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| Monday, 11-Aug-2008 17:03 |
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Just some favorite photos!
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Just a hodge podge of photos of mine. It looks like there might be a call up in the near future so I wanted to make sure the site stays active. - JHD
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| Tuesday, 6-Feb-2007 00:46 |
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Dink's game!
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Just checking on something. Due to a lack of usage I believe all pics will not expand from thumbnails so I'm going to see if a new post re-establishes the protocols.
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| Sunday, 22-Oct-2006 16:05 |
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War is Hell!
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Cpl Kris Keller
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Jack Of All Trades!
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Kris & Little Sis Elizabeth - Homecoming '06
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War Is Hell!
I remember like it was yesterday when our young Marine came marching out on the parade deck of Parris Island sporting a brand new chevron proclaiming him a PFC in the United States Marine Corps! A merit stripe earned in the sand fleas and swamps of South Carolina. God how proud I was. I bet I stood a full two inches taller. His Mom squeezing my hand harder as his Training Battalion passed the stands. The tears of pride I enjoyed wiping from her cheeks. The virility, the strength, a man where a boy should stand. It was all there.
From that day forward our home became a staging area of sorts for the next four years and even now. Young Marines we met on that very same Parade Deck stopping in on their way one place or another knowing they would get a home cooked meal and lodging with others of their kind. After SOI they came in bunches, full of themselves, cocky, with the innate ability to use the F word as a noun, adjective, verb, adverb. All in the same sentence! Vulgar? Not for a minute. These are young men that enlisted in a time their country is at war, knowing full well what they were facing and where they were headed. They are young men "with the bark on" as the saying goes from my generation. Respectful to Mom and Sis to the max, loving them after minutes of meeting them. You could see the protection trait in them even then. The seriousness they held in their minds of what they were doing was embodied in their Moms and Sisters, Girlfriends and Fiancées, Wives and Daughters. A finer lot of young fire eaters you could never imagine!
The first deployment. A float into that blur we didn't understand as newbies called "Operation Southern Watch". OIF 1, 2, 3&4 combined. The good-byes, the hellos, the world of roller coasters that is the Corps. Hurry up and wait. Deployment extended. Deployment shortened. Deployment day moved. Again. And again. Return date moved. Again. And again. The unbelievable insanity that is The Corps to those that have never dealt with Her. Agonizing. Slow. Then afterburner fast and they are gone. Then here. Sleep when? What is sleep? People offering condolences and understanding. For what? They do not know. They can only guess. Carry on. Face the day. Stay away from the news. DO. NOT. GO. NEAR. BEDWETTERS. Stay loose. Stay calm. Be the rock your Marine is and is counting on in you.
Bury your dead. Those bright eyes and bravado dressed in Marine cammies you knew and loved. Those young men that went to war with one of your own so full of purpose. Those young men that died not fighting for their country but instead for their Brother Marine next to them. Those young men that died fighting for their Moms, Sisters, Girlfriends, Wives, and Children. This is what protects a nation. This is what real Honor, Integrity, Duty is all about. You lose the first one and it destroys you. Rips your heart right out through your guts. Then another. And another. Then they come in bunches. Full scale battles head into insurgency, snipers, and IEDs. It's like you walk around in a daze for seven months at a clip. Fearing to go home and hear the news. Afraid of what will be in your inbox. Scared to check with all the other Marine parents going through the same thing. And yet? Through it all that same pride you felt on Graduation Day at P.I. courses through your veins and sustains your heart. You truly understand what type of young men these are and could shout it from the Mountain!
You busy yourself helping your kids in their daily lives. You watch your daughter grow through Club soccer, high school, and listen to the drivel that is the protected class when a Soccer Mom goes off on "George Bush's War". You look at this 30 pounds of overweight shoved into spandex screaming at refs, her daughter, your daughter, on the touches, and you look over at your lovely little Bride sitting there calmly taking it all in. That little Woman with a body of a goddess sitting there calmly, the mother of four with a son in harm's way, and you smile at the sheer insanity of the protected. They do not understand and never will. They do not wake in the middle of the night thinking they heard the phone or the chime of a message hitting the inbox. Hoping, praying, trusting in God to bring her son back to her. Crying herself back to sleep and all you can do is hold on tight. No, you stand there and take it all in knowing these people are given the right to vote by men of your son's caliber and making sure to rein in any feelings that may be regurgitating to the tip of your tongue. Your daughter trots off the field, "Kris call Daddy?". No. Not today. Fourteen years old and scared to death for worry over her big brother. Her other brothers taking up the slack and the usual bickering non-existent during deployments. Everyone is almost holding their breath. Waiting. Nothing to do but wait!
They're home. You've died twenty-two times along with the parents of their Fallen Brothers. The pain never truly subsides. It never, ever gets easier. It is always there. The unbelievable underground support network that is the strength of The Corps takes care of you. And you it. The false emotions do not go into those places. Humanity is stripped bare where we dwell. Life is all about getting through it. Gold Star parents are worshipped. They are our rock stars. They are us if not by some deflection, SAPI plate, lucky turn when the IED blows the humvee to hell and back. They are Honor personified. The Marine Wives of the Fallen are our American Idols. They are Integrity, Strength, Life. They deserve the pillar we put them on and will always have our hearts. They are all that is Good. They are Sacrifice! God Bless 'em all!
