel. He is in Presidential Security. If there are any other motives, I don't know. These are the ones he gave me. I had the same questions you do and maybe even more. I want my son to be in church, a Pentecostal church, and that hasn't happened yet. I have put him in God's hands and I "bug" him all the time. When they are grown-up, maybe they will tell us. …We have asked ourselves the same question you have about a million times. Our son has always been an "extreme kind of kid." He raced motocross and did everything to the limit. He is a wonderful kid and loves the Lord and has great friends but felt he wanted to go into the Marines. He didn't want to go to college and I think that he thought the Marines would be the answer to his future for right now. If he was going to join, he wanted to join the Best of the Best! When you are 15-21 years of age, you THINK you know what you want but you really have no idea what the future has in store. Our son has questioned his decision since being in boot camp but I think he is just homesick (in his sixth week). We write to him every day and support him 100%. We continue to tell him how proud we are of him, Marine or Not! We are trusting in the Lord to guide him through these trying times and Us too! The way we look at it is this: God doesn't make mistakes, and if you trust in him, all things will be for the good. That is what keeps us going. …I'm sure there are many reasons. Some feel this is what they wanted to do for a long time, like being a doctor, or an attorney, or they just know it's what they want to do. My son knew he wanted to be in the military, but he also wanted to be the best of the best and that's why he chose the Marines. Why else? They train harder, they have to earn it -- it's not give to them, and once they are in, the Marines have to do more with less, compared to the other branches. …Apparently your kid is the kind that needs to make a point! I had all of the same questions when mine joined and never got the answer that I wanted. My son was always very independent and did what he wanted, no matter what. …There is a saying I came across a while back, it goes something like this: It is because you protected them, that they are so willing and able to protect you. I feel also that it is a calling. I think 9/11 had a huge impact on my son's decision. Like your son, my son also said that joining the Marines is something he "just felt like he needed to do." My son graduated from boot camp in October, 2003, so he's on his last year. He has done one tour in Iraq and will be going on his second tour after the first of the year. The whole Marine Corps experience has been a good for him. Good luck to your son and please thank him for his service. …Freedom is not free and he firmly believed that he was helping the Iraqi people get freedom from Saddam. My son said what Saddam did to that country was unbelievable. …Your son’s choice to become a Marine is an example of the leadership and selflessness that you have taught him. It is his choice to be one of the finest, and to challenge himself is a choice made by those who appreciate the gifts that God has given them, and the opportunities the USA has provided them. My son is a Marine, and it has been over twenty years since I was in. The challenge of being one of the few and the proud was something that lived with me for years. I passed up college to be a Marine, and I have since become a successful business owner. I am so proud that my son has continued with my commitment to serve not only my personal wants for him but the needs of a great society. …That's a tough question to answer. Some want to be part of the best; be something not everyone can be. You usually picture a Marine as being the strongest, smartest, etc., but there are many that were small and not at all athletic. All find themselves in the process of becoming a Marine. I notice that whenever my son-in-law is in uniform he is taller, he stands straighter, and he is very proud. He has been a Marine for 10 years now - 4 years active duty (grunt) and the rest as an active reservist (combat engineer). He has deployed 4 times - 2 active duty, 2 reserve to Iraq. He left active duty to allow his wife to come home and finish college and have her career as a teacher. As a reservist he can still be a Marine which he loves. He just made Staff Sergeant. Even after being in Iraq twice, and seeing some friends die, his desire to be a Marine has not lessened. I'm sure there is a lot of fear in being over there, but they focus more on being there for the Marine next to them. Many who have left active duty miss it and come back - it's the brotherhood of the Marines. Being a Marine is never easy, and that challenge might be why many select it. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, I really was able to see the respect bestowed upon the Marines by those in the other services, and by the public. …This would not have been the life I would have chosen for my son-in-law. He is a second generation Marine (father and 2 brothers were Marines), but I have seen the Corps build him into a fine young man. I hope your son will find himself as well and hope you're able to stand behind him. That is the toughest job, but one you will carry with pride. …If you ask your son a few months from now why he wants to be a Marine, his answer may not be any different than it was before he left. But when you see him, I pray that you will receive answers to your questions without having to ask. Hang in there. He is an incredible person for doing what he is doing. …He always had a strong personality and I think he needed a challenge. He also told me that if he stayed home and went to college first he didn't feel like he would become the man he wanted to be. He felt like he needed the discipline of the Marine Corps to motivate him to another level and he really wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself. He identified with The Commander in Chief and felt called to this. Face it, he is no longer your little boy. …When the recruiter brought came to our house, I looked my son straight in the eyes and asked "Why?" He said he felt called to do it. Our children become Marines for so many reasons: the challenge, the opportunities for advancement, the educational benefits, just to name a few. …I do believe it is a "calling" of sorts. …Some young men, and women, just have what it takes and they know it. My son said he just had to do it because he wanted to know he was making a difference. …When my son left for Iraq, I told him what an honor it was to call him my son, the fact that he chose to be a Marine to protect "my country" to use his words. I had the opportunity to visit the Naval Medical Center of Bethesda 2 years ago and meet some of the wounded. What an honor and such a humbling experience. Every one of these young men told me they were "just doing their job." …My son told me he did the right thing, for his freedom, the freedom of his family, and the freedom of his friends. He has been in the Al Anbar providence of Iraq since February. I think that some kids just have it in them that it is their duty. My son is also an Eagle Scout, where he learned duty at an early age. My husband served 4 years in the USMC, but I did not know him then, and he is not one of the vets you see doing all the vet stuff, until our son joined. So I say ‘thank you’ to your son for wanting to serve our country in a time such as this. Folks should be thankful of our sons volunteering theirs do not have to. …There are probably as many reasons as there are Marines! My son wanted to prove to himself, and those who looked down on him, that he could do it. He told me he wanted to see if he could handle it and that he felt he needed the discipline. Whatever the reason, I hope you will honor and support your son’s choice. Please tell him ‘thank you’ too! We need as many with the drive to serve as possible. Bless their hearts!! …I know for my son it was because you have to be tough to be a Marine, and I think he was trying to prove it to himself that he could do it. My son is now in MCT (military combat training) and will graduate on Friday and then off to his MOS. It has changed him so much, and all for the better. …Good question. Why did MY son become a Marine? Why did I become a Marine, and why does ANYONE become a Marine? It is true what they say: It takes a certain kind of person to be a Marine. When I heard about it in high school, I was a hard working gal who made good grades and was graduating early, but I wanted something more than just college. I knew that I would go some day, but I wanted to experience life first. I liked the tradition of the Marine Corps, and I liked the fact that I wouldn't be doing what everyone else was doing. And I was always independent anyway. There were times I asked myself "What did I do?!" while in boot camp. That was 25 years ago. I served 4 years, and the lessons I learned in the Corps never leave me. Everyone that I tell "I am a former Marine" immediately has a look of respect in their eye that wasn't there before. I know I can make it through anything in life, because I made it through boot and so much more. I did my 4 years, went on to raise 2 sons, and I'm doing okay. I have owned 2 businesses; I have an undergrad degree in Marketing and a master's degree in Leadership. I am currently working in the field of non-profit fundraising for the YWCA "eliminating racism and empowering women.” I am training for my first marathon - The Marine Corps Marathon - on October 29th of this year. I'm doing it to raise money for Team in Training -The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I'm also doing it for my son who is currently serving in Iraq and due to come home in October. What I'm trying to say is, your son is doing this because he is not ordinary, and he doesn't think like everyone else. He is probably more driven than most his age, and more goal oriented. He will achieve much in life, more than likely, and there will be times where you will sweat out your own fear and doubt while he is a Marine. Be sure you make it to his graduation from boot camp. No matter how you feel right this minute, you will never be more proud of him in your life as you will the day he graduates. …There is now way for me or anyone else to say why your son joined the Marines. But I am very proud of him for doing it. Our son joined right out of high school, and believe me it was the best thing that he could have done. So walk with you head held high, you are going to be a Marine Mom …When my son joined, he was a junior in high school in the Air Force JROTC. I asked him why the Marines, he smiled and said, “Mom, when we had armed forces night at school I went from table to table, got all the information they had to offer, talked to them, and when I got to the Marines, they told me to drop and give them 50. They are the only ones who challenged me. My second son got a call from the Air Force (also JROTC cadet). He called the Marines. They helped him get the extra point to become a MP. From what I can gather, the Marines are a closer knit group, they are truly brothers and look out for each other. I gave up trying to figure out why my boys do what they do. I have enough grey hair. … WHY???? Who knows??? Some guys just have that need. …I think it's the way you raised him..... Thank you!