You wait. Again. And again. There he is. Stepping off that damn slow bus. You can see the death in his eyes from where you stand. The Stare. The flatness and lack of emotion shines from the depths of what used to be the light. You take in everything at a glance. The skinny form where the beef used to be. The scars already healed. The stiffness of his walk and the sheer power that exudes from him. The unbelievable animal magnetism that screams his manhood. You take that in as you watch his Mom and Sis attack him in a hug. There was a tiny flicker of light forming in his eyes when he first spied them that has now become a full glow that threatens to light up the night. Happiness for the first time in awhile envelops him. You worry that deadness will return and has it entered his very soul? Thoughts only of a dad. But that light! Ah, you know he will heal, you know he stands true, you know he is loved, and love heals all!
But most of all, you stand there while the women folk fuss over him and notice the numbers missing. You notice the ones that aren't here. You witness the ones that he saw last as he put them in the MEDEVAC broken and bleeding surround him and shout to the rooftops with hilarity. You see the bond of real men and real brotherhood staring at you in the face. You stand there and remember that Pride from Parris Island and it washes over you anew! Then it is your turn and that young Marine walks up to you, shakes your hand looking you dead in the eye, and tells you he is home. There are no words to describe the Pride a dad has for his Son at that time. No words can do it justice. The pain he knows I carry for his Fallen Brothers because he carries it too. Were it I could carry his burdens and he understands. The meeting of a dad and his Son. The same as it's been throughout history. Two men that believe in one another.
Yeah, half the folks in this great nation that these young men and women sacrifice for will never, ever "get it". I will also never, ever stand down in their stead either. My strength is much greater than theirs. Mine was forged in the fires of Hell! Theirs given them by men and women they will never understand.
Get it?
I do. We do!
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
In Loving Memory
OIF2
GySgt. Ronald Baum
Sgt. Michael Speer
Cpl. Chris Belchik
LCpl. Brian Kelly
LCpl. Nick Morrison
LCpl. Andrew Zabierek
OIF 3&4
2dLt. James Cathey
Pfc. Shane Cabino
Cpl. Nicholas Cherava
LCpl. Jason Frye
LCpl. Patrick Kenny
SSgt. Richard Pummil
LCpl. Andrew Russoli
LCpl. Steven Szwydek
LCpl. Kenneth Butler
Cpl. Benny Cockerham III
HM3 Chris Thompson
Cpt. Tyler Swisher
Sgt. Michael Hodshire
LCpl. Nicholas Schiavoni
LCpl. Tyler Troyer
Sgt. Sean Miles
At Home
Cpl. Timothy Foshay
Fair Winds and Following Seas Warlords! Semper Fidelis!
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| Saturday, 21-Oct-2006 12:00 |
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An Annivesary of Life!
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Cpl Benny G. Cockerham
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http://www.legacy.com/charlotte/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=15521476
The Tribute Book is still open for Gray Cockerham. Cpt Swisher, Doc Thompson, Cpl Cockerham, and LCpl Butler KIA Oct 21, 2005. LCpl Szwydek, LCpl Russoli, and SSgt Pummil KIA Oct 20, 2005. The week that ripped our hearts right out of our chests!
SEMPER FIDELIS!
JHD
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/15813553.htm
Posted on Sat, Oct. 21, 2006
"THE ARMED FORCES ... AFFORD US THE LUXURY TO SQUABBLE, SIT HERE AND LIVE EVERYDAY LIVES. MY SON GAVE HIS LIFE SO THAT EVERYONE ELSE COULD HAVE THAT TRIVIAL EXISTENCE." BEN COCKERHAM FATHER OF GRAY COCKERHAM, WHO WAS KILLED IN IRAQ OCT. 21, 2005
Grieving family views life in shades of Gray
Beloved son. Brave fighter. One of 2,787 dead.
JEN ARONOFF
jaronoff@charlotteobserver.com
Today, Gray Cockerham's family will visit him at the only place they can, the address etched in their memory: Section 60, headstone 8290, Arlington National Cemetery.
Exactly one year has passed since the Hickory Marine was killed outside of Fallujah, Iraq. He was 21.
One year, and Ben and Jill Cockerham say they still think of their oldest son every minute. In the morning, at night before they go to sleep, with each meal they eat. The death they didn't want to believe has become something they cannot let fade.
Three and a half years into the Iraq war, at least 2,787 American troops have died. This month is on track to be the third deadliest for U.S. forces since the fall of Saddam Hussein in April 2003.
War is inevitable, and there has to be someone with the guts to fight it, said Ben, 46, a former Marine himself. The Cockerhams didn't want to discuss their politics. Marines, he said, fight for their country, not a political party.
Cpl. Benny Gray Cockerham III, known to everyone as Gray, was in constant motion from the time he was a baby, never able to sit still, always ready to throw himself into outdoor activity, the more challenging the better.
He snowboarded, wakeboarded, Jet Skied, hunted, fished, played paintball and ran and dove across the field as an all-region forward on the St. Stephens High School soccer team.
For Gray, his father says, it was never a matter of "no," but "how."
He was good at anything he put his mind to, Ben said, but needed to find what he was interested in. He wanted his parents to tell him. Figure it out on your own, they said. So he did.
In March 2003, Ben came home from work and his younger son, Adam, greeted him at the door. "Guess what Gray did today?" he said.
Gray had joined the Marines.
There, he won friends as a jokester and earned respect with his smarts and loyalty, said his two best friends from the Corps, Cpl. Gary Bell and Lance Cpl. Jim Faleris.