Valor Defined

Marines confront, overcome the crucible of Fallujah By Rick Rogers STAFF WRITER July 31, 2004 FALLUJAH, Iraq – The citations for valor read like scenes from a movie, and it's only through cinematic comparisons that Cpl. Howard Lee Hampton Jr. can describe the combat his Camp Pendleton unit saw here in April. "It was beyond anything in 'Black Hawk Down,' " said Hampton, 21, referring to the movie about the actual downing of two U.S. helicopters in 1993 Somalia and the harrowing rescue operation in which the lives of 18 American soldiers were lost. "I remember going into the city in the (amphibious assault vehicle) and hearing the bullets hit off the sides. "When the door opened, I thought about the scene in "Saving Private Ryan" when they were coming up to the beach and that guy got hit right in the head before he ever got to the beach," Hampton said, this time conjuring up the movie account of D-Day during World War II. "Once we got in the city, we had hundreds and hundreds of people trying to kill us," said the native of El Paso, Tex., recalling how the cascade of enemy shell casings from windows above the Marines sounded like a never-ending slot machine payout. "We survived in Fallujah because everyone put the Marine next to him ahead of themselves," said Hampton, an infantryman with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. "Everyone did so much more than they had to." More than 50 Marines from Echo Company have been recognized for valor between March 18 and April 26, when they went into Fallujah to root out insurgents after four civilian contract workers were murdered and two of the bodies hanged from a bridge. The battalion's Fox Company has recommended about 20 Marines for medals. "My boys are superheroes," said Capt. D.A. Zembiec, the Echo company commander who climbed atop a tank while under fire to guide it to where his men were pinned down. "I got guys with two Purple Hearts still out here working." Echo Company's role in the battle for Fallujah began April 6, when two platoons – about 80 men – were ordered into the northwest section of the city, launching a month of street-by-street fighting that would claim the lives of several hundred insurgents and an estimated 600 civilians. As word of the violence spread, the media gathered for a closer look. "One reporter said, 'It can't be that bad,' " recalled 1st Sgt. William Skiles, Echo Company's top enlisted man. "Well," Skiles recalled, "the Armored Assault Vehicle had just stopped to let the media off when the first (assault rifle) rounds flew overhead. Then came the (rocket propelled grenades). There weren't a whole lot of stories filed that day because the reporters were face down in the dirt." During the encounter, journalists often asked Skiles, 43, of San Juan Capistrano, for information for their reports about the fighting, but he thought they were missing something. "I kept thinking: What about valor? Why weren't any of the reporters interested in the valor of our Marines? "All anyone wants to write about is our dead and wounded," he said, thumbing through military papers that included nominations for Silver and Bronze stars. Although only a few of the medal nominations have been approved so far, The San Diego Union-Tribune was allowed to review the submissions on condition that no detailed information be revealed. All of the top medal nominations arose from a single day's action April 26. It was also Echo Company's last day of heavy fighting in Fallujah before the Marines pulled out under a cease-fire that has created the current stalemate: Insurgents control the city, the Marines control the surrounding countryside. The day started routinely when Marines searched a mosque that gunmen had been using to direct fire on the Americans. Finding only shell-casings below the minaret windows overlooking their position, the Marines left the mosque and moved deeper into the city and occupied a few houses. All was quiet until about 11 a.m., when insurgents killed one Marine and wounded 10 others in a coordinated attack that lasted three hours. "The minaret that we had just cleared suddenly came alive with sniper fire," Skiles said. At the same time, the Marines in the houses were hit by grenades, rocket-propelled grenades and machine-gun fire from the roofs of adjoining houses. Within minutes, 100 to 150 heavily armed insurgents attacked in waves. At times, the Marines and the enemy were only 25 yards apart. The hardest hit Marines were on a rooftop where they were swarmed from three directions by insurgents throwing scores of grenades and firing at least 30 RPGs within the first 15 minutes of fighting. Thousands of bullets peppered the area. Nine of the Marines were wounded almost immediately. Aaron C. Austin and Carlos Gomez-Perez, both lance corporals, were on that rooftop and have been nominated for high honors, Austin posthumously. After the initial barrage, Austin, a machine gunner, evacuated the wounded and then rallied the Marines to counter-attack. "We've got to get back on the roof and get on that gun," Austin, from Sunray, Tex., is reported to have said, referring to a Marine machine gun. The Marines returned fire, but as Austin started to throw a grenade, he was hit several times in the chest by machine gun fire. Although mortally wounded, Austin threw his grenade, which hit the enemy and halted their attack. A memorial to him – a cement bench – sits outside the Echo Company barracks at Camp Baharia. Austin was 21. Gomez-Perez was hit in the cheek and shoulder by machine gun fire while dragging a wounded comrade to safety. "Ignoring his serious injuries . . . Gomez-Perez, in direct exposure to enemy fire, continued to throw grenades and fire four magazines from his M-16 rifle. Still under fire and with his injured arm, he and another Marine gave CPR (to Austin) and continued to fire on the enemy," read his medal nomination. Gomez-Perez is recuperating stateside. His age and hometown weren't immediately available. Marines at another house were also under heavy attack, and four were wounded. Lance Cpl. John Flores, 21, from Temple City, held a key position outside the house protecting the left flank. "Around 11 a.m., I heard explosions and I remember a Marine scream," he recalled. "It was a scream I'll never forget, and I hope I never hear again. I had heard the scream before. It was the scream that someone was messed up. It scared me." Flores said he traded fire with insurgents 20 yards away. When a Humvee arrived to get the wounded, Flores laid down hundreds of rounds of protective fire during a deafening exchange. "As one of the corpsman ran to the house, bullets hit right behind him against a wall. Everyone said Doc Duty was faster than bullets that day," said Flores, who was twice wounded by shrapnel during the action. "Doc" is Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason Duty, a 20-year-old Navy corpsman from New Concord, Ohio. "Despite extreme personal danger from small arms fire and exploding ordnance, Flores remained in his tenuous position, delivering devastating fire on enemy forces as they attempted to reinforce their attack," his nomination stated. When the Marines pulled back to a safer position later that day, Flores could have left the city to get medical treatment, but he didn't have the heart to leave his fellow Marines. He doesn't like to think about Fallujah, though he is proud of what Echo Company did there. "I think I did real good that day, but a lot of people did real good. I was scared, but I just did it," Flores said. "I think about what happened in the city and the people wounded and killed. We think about them a lot. No one from this company will ever forget what we did out here." Lance Cpl. Craig Bell got mad when he was nearly killed by an enemy grenade. And then he got even. "You know when they say that things slow down?" asked Bell, 20, from Del City, Okla. "That's what happened when I saw the grenade. "It was a pineapple grenade with a cherry-red tip," Bell said. "I didn't think they even made grenades like that anymore. It was like something from a World War II movie." Bell ducked behind a pigeon coop for cover. He "heard explosions and shooting in real time" while he seemed to drift into space. "I watched the grenade for what seemed like forever until it went off . . . but I talked to Marines later and they said it all happened in a split second." The blast wounded Bell in the right side and jump-started the clock. "I thought, 'That's it!" said Bell, a grenadier. "I thought about my wife and daughter and not doing anything stupid. But I was just so angry that he had thrown a grenade at me that I didn't care. I was going to take someone out." He grabbed ammunition for his grenade launcher and started blowing up rooms from which insurgents were firing, estimating he launched 100 rounds in about an hour. Despite his wounds, Bell "expertly placed high-explosive around through the windows of adjacent buildings," reads his medal recommendation. "Without his brave actions, 2nd platoon would have been hard-pressed to hold their position and evacuate wounded Marines." "I was proud to be a part of something so brave and so strong," Bell said. "I know what I did. I saved someone's life, and I know that what other people did saved me." Not all of the heroics focused on the enemy. The corpsman, Duty, and Sgt. Skiles were recognized for evacuating wounded Marines while exposed to unrelenting fire. Duty braved enemy fire four times to load Marines into a Humvee driven by Skiles, who coordinated the rescue. "I do remember thinking I was in trouble about the third trip because that's when the volume of fire increased a lot," Duty said. "When we were loading the last guy, they chucked a hand grenade at our Humvee and it hit the hood. It rolled off and didn't explode. I think they were trying to throw it in the back where the wounded were being loaded." Duty's medal nomination reads: "As bullets impacted within inches of his head, Duty remained resolute in his mission." Skiles was lauded for evacuating the Marines and for his leadership in combat. Part of his lengthy medal nomination states: "Without his courage, his company would not have been able to evacuate his wounded in the expeditious manner – and more Marines would have been exposed to danger longer. "Skiles' combat leadership is the metal weld that holds his company together during times of adversity." It will be weeks, perhaps months, before the Marine Corps approves any decorations, especially the higher ones. By then, the Echo Company Marines probably will be back at Camp Pendleton. And Hampton will be left with only his memories of what Echo Company did because as he'll tell you: "They honestly cannot make a movie about what we went through. Every Marine did so much more than what they had to do, from the littlest private first class to the commanding officer. Everyone did so much more. +== Union-Tribune staff writer Rick Rogers and staff photographer Nelvin Cepeda are accompanying Camp Pendleton-based Marines in Iraq.