But he returned from his first tour of duty a different man. Wounded by a mortar round in the battle of Fallujah in April 2004, and awarded a Purple Heart, he seemed older in appearance, outlook and demeanor.
He became closer to his family, more patient and easygoing. One day, Jill noticed Gray standing in the driveway, staring at the sky. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Looking at the clouds," he replied. "You don't see clouds in Iraq."
The night before Gray left for his second tour of duty, in July 2005, he planned his own funeral. I want it done exactly like I said, he told his father.
"Tell everyone in the family I love them," Gray said when he phoned Jill on Oct. 18, 2005, promising to call back the following Sunday.
Three days later, at about 9:30 p.m., Ben and Jill were coming home from a Hickory restaurant and noticed a white van in their driveway. "Who drives a white van?" they wondered.
When Ben and Jill parked, the occupants of the white van opened their doors. As they did, the van's dome light came on, illuminating two Marines in dress blues.
The Marines stepped from the van. "We regret to inform you there was an explosion," they said. Gray was missing. Recovery operations were under way.
Ben knew what the military language meant. Jill held out hope. If anyone could have made it, she thought, Gray would have.
On Monday night, the Marines phoned. Gray had been found in a canal next to the road.
In the months that followed, Ben and Jill learned the full story of Gray's death: He and four other men were headed to a rural area to discuss security issues with tribal leaders. Gray sat in the front, navigating.
At about 2:30 p.m., they rolled over a 500-pound bomb that had been buried since at least the summer, somersaulting the Humvee.
Gray's body was flown to Arlington, outside Washington, from Charlotte/Douglas airport. "The hardest thing I've ever had to do," Ben said, "is watch my child lifted on a forklift, in a crane, and put on an airplane."
Living with it
Jill, 45, travels to Arlington every month; Ben visits almost as much. They expect to do so the rest of their lives.
There are times they want to block out what happened, Jill said, but Arlington makes it real. There, they run into Marines who knew or knew of their son, and they see others going through the same thing. It's almost, Jill said, like they become your family.
Each time they make the trip, they notice that the rows of tombstones have grown.
Gray was killed that October day with three other men, two of whom -- Chris Thompson, 25, of Millers Creek, outside Wilkesboro, and Kenneth Butler, 19, of Landis -- were from N.C. towns about an hour apart.
Staff Sgt. Jason Ramseyer, 28, of Lenoir, who was killed by a roadside bomb in April, lies about 10 graves away. His birthday: Oct. 21.
Ben is both proud and remorseful about the way his son died. Jill feels differently but declines to elaborate.
They realize life goes on.
In this country, we concern ourselves with who won the football game, Ben said. We drive down the road talking on our cell phones. We have televisions and cars and nice homes. We worry about the lyrics to rap songs.
"All this other stuff seems so trivial, and the reason it feels trivial is that the armed forces let it be trivial, afford us the luxury to squabble, sit here and live everyday lives," Ben said. "My son gave his life so that everyone else could have that trivial existence."
Jill rarely watches television these days. She doesn't bother reading Better Homes and Gardens. Instead, she sought out a recent issue of Soldier of Fortune, which ran an article and photo about Gray's unit, the Warlords -- 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment.
Earlier this month, Ben was in a restaurant where the TV was tuned to CNN. The announcer mentioned that three Marines had been killed in Iraq. "No one even stopped their conversations," Ben said. "It's a non-event for them. It's like there was a train wreck in Siberia."
In early October, Ben and Jill moved to Winston-Salem, a change they had been planning for years but delayed until Adam graduated from high school.
Before they left Hickory, Jill planned to take the flag they flew at their home to the 90-year-old veteran across the street who, rain or shine, would walk over with help from his wife and salute. Instead, the man came over himself to pick it up. "For the rest of my life," he told Jill, "I will salute that flag."
At their new home, the Cockerhams no longer imagine seeing the white van in the driveway, as they had every day since last Oct. 21. They do not run into people in town who look at them like they don't know what to say.
But reminders remain. Framed photos of Gray and Adam rest on the leather couch, waiting to be hung. Propped above the fireplace is a giant oil painting of an Iraqi woman, her eyes downcast, her back turned -- a birthday present from Gray to Ben.
The woman in the picture is scantily clad, but Gray bought it because he admired the artist's work. It arrived in Hickory about a week before Gray's death, and Jill didn't know what to do with such a thing. Now, she wants to display it, because her son saved up for it and told her to appreciate it as art.
Adam, now 18 and a college freshman, has asked, "How much longer before our house gets back to normal?"
Jill has a reply. "I don't think it ever will."
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| Friday, 22-Sep-2006 19:31 |
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Fair Winds Corporal of Marines!
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Cpl Timothy Foshay
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OIF 2 (then) LCpl Timothy Foshay
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Friday, September 22, 2006
Marine, just discharged, dies in crash
By ELIZABETH COMEAU
Staff Writer
Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
VASSALBORO -- Timothy E. Foshay returned home last month, eager to reconnect with friends and family after four years in the U.S. Marine Corps that included three tours in Iraq.
He was preparing for English courses at the University of Maine at Augusta, and had just found a new apartment to live in, said Timothy's mother, Ann Foshay.
"He hadn't even gotten a chance to move in yet," she said.
Foshay, 22, died Wednesday night after losing control of his 1995 Acura. Police say he was speeding when his car overturned and rolled into some trees and rocks on Holman Day Road in Vassalboro. Foshay, who was ejected from his car, was dead by the time police arrived, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety
Ann Foshay said that her son -- enrolled at UMA as an English major -- got out of the Marines on early release so he could attend school. At the time of his discharge, he was a corporal serving with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment.