Virgie Bell's View

We learn small truths in everyday events that concern us as a child. The core of our values and beliefs are instilled at an early age. When I was in high school unbeknownst to me, I had tied with another girl for Football Queen. My oldest brother was the captain of the team and it fell to Mickey to break the tie. He had been absent the day of the vote. He discussed this problem with my mother and the two of them agreed that it would be a disservice to me if I received the honor under the circumstances. They also felt it held an unfair advantage for the girl who, once his vote was cast, would wear the crown at the homecoming game that year. She rode around the football field in my brother’s black Pontiac convertible and it was beautiful. I can’t remember any resentment on my part. I really can’t. Honor and a sense of fair play are the bedrock value of a nation. They are learned within a family. They are the Friday night lights, the junior play, the senior trip. They are that first marriage when dreams are still achievable; they are the children of that marriage. It is before we learn first hand of divorce and step families. It is seeing these children go off to war, and often, losing them in a foreign land. It is also to see this pattern go on and on. But in the back of our minds, at the depth of our souls, it is to preserve this same thing for all those that come after us. We want them to experience the Friday night lights, the junior play and senior trip. We want them to fall in love and marry and believe their dreams are achievable. Please ... let not let this American Dream, the American Spirit die...Please SUPPORT THE TROOPS.

Drapes and Drama

One time my little band of friends got together and I suppose we had nothing much to do and as we were discussing this we decided: "let's do a wedding". This was between our junior and senior year. There was a movie at the time that featured an elaborate formal wedding and we definitely liked how glamorous it all looked. We were this little bunch of best friends and as daring as one could be at that time. To be honest no one was very daring. Daring was not a very popular thing back then at old Amherst High School. Mostly it was in fact giving Ms. Weddle a hard time during Home-Economics. It wasn't even a very hard time at that. Bobby Joe, a boy in our class got hold of her notebook where she had taken notes on us disrupting the class: Joy...talking out of turn...Joyce...disrupting class by going to the bathroom without permission. That sort of mean and evil action...Jo Ann...refusing to complete assignment on drapes for Home Ec. cottage....Virgie...talking out of turn, going to the bathroom without permission, failing to complete assignment on drapes for the Home-Ec. cottage. Really daring as you can see. At any rate, Joann was already married to my cousin and was living in California at the time. We had room mothers during high school; they were always the same ones. It was a given that it was mine, Barry's, Joy's, Joyce's, and the list had included Joann's mom right up until she ran away to marry and was no longer in our class. We could talk any old time, go to the bathroom on a whim, and let some other class finish the drapes that we came to hate anyway. In other words, they let us do pretty much what we wanted when we wanted. This was really just about it and was harmless looking back on it now. Oh, there was a time that one girl called me a name that rhymed with witch when I was a freshman and I had a fight with her. This was of course discussed by all of us and I had to talk to mother and daddy and get a feel as to what this would entail in my home life as far as giving up privileges. Mother told me no dice or she would ground me for a week, Daddy threatened me with a few weeks and so the die was cast. It was probably the most exciting event to happen at our school for a long time. Well, Joy's Dad was on the school board and she looked into just what would happen if this grand event took place. Come to find out, as long as it was off the school grounds it was not going to be within the school’s jurisdiction to do anything, and so the event took place down on the lot behind what is now Artie Jewel’s Dry Goods Store. I was to wear my jeans as were all the rest involved. I wasn't too concerned about who would win this cat fight. I was younger than Mickey who was 18 months older and older than Bennie by 18 months and had been fighting with and against them all my life. An old hand at this you see. The girl I had to fight was an only child as I remember and so therefore not much of a challenge that I could see. But