"He loved his family and was enjoying getting back from four years away and connecting with friends," Ann Foshay said. As one of 10 children in his family, Timothy was the second oldest, and oldest boy, she said.
"He was planning on doing the Appalachian Mountain trail in three months when it took most people six -- but he had it all worked out," she said.
Those who knew Foshay, a graduate of Waterville High School, said that he was a bright, nonjudgmental young man.
"He was kind of quiet and very, very smart," said Jo Comeau, Foshay's guidance counselor at Waterville High.
"He was somewhat of a renaissance guy who played guitar and was very easy to be with," Comeau said. "His death is very sad."
Elizabeth Comeau -- 623-3811, Ext. 433
ecomeau@centralmaine.com
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/3157444.shtml
# 1 - Former U.S. Marine Timothy Foshay stands for photograph while serving his second tour in Iraq with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines in April 2005. Foshay, 22, of Vassalboro died Tuesday night in a one-vehicle accident in Vassalboro, nearly a month after completing his four years of service
# 2 - I was searching back through the archives and ran across this picture of Foshay. I do not remember if this was before or after the 1st Battle of Fallujah but it was definitely during OIF2. Fair Winds and Following Seas Corporal of Marines! - JHD
There was a new presence on the roads near Mahmudiyah recently. Company B, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division attached to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment to help protect the roads and bridges to keep supply lines open. Here an M-1A1 Abrams tank crew posts security on the supply route.
(Then) Lance Cpl. Timothy E. Foshay, a rifleman with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, provides security for his vehicle during a patrol recently. He wasn't alone this time, though. Close by was a 70-ton, M-1A1 Abrams tank. Company B, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division attached to the task force recently to help provide security to the nearby supply route. The tanks are a welcome sight to the Marines who appreciate the psychological and tactical impact the tanks have on enemy forces
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| Monday, 10-Jul-2006 18:17 |
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A Tale of Two Heroes: Jamie Bryner & LCpl Steven Szwydek!
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Jamie Bryner is a hero in my book! Fair Winds Steven. We miss you! - JHD
Monday July 10, 2006
Town memorializes hero
by JENNIFER FITCH
waynesboro@herald-mail.com
WARFORDSBURG, PA.
Jamie Bryner never had a conversation with Lance Cpl. Steven W. Szwydek before an improvised explosive device killed the 20-year-old Marine last October.
The pair was separated by eight years and half the world at the time.
Yet Bryner's actions not only brought him closer to Szwydek's spirit, they united 600 people given the opportunity Sunday to memorialize their friend, neighbor, classmate and fellow Marine.
"Jamie, I hope you know the impact you've had on us and all the people in this auditorium and how important it is that we never forget," Nancy Szwydek said to the 13-year-old Needmore, Pa., resident who made her son his "fallen hero."
In two months, Jamie solicited more than $5,000 needed to give Southern Fulton High School a statue honoring the 2003 graduate who served with Weapons Co., 2nd Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, also known as 2/2 Weapons Co.
Jamie, an eighth-grader in the Southern Fulton School District, only met Szwydek twice before his final deployment to Iraq last summer. The only thing the boy knew they had in common was a lifelong desire to be a Marine.
"That, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what's right with our younger generation," said Maj. Curtis Hill, a Fulton County, Pa., native who served as master of ceremonies.
The afternoon's ceremony culminated with the statue's unveiling, after haunting selections performed by the St. Patrick's Chorale and a Marine Corps brass quintet, remarks from commanding officers and the 2/2 Weapons Co. chaplain, and gratitude expressed by the Szwydeks and Bryners.
People representing several branches of the military and several generations thanked Jamie, frequently calling him a Marine. Jamie plans to attend Young Marines boot camp next summer and is preparing care packages to send overseas.
"Jamie, since the age of 3, has had a passion for this," said his father, Curtis.
The statue, displaying combat boots and a helmet, is not only dedicated to Szwydek, but everyone killed while serving the United States.
Steven Szwydek "was a kind, caring soldier. He was willing to lay down his life for his freedom," Jamie said.
"Freedom is not free. We do vow to make sure no one forgets that," Nancy Szwydek said.
Her youngest son, Corey Szwydek, is preparing to train with the U.S. Navy.
Watching servicemen from the 2/2 Weapons Co. gathered around the statue, she called them "my Marines."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CopyrightThe Herald-Mail ONLINE
http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=142135&format=html
# 1 - Jamie Bryner, left, watches the unveiling of a memorial statue to Fulton County (Pa.) Marine Lance Cpl. Steven W. Szwydek Sunday at Southern Fulton High School. Jamie solicited more than $5,000 in two months for the statue. (Photo credit: by Kevin G. Gilbert / Staff Photographer)
# 2 - Chaplain Lt. Ted Williams addresses the audience Sunday during a ceremony remembering Fulton County (Pa.) Marine Lance Cpl. Steven W. Szwydek. (Photo credit: by Kevin G. Gilbert / Staff Photographer)
# 3 - Diana Bryner leans her head on the shoulder of son Jamie while her other son, Joey, watches the unveiling of the memorial statue honoring Lance Cpl. Steven W. Szwydek, a Fulton County Marine, Sunday at Southern Fulton High School. In two months, Jamie solicited more than $5,000 needed to give Southern Fulton High School a statue honoring Szwydek, a 2003 graduate of the school. (Photo credit: by Kevin G. Gilbert / Staff Photographer)
# 4 - Stephanie Bard, Szwydek's sister, sings the national anthem Sunday during the ceremony at Southern Fulton High School. (Photo credit: by Kevin G. Gilbert / Staff Photographer)
# 5 - Jamie Bryner accepts a framed print of the poster shown at left from Nancy and Mike Szwydek, the parents of Lance Cpl. Steven W. Szwydek, during the ceremony Sunday. (Photo credit: by Kevin G. Gilbert / Staff Photographer)
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| Sunday, 9-Jul-2006 12:00 |
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2/2 Scout Snipers break in new MK-11s!
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Scout Snipers break in new rifles for 26th MEU
Submitted by: 26th MEU
Story by: Computed Name: Lance Cpl. Aaron J. Rock
Story Identification #: 200679224915
FORT A.P. HILL, Va.(July 9, 2006) -- Scout Snipers from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Bn., 2nd Marine Regiment, fired their new rifles for the first time on a range here today.
The BLT Marines will use the new MK-11 semi-automatic sniper rifle simultaneously alongside the bolt-action M40A3, a descendent of the Vietnam-era M40.
The rifle resembles an M-16 on first glance, and Sgt. Gerald V. Gavin, Scout Sniper Platoon commander, said the resemblance can benefit operations on today's urban battlefields.
Gavin said the distinct look of the M40A3 makes identifying a sniper in an infantry patrol easier. The MK-11 allows the sniper to better blend in with the infantry, making them less vulnerable.
Gavin said the semi-automatic action on the new rifle, as well as the addition of a suppressor system that reduces muzzle flash and report, make it a valuable addition to the inventory.
The MK-11 comes fitted with the Scout Sniper Day Scope (SSDS), which the Marine Corps also is attaching to its existing inventory of M40A3s.
Gavin said the new scope improves the snipers ability to engage targets, offering enhanced sighting ability and ease of use. "It's a great piece of glass," he said.
Lance Cpl. James K. Dagenhart agreed with Gavin's opinion of the MK-11, and said he prefers the MK-11.
"I like it because it's semi-auto, and I love the scope. . . the new scope is money," Dagenhart said.
The MK-11 weighs 18.29 pounds fully loaded with its two-pound suppressor attached, while the M40A3 weighs in at 18.5 fully loaded.
Both rifles fire the same 7.62 mm round, and the MK-11 is accurate up to 800 yards.
Gavin said he thinks the MK-11 is a great weapon, although he is still partial to his experience with the M40A3.
The BLT and Scout Snipers will continue to train with the MEU's Aviation and Logistics Combat Elements here until the end of the month. The training at Fort A.P. Hill is the MEU's first step in a six-month pre-deployment training process designed to merge the disparate elements of the MEU into a cohesive, rapid reaction force. The 26th MEU will continue to prepare for an early 2007 deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
For more information on the 26th MEU, go to www.usmc.mil/26thmeu.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/ED7D6A01396058B6852571A7000F7ED4?opendocument
# 1 - Lance Corporal William L. Reed, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Bn., 2nd Marine Regiment, demonstrates sighting the MK-11, the 26th MEU Scout Snipers' new sniper rifle. The unit was firing the weapon for the first time on the range at Fort A.P. Hill, Va. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Aaron J. Rock
# 2 - Scout Snipers from the 26th MEU line up their new MK-11 sniper rifles before firing the weapons for the first time on a range at Fort A.P. Hill, Va. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Aaron J. Rock
# 3 & 4 - Marines of Scout Sniper Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Bn., 2nd Marine Regiment, shoot the MK-11 rifle, newest sniper rifle to the Marine Corps, for the first time during training at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., July 9, 2006. The Marines are training with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit for a planned deployment in early 2007. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Patrick M. Johnson-Campbell
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| Saturday, 8-Jul-2006 16:02 |
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Pfc Dustin Butler!
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Marine wants to follow in father’s footsteps
July 7, 2006; Submitted on: 07/07/2006 08:52:07 AM ; Story ID#: 2006778527
By Pfc. David A. Weikle, 2nd Marine Division
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (July 7, 2006) -- Pfc. Dustin Butler has a dream of what he wants to do with his life. The assaultman with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment dreams of one day sighting in and fulfilling the sniper’s principle of “One shot, one kill.”
Butler, who graduated from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Oct. 14, 2005, wants to be a Marine Corps sniper.
“My stepfather was a sniper and trained me to behave like a sniper, waiting for that one perfect shot,” said the Wintergarden, Fla. native. “He taught me the importance of patience and consistency.”
Butler looked to his stepfather and grandfather when he began considering the military. Both men told him of the camaraderie and brotherhood they had found in the Marines.
“I loved the Corps. The only regret I had was that I got out,” said Lee Belasky, Butler’s stepfather, a propane and natural gas serviceman. “My experiences in the Corps, both good and bad, made me a part of an everlasting brotherhood.”
That brotherhood was something that appealed to Butler. But it was an experience from childhood that had the most impact on him.
“We were sitting in church on Veterans Day and they asked everyone who had served to stand up,” said the short and stocky Butler. “I saw my father standing up and most of the there people were thanking him. I saw the respect that people had for him and those other veterans.”
It was the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which was the final push for Butler to join the Corps. He felt the patriotic call to defend the nation and set out to do just that even though he was still in high school.