then this was way in the past and things had gone quite stale for us and so we decided to plan a wedding. I could have had a dozen fights by this time, but they didn't materialize, and for that I was thankful. They would have whipped me all over the place and I wasn't going to push my luck on that score. But back to the wedding. Well, I was chosen to be the bride. I was thankful for the lead in this drama. I had the lead in the Junior Play and relished being the main character. The movie had featured pictue hats and off the shoulder dresses for the bridesmaids and a little number that I thought would do for my starring role. It was decided by each of them that pastel colors were the thing that was the fashion for such a thing and of course, White for the Bride. I really felt that the costumes they had were by far the cutest and we tossed the idea around that maybe someone else could have the lead and I could be a bridesmaid. But no. They knew their parents would never go for it and for a while it seemed that the event of the summer just might be cancelled. Mom and Dad were separated at the time and mother was so used to me performing that she kind of got into the role of mother of the lead role and so it was on. I think it was Joyce who decided that a June wedding was the required month for a wedding. She, more than the rest of us, was more up on that kind of etiquette than the rest of us were. So the rest of the summer was taken up with the fun things of deciding on the costumes. It was an elaborate affair for that day and time. To choose patterns and to have bridal showers and picking out music and singers and piano players and churches for the ceremony was as much fun as I had ever had. Picking out crystal that has never been used to this day was a plus. Every choice was of course, a group decision, and it wasn't hard to come up with what the male cast to this event was to wear. Blue suede shoes were all the rage. So were blue suits for the guys. Actually it wasn't much fun on that choice. Men clothes have never been much fun. We didn't have a place to shop for a tux within a hundred miles it seems. Oh, I’m sure if we had tried, we would have found something a little more formal, but we considered the guys to have very minor roles in this production. I had pretty much settled down on the groom department for quite a while by now. Harvey and I had set a record by going together for my entire junior year. Just because I didn't like to sew on drapes for home Ec. didn't mean I didn't know how to sew and so I got to design my elaborate trousseau. I think Joyce was the one to tell me that this was a custom for brides and I relished the idea. When the Junior Play was over, I went home just the same old girl as always and things went on in my life as usual. I think that I loved the idea of a Honeymoon, but it never occurred to me that my life would change for good. That as a married woman I would no longer have my mom do the cooking and the washing. It never was even in the discussion. When I was gathering up my clothes to become a Mrs. instead of a Miss, my mom wanted to know if I wanted to take these old ratty house shoes that I dearly loved. I was horrified at the idea that she even entertained the thought. With everything new and pretty, who wanted those old ugly things? I guess I was married for about two weeks when the reality of the situation set in. We had gone to visit my family in Fieldton and I decided the play was over. Harvey was much younger than his sister who was married and had a child and lived off some where. He lived out in the country and to be honest, I missed the brothers and sister that I had grown up with. It was so quiet and lonely being a wife. He spent the day in the field. We had no telephone, and no TV. The most excitement I had was when my mother taught me to sort clothes and how to wash at the steam laundry in town. At this visit with my family, I knelt down by my mother’s chair and with tears in my eyes, I clung to her. Harvey stood by the door a little embarrassed. He liked the honeymoon part much more than I did. Finally, Mother told me that I needed to go, that my husband was waiting for me. Well, I went into my old bedroom and grabbed those awful looking house shoes and glared at that old honeymoon loving man and said, “Alright let's go!” Well, the wedding was absolutely a thing of beauty. I finished my senior year as a married woman with I am sure was because of a little power behind Joy's dad being on the school board, and best of all, Mother made my drapes. SUPPORT THE TROOPS! PS. Joy, please send this to Joyce. I don't have her e-mail address handy