“Anyone who has the ability to take action has the responsibility to do so,” he said. “I went to speak with a recruiter that day.”
His transformation into a Marine truly started July 20, 2005 when he went aboard MCRD Parris Island, S.C. Butler was reborn as a Marine Oct. 14, 2005 when he stood shoulder to shoulder with his father and grandfather in front of the Marines’ Memorial beside the Petross Parade Deck.
“It was one of those moments you never forget,” Butler said. “Three generations of Marines, standing together as part of the family that is the Corps.”
Butler went home to enjoy his leave before having to report to the Infantry Taining Battalion at the School of Infantry-East, Camp Geiger, N.C. He followed in his father and grandfather’s steps by choosing to join the infantry.
“He could’ve gotten another job,” said Belasky. “But he was like me and my father, and wanted to be part of the infantry and what it stood for.”
While at ITB, Butler sustained a foot injury, which caused him to get dropped from training. He was put into the medical recovery platoon until he was able to train again.
“MRP was very difficult for him,” his father said. “We had to help him stay motivated and reminded him what he joined for. That, and determination are what helped him get through it.”
Butler is now getting ready to deploy with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. The training the battalion is receiving builds on infantry skills for the urban environment he learned in SOI.
“We patrol and clear buildings and are learning how to better communicate with each other,” Butler said. “We use simulation rounds and practice grenades to simulate combat.”
Sim rounds, as they are called, allow participants to be more realistically challenged. The Marines learn how to reload their weapons, conserve ammunition in combat and see where mistakes cause causalities.
Butler plans to apply to the sniper program after deployment. He feels he needs battlefield experience before he enters the program.
“Marines in a unit need to be able to trust each other,” he said. “When you go to a unit like the snipers, they expect someone with a little experience. Deploying will give me the chance to do that.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/855D8D13A837EDE9852571A40046B0DF?opendocument
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.— Pfc. Dustin Butler, an assaultman with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment loads a magazine simulation rounds in preparation for a final patrol at the military operations in urban terrain facility here, June 9. Butler hopes to enter the sniper program after deploying . Photo by: Pfc. David A. Weikle
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| Friday, 7-Jul-2006 12:00 |
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New Squad Leader!
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Photo # 1
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Photo # 2
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Photo # 3
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LCpl McElwee gets some ink! Congrats on taking a squad LCpl. Pics show some new gear as well! - JHD
Marine leads from the front
July 7, 2006; Submitted on: 07/07/2006 08:55:19 AM ; Story ID#: 20067785519
By Pfc. David A. Weikle, 2nd Marine Division
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (July 7, 2006) -- Marines are taught early on in training the best leaders will show the way and lead from the front, and Lance Cpl. John G. McElwee, a squad leader with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, does.
He shows his Marines how to get the job done, leading by example, charging into the action, ready to get his hands dirty along with them.
“My training and experience give me the confidence I need to lead these Marines,” said McElwee, a Cincinnati native.
McElwee is looking forward to deploying again. He says that he enjoys deployment because of the work that gets done.
“I like being home,” he said “I want to deploy and get the job done right so that we can bring everyone back when we’re ready.”
McElwee served as a squad automatic weapon gunner for part of his first deployment. Before carrying the SAW, he was a rifleman.
“I enjoyed using the M-249 SAW,” he said. “It was interesting to carry such a powerful weapon.”
McElwee was selected to be a squad leader after returning from deployment in Iraq. This meant he was to take over the position and push his Marines to work hard and train hard like his leaders did for him.
“Being in charge of three fireteams means I’m now in charge of three SAW gunners and their combined firepower,” he said. “It’s more responsibility, but I’m ready for it.”
McElwee trained with Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and Marines from 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment as part of a week long exercise in infantry tactics for an urban environment.
Pfc. Dustin Butler an assaultman with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment was in the same squad as McElwee during the training exercise here. McElwee led a fireteam of Marines during the exercise.
“McElwee took charge of the situation,” said Butler. “He led his Marines from the front. He had confidence with every room they cleared and didn’t slow down for anything.”
McElwee led his fireteam from the front as his squad cleared each building. He said it wasn’t enough to just push his Marines forward.
“I have experience with these types of operations,” he said. “I know what it takes to get the job done and I do it.”
Military service always held an interest for McElwee, whose father and sister both served as officers in the U.S. Navy. It was Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism that pushed him to join.
“I’m glad I joined the Corps,” McElwee said. “I’m glad I chose the infantry.”
“It’s something I felt I had to do,” he said. “Infantry seemed like it was the heart of the Corps, and that’s where I wanted to be.”
With half of his time in the Corps already spent McElwee, is debating what to do when he gets out. For the time being he plans to go to college. After serving his country as a Marine he is considering serving his community as a teacher.
“I’ve always been interested in higher education,” he said. “I think I might go become a history teacher.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/300AF078629292A9852571A40046FBD7?opendocument
# 1 - MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.- Lance Cpl. John G. McElwee leads his fireteam of Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, as they charge into a building at the military operations in urban terrain facility here June 7. McElwee was selected to be a squad leader for 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment after returning from deployment to Iraq. Photo by: Pfc. David A. Weikle
# 2 - MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.- Lance Cpl. John G. McElwee discuses how his fireteam of Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, will clear a room at the military operations in urban terrain facility here June 7. “My training and experience give me the confidence I need to lead these Marines,” said McElwee. Photo by: Pfc. David A. Weikle
# 3 - MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.- Lance Cpl. John G. McElwee loads a magazine of simulation rounds into a magazine in preparation for a final patrol as part of an exercise at the military operations in urban terrain facility here June 9. McElwee led a fireteam of Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment as they trained during the week long exercise. Photo by: Pfc. David A. Weikle
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| Tuesday, 6-Jun-2006 12:00 |
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Belleau Wood - a bit of Corps history!