Who We Are

There are some who might ask if a young man today is as 'Rough and Tumble' as they were 60 or 70 years ago. If the iron will of the greatest generation has seeped away and left us with the shabby ram-shackle gathering of video gamers and I-Pod enthusiasts. Can Wars be won by such men? Without a doubt the answer is YES! All people are preprogrammed with survival traits and that fury of centuries old-anger and oppression that all people felt at some point in the earth's history, and the right kind of tempering will drive that Warrior to the surface. After that he will become an outcast, an anachronism seen amongst his former peers as an oddity. So we congregate together in our legions as "Brothers-of-the-Sword" have for millenia and wait. And then a War strikes. And a person must decide if the metal and steel is sharp and hard enough. Among who show merit- We are gunslingers of the highest order. The Gear we carry is heavier than the others just as the burden which rests on our hardened shoulders. We know when the gunfight breaks out, whether it is reactionary of deliberate, our task will not change. We must become a ghost, a phantom, an in-human monster, that is not simply relegated to being part of the bullet-here, bullet-there, poke and hope rifleman way of the business. Our task will involve us leaving a covered area to get in to the fight with our two or three man team which is of one mind, one goal. To lay withering fires across the field and dominate the enemies real estate and their will. We know that the number of enemy we will destroy is tempered by the number of brothers that will not have to lay down their lives today because of the dragons fire we bring to the field. We are not simply servicemen. We are not only Marines. Nor, or we just Marine Infantry. WE ARE MARINE MACHINE GUNNERS. We will live by five truths. The Marine Machine Gunner... ...Does Not Know Fear ...Does Not Know Pain ...Does Not Suffer From the Fog of War, but Creates It ...Seeks Position to Destroy Evil ...Is Not Human We are avenging angels who will destroy the will of our enemy and bolster the spirits of our brothers for they know we watch the walls and dark places tonight. We are not simply a throwback to WWII or Korea, but the incarnation of all warriors who chose the path guaranteeing further destruction of those who would do their kinsmen harm. Like the perfect Spartan Phalanx in ancient times where each shield covers the man to your left or right thereby securing the safety of the whole we will become that perfect mesh of metal and iron will that will win the battle. We are United States Marine Machine Gunners.