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The Battle for Belleau Woods was fierce and often very personal.
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Floyd Gibbons with Marine escort.
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Iron Mike - Quantico
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Floyd Gibbons’ Legacy to the Marines ©2002
By Dick Culver
While the Marines had been among the first troops to arrive in France after our declaration of war against the Kaiser, they had initially been utilized as guard and garrison troops. General Pershing, while impressed with the smartness of the Marines and their ability to perform even the most menial tasks with no complaint, he was not convinced that a bunch of Sea Soldiers could or would function well when integrated into a modern land Army. The Commandant was not amused and used every trick he could muster to get the Marines into a separate unit that would function under their own officers and NCOs. Grudgingly they were slowly put into the lines to accustom them to the peculiarities of trench warfare and were finally brigaded with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Brigade consisting of the 9th and 23rd Infantry Regiments and the 5th Machine Gun Battalion. The Marine Units were the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, collectively known as the 4th Marine Brigade.
Constant training and tours in the trenches had hardened the 2nd Army Division which now was the parent unit of both the Army’s 3rd Brigade and the 4th Marine Brigade commanded by Army Major General Harbord. While both the 3rd and 4th Brigades had been combat seasoned, neither had ever participated in a major action. This was soon to change.
The French notified General Pershing that Paris was in danger of being overrun, and the German 5th Guards Division had advanced within 50 miles of the City of Light. The 2nd Division was tapped to stop the German threat to Paris and to the honor of the French citizenry. Since this is primarily a story of Marines, I will stick primarily to the Marines’ action, but can’t leave out an organization that the Marines thought of as their own – the Army’s 2nd Engineers (a part of the 2nd Division, along with the 3rd [Army] Brigade).
The first couple of days resulted in further German advances being repulsed by extremely accurate Marine rifle fire and counter-attacks. The battle began to grow and reach crescendo proportions from the 1st of June though the 6th. The 5th Regiment had advanced on hill 142 the morning of June 6th to be followed by the 6th Regiment on the evening of June 6th to make a push for the wood proper.
Floyd Gibbons had become perhaps as famous as (but a bit more flamboyant than) Ernie Pyle in WWII, and was noted for his friendship and admiration for the U.S. Marines. On the evening of 6 June 1918, Gibbons attached himself to 3/6 under the command of Benjamin S. Berry. Major Berry advised Gibbons to go back as it was “hotter than hell in there”… Major Berry advanced and was almost immediately wounded. Gibbons hit the deck and was soon wounded in both the left arm and shoulder. A final bullet ricocheted off a rock and took out his left eye exiting through the right side of his helmet… Gibbons remained conscious throughout the entire ordeal until he could be finally evacuated and removed via ambulance to a field hospital. Prior to jumping off into the Wood, Gibbons had handed his earlier dispatches to a friend prior to entering Belleau Wood, asking him to file his notes for him if he did not survive the ordeal, and thereby hangs the tail.
General Pershing had an “ironclad” rule against identifying individual units in contact with the enemy, and until this time no specific unit had been identified in action. The American Public was literally slobbering for news of their units overcoming the Huns. Things were about to change!
Floyd Gibbons was a popular and well known individual greatly admired by his contemporaries. The news of his grievous wounds spread rapidly to the rear and it was feared that Floyd had written his last story. The censors got together and decided to publish Floyd’s last dispatches without censoring them as a tribute to the famed reporter. The Army censors also being great fans of Gibbons, agreed and Floyd’s last dispatches were published lauding the glorious exploits of the Marines in Belleau Wood. This was done without the knowledge or permission of General Pershing! The Marines being unaware of the content of Gibbons’ dispatches and up to their ears in Germans, simply continued to attack.
The dispatches concerning the battle of Belleau Wood continued to roll in uncensored for three more days and the Marines soaked up the lion’s share of the publicity. Finally the censorship was reapplied in spades and unit identification was again stopped by the Army censors. …But it was too late. The American Public, hungry for news of “their boys” in the trenches, took the Marines to heart and rightly or wrongly, the Corp’s reputation was made.
Floyd survived his terrible wounds and was eventually awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm while being escorted by his beloved Marines as an honor guard.
The indiscretion(s) resulting from publishing Floyd’s unaltered dispatches, forever changed the American Public’s perception of the United States Marines. Now these elite troops were the most important ground troops suppressing the Hun and winning the war against the Kaiser. The Marines of course, had no idea of what was happening. Conversely, General Pershing DID have an idea and was busily gnashing his teeth.
The Marines continued to shed glory on themselves throughout the end of the war and came away with an unblemished reputation. The Marines had become (rightly or wrongly) the darlings of the American Public.
Floyd became instantly identified with his Marines and for many years thereafter went into places of eminent danger with “his” Marines, usually wearing the Marine Forrest Green Uniform. In 1941, Floyd Gibbons was posthumously made an official U.S. Marine by the Marine Corps League.