'Young lion' laid to rest

Web-posted Tuesday, May 4, 2004 Marine is remembered for leadership, zest for life By KAREN D. SMITH karen.smith@amarillo.com The Amarillo Globe-News Outnumbered in an April 26 firefight in Fallujah, Iraq, Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin and the soldiers of Echo Company fought fiercely. "Their captain said his men fought like lions," Marine Chaplain David Bachelor said Monday in a eulogy for Austin, a 21-year-old machine-gunner who died in the battle. "Aaron was one of those young lions." The young lion was singled out as a leader almost from the moment he arrived at Camp Pendleton in San Diego until he was returned Monday to his native Texas to be buried at Memorial Park in Amarillo. A cadre of Marines in dress blues filled four rows of pews, and behind the Marines sat U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, all in the section reserved for family and friends for the funeral at Oasis Southwest Baptist Church. Marine uniforms and those of other military branches dotted the audience of more than 300. The serious, eyes-forward Marine photo of Austin, on an easel by his flag-draped casket, contrasted sharply with candid shots displayed of a grinning Austin holding a soccer ball, getting a hug and standing in field fatigues. His desert camouflage pack and hat were below. The same Marine portrait occupied a large video screen through much of the service, yielding only at the beginning of the service to C-Span footage of President George W. Bush giving remarks on a National Day of Prayer. "We learn in tragedy that (God's) purposes are not always our own, yet the prayers and private suffering, whether in our homes or in this great cathedral, are known and heard and understood," Bush said in the undated video. "There are prayers that help us last through the day, or endure the night. "...This world he created is of moral design. Grief and tragedy and hatred are only for a time. Goodness, remembrance and love have no end. And a Lord of life holds all who die and all who mourn." Bachelor remembered Austin as full of energy - the kind of guy who finished a hike ahead of the pack, despite the weight of his equipment and 23-pound machine gun. "He never appeared to be tired," the chaplain said. "He never complained." Austin's aunt, Robbi Ferneau, called life with him "a happy, fun, roller-coaster ride," a claim borne out by an anecdote Bachelor would later share. On his first deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Austin traded a meal ration for a camel. "He tied a 550 cord - that's a nylon rope - around its neck and led that camel around Iraq," Bachelor said. "And he was extremely disappointed that his camel couldn't come home with him." Austin died on his second deployment, having already achieved several military honors, including earning a combat action ribbon and a National Defense Service Medal. A Purple Heart was added to the list Monday, presented posthumously to his mother, De'on Miller, at the graveside service. Along the route to the cemetery, people could be seen holding flags. Amarillo sisters Chris and Sue Mallett brought flags with them to the graveside service, where the crowd of mourners grew larger. Like many, the Malletts didn't know Austin but felt compelled to attend. "He spilled his blood for our freedom, so we're here to honor him," Chris Mallett said. A regiment of seven Marines in dress blues fired off a three-round salute, the shots startling in their starkness. Then Marines began to fold the flag from the casket, stretching it taut, as if it supported the hearts of those mourning Austin's loss. They presented the flag to his mother, then folded a second flag for his father, Douglas Austin. Monday's ceremonies were the second held to honor Austin. Two days after Austin died in battle, Marines placed a memorial to him in the bullet-riddled courtyard of the school where they made their stand. Afterward, four Marines chose to be reborn there - baptized by Navy. Lt. Scott Radetski, the unit's chaplain. In her eulogy, Ferneau read accounts of the service from newspaper correspondents with the battalion, who reported the firefight and its aftermath. "The fight ... in which insurgents hurled grenades and fired rockets and machine guns at the Marines, left many of the young men of Echo Company shaken and emotionally drained," she read. "Protestant and Roman Catholic services held in the Marine encampment hours after the battle drew heavy attendance." The account included a particularly poignant quote from Radetski, who said he was honored to perform the baptism. "When chaos shows its head," he said, "we need an anchor for our faith. You need that rock that God promises to be." amarillo.com

The Reply

De’on Miller March 4, 2005 The Reply Am I your hero, then? You ache for my smile just now. And thinking back, you’ve always been a big hero of mine, same now as then. Now I live as yours, and do you know how sweet, how fine it all is for me? To now be your hero. Aahh. You sense my smile. Zach. I wouldn’t change a thing. Man, I just miss you. We have different missions, but still love the same. The same as when we loved with silly string and rocks we painted then sold for a dollar, or whatever. The same as when we danced, I with my bandana, rocking to His name. The same as when we fished, and finally, each made our own game. I wouldn’t change a thing. Man, I just miss you. If I could, I’d tell you all your heart aches to know…aahh, I’m not narcing. I’ve never done that. I know you still wonder about the mystery I’ve lived out. You were always my hero and I’m your hero now. I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s been good you hurting—all this for me. But boy you know something’s gotta give. God’s gonna bless this storm you’re in, ‘cause maybe glory just wouldn’t mean much any other way. Man, I love you, just how you are. It was always you, to question and self-examine. Although it wasn’t my bad, but when it comes to family, I wouldn’t change a thing. Just miss you, Man. Now I know cotton trailers, pit bulls, and angry dads wouldn’t mean much to some; they meant everything to me. Aahh, and to have a hero, do you know what that means? There’s nothing like it, Man. And now, you know. And I wouldn’t change a thing. Nothing works, Man. Just miss you. Smoking and joking, all those family parties. Made fun of our moms: they couldn’t even talk enough. I love you all how you are, Man. Every boy needs a hero. You filled that hole for me. Heroes are untouchable, Man, or else they wouldn’t be. Suffering’s hard Man. I know that. And I know I wouldn’t change a thing. Man… I’ve got your back, here in Heaven, same as you had mine there. Don’t worry ‘bout it, just live it out, Man. Just live it out. You know I love you all, everything that’s been. We’ll always be. One crazy family. You’ve always been my hero, Zach. And I’m yours now? Sweet. Can’t touch that. And you know, I wouldn’t change a thing. Miss you, Man…

gUnZ uP

Thursday, May 3, 2007

OIF 2 Letter: March 25, 2004

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