Once the war was over, General Pershing commissioned a French sculptor to create a bronze statue to commemorate the U.S. Army Doughboy’s service in WWI. General Pershing told his staff to furnish a model to pose for the French sculptor for his commemorative statue. Apparently not too much guidance was given, and the individual assigned to pose for the statue was a Marine Private. The Frenchman, having no intramural rivalries in his psyche, modeled the Marine Private in his entirety – complete with the Marine Corps Emblem on his helmet!
When General Pershing saw the finished statue, he refused to accept the Frenchman’s work of art, since it had a USMC emblem on the helmet! Pershing was, in a word, outraged (and still extremely upset about the breech of censorship which he saw as an unfair overshadowing of the United States Army’s exploits in the Great War)! General Douglas MacArthur was also outraged and continued to hold a grudge even after he fled Corregidor in the early days of WWII. When safely ensconced in Australia, he immediately wrote each (Army) unit on the Rock up for a Presidential Unit Citation – all except one, the 4th Regiment of Marines. When his oversight was pointed out to him, he ground his teeth and made a statement to the effect that the Marines had garnered unfair publicity in WWI and he was not going to add to their fame and glory in “THIS” war! It wasn’t until the Inchon Landing in Korea that he finally forgave the Marines their earlier indiscretions when they pulled the Army’s chestnuts out of the fire. From that time on, they became “his” Marines and apparently all was forgiven, some 32-years after the fact.
Help was in the wings concerning the now orphaned statue, with the lonely Marine Corps Emblem however, as General Smedley Butler (holder of two Medals of Honor) saw the statue and fell in love. He took up a collection from all the Marines in the AEF and bought the statue from the Frenchman. They shipped the artwork back to the United States and placed it in front of the old Headquarters Building of the Marine Corps Base at Quantico.
The statue stands there today as a reminder to the Corps of its heritage and remains on guard over the old Headquarters Building of long ago. I often have stood in front of it and harked back to an earlier time. Although uncovered, I have given a slow and meaningful mental salute to those fine Marines who fought and often gave their lives so that later generations would enjoy freedom. My generation (living in the shadow of theirs) would be inspired by the glory and sacrifices of those gallant “Soldiers of the Sea” who went before. When I was a youngster in the Corps, we still had Marines on active duty who had fought at Belleau Wood, and were combat veterans of “The Great War.” Two of my first three Commandants had fought at Belleau Wood and received the Navy Cross for their actions (General Shepherd and General Cates). A third, General Pate, was also a veteran of WWI (albeit an Army veteran of the Great War). One of my mentors of the time was a Marine Warrant Officer who had participated in WWI and been assigned as a part of the famous railroad “Mail Guard” in the 1920s… General Cates, then serving as a Captain, had been my Dad’s OIC of the Spokane, Washington Recruiting Station in the 1920s. I once stood in awe while they talked while stopped on the steps to Little Hall (the old PX) in Quantico. Cates was the Commanding General of Quantico at the time, having stepped down from the office of Commandant after a four year tour – General Cates simply wasn’t ready to retire! My point is simply that I felt much closer to the veterans of the Great War than those who now serve. My Dad had joined the Corps in 1918 (a bit underage), and much later had a contemporary with him during WWII who had sailed around the World as a member of the Marine Detachment on a Cruiser with Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet in 1905… It is now a different century of course, and perhaps a bit more difficult to personally identify with those who made history before us, but not so very long ago, such was not the case with the veterans of Belleau Wood!
ROC
SIDE NOTES: The statue in the story is often called “Iron Mike” although another statue of a WWI Marine with a machine gun over his shoulder at Parris Island is also called “Iron Mike”… I was aware of both, since I had grown up around Quantico, and when I went to Parris Island, I was told that the statue on “the Island” was also known as Iron Mike! In my youth, I simply assumed that every Marine Corps post must have a WWI statue called Iron Mike! Which came first? I don’t have a clue, but my Dad, a Marine in 1918 tells me that the statue in Quantico had been there as long as he can remember (actually it was shortly following WWI), and he was at Parris Island in 1918… The mystery is shrouded in the mists of time…
The 4th Brigade of Marines were closely tied to the 2nd Army Division (Commanded by General John A. Lejeune, following [Army] General Harbord’s reassignment to the AEF Staff) – General Lejeune thus became the first Marine Corps General to ever command an Army Division). The 4th Marine Brigade held a great respect for the Army infantry contingent of the 2nd Division and especially the 2nd Engineers. Following the war, the Marines changed the name of their magazine, originally called “The Marines Magazine” (a sort of predecessor of the “Leatherneck” magazine), to the “Marines Magazine and Indian” in honor of their brothers in arms (the patch of the 2nd Division depicted a colorful Indian Head as their logo). I once donated a copy of the last issue of “The Marines Magazine” and the first issue of “The Marines Magazine and Indian” to the Marine Corps Museum. These had been in my Dad’s trunk, along with many copies on either side of the name change. John W. Thomason makes frequent mention in his book, “Fix Bayonets” of the Marines’ affection for the 2nd Engineers. The tone of the articles in the magazine conveys great camaraderie between the Marines of the 4th Brigade and their comrades in the 2nd Division. Apparently it was a great “love-love” relationship.
# 1 - The Battle for Belleau Woods was fierce and often very personal. Marine affinity for the bayonet terrified the German Infantry.
# 2 - Floyd Gibbons with Marine escort going to receive his Croix de Guerre.
# 3 - Iron Mike standing in front of the old Headquarters Building in Quantico. Note Marine Emblem on helmet.
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