« September 2005 | Main | November 2005 »



October 30, 2005



The frozen Chosin

Sometimes, we are so consumed with the present that we fail to give due praise to Marine heroism in the past. Yarbz from Juggernuts put up this post that reminds us of unbounded courage in an epic battle that began on November 27, 1950. Here's an excerpt:

Chosin Reservoir campaign began on November 27 at Yudam-ni with Chinese Communist action against the 5th and 7th Marine Regiments on the west side of the reservoir. On the 28th, the battle commenced throughout the 1st Marine Division sector. The men of the 1st Marine Division were attacked by Chinese Communist Forces whose orders were to annihilate the Marines "to the last man." When the Marines were cut off behind enemy lines and the Army had written the 1st Marine Division off as being lost because they were surrounded by 22 enemy divisions.
When an Army captain asked him for the direction of the line of retreat, Col Puller called his Tank Commander, gave them the Army position, and ordered: "If they start to pull back from that line, even one foot, I want you to open fire on them." Turning to the captain, he replied "Does that answer your question? We're here to fight." -- Chesty Puller at Koto-ri in Korea

The Marines made it out inflicting the highest casualty ratio on an enemy in history and destroying 7 entire enemy divisions in the process (An Chinese division is 16500+ men while a Marine division is 12500 men).

There's more - and with pictures.


Posted by Deb at 05:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack



October 23, 2005



An oath, a dedication, a way of life.

Here's an essay by a deployed Marine that perfectly captures the esprit de corps that personifies the Corps:

The Marine Corps is an institution. One that you have to prove you have what it takes to join and to survive. We are an organization that develops strong bonds even between Marines who had never met before but hold the same title. We have a saying that reads, "Once a Marine, Always a Marine" because when you get out of the Army or other branches you say I use to be in the Army. Marines don't say "Im a former Marine". We stay Marine and we stay together. We have lost Marines in the past months here. We have lost Marines in the past months back in the states as well. Some by accidental deaths and some by old age. To all the Marines, we salute you and your families for the hardship that you endured. For what you have done in the past and for what you are being trained to do in the future. Semper Fi Marines we hope to fill your shoes and make you proud.

We have a continued commitment to duty to complete what we were sent here to do because we believe in it. Before any service member begins their military career they are sworn in and repeat the below:

I, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

It may be difficult for those who never have been in the military to understand but it's a dedication, an oath. That's right America, an oath to defend and have allegiance to the greatest country in the world. If for some reason you wake up and eat a bowl of dumbass and break what you have sworn, you can and will be tried by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This is the military system of law. This a building block to our foundation of defending this great country. We are sworn to do it.....and we will defend it so help us god!

I've heard the same thing from every Marine I've talked with in the past three years. It's a quality that sets Marines apart from every other group I've seen - and that's a good thing.

Posted by Deb at 01:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack



October 22, 2005



2/2 Marines - Commander's Update

Via Jarhead Dad, here's a battleground update from LtCol Minick, battalion commander for the Warlords of 2/2:

Yesterday the government of Iraq declared a national holiday to further support the turnout for the Constitutional Referendum. Our Marines did not allow the insurgents to circumvent the Iraqis march towards democracy. As always, your Marines performed exceptionally. I am proud to be here as part of the Warlord family that helped this new country forge its path towards a new tomorrow.

Preparing for the elections was a tremendous task. The combined effort by the people of Iraq, the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI), and the Coalition Forces ensured the success of yesterday’s referendum. Our higher headquarters, the 2d Marine Expeditionary Force, planned extensively with the interim government. However, it was the IECI and interim government that determined the Marines would not be directly tasked with securing the individual polling sites. Instead, we were postured ready to respond to any incident within our area of operations (AO). The companies and the battalion staff worked diligently to prepare and organize our forces to accomplish this task. Their hard work executing disruption operations prior to the referendum and their continued active security patrols yesterday ensured a safe voting environment for the Iraqi people. Also, the 1-4-1 Iraqi Army and the newly created Karmah Police contributed to a peaceful referendum. Not only did they help secure the poll sites, but also they actively took part in their new democratic government by casting votes of their own. As you may know, our AO is predominately Sunni. During the January election, this segment of the Iraqi population stayed away from the polls. This was not the case yesterday. Your Marines and the Iraqi Security Forces have clearly gained the confidence of the citizens in Karmah and Nasser Wa Salaam. Regardless of the outcome, the choice was the Iraqis to make. The fate of their country is increasingly in their hands.

This historic election and promising future for the good people of Iraq did not come without a costly price. The Task Force suffered a tremendous loss. On the 6th of October our Warlords lost four of our bravest and best men. Cpl Cherava, LCpl Kenny, LCpl Frye, and PFC Cabino all from Golf Company, were going to the aid of their fellow Marines when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacked them. Words cannot describe how much they meant to us, or the magnitude they will be missed. At this time, we can only pray for their families as they struggle with this tragic loss. Their death will not be in vain, and we will continue the mission that we started together, as they would have wished. We will bring freedom and peace to the people of Iraq, and we will honor their memory with our deeds.

The Marines continue to inspire me with their dedication and selfless service. I am fortunate to be surrounded by such men. Thank you all for your continued support of Task Force 2/2. We could not carry on with the mission without your letters, care packages, and words of inspiration and gratitude. Every day brings a new opportunity to preserve the freedom of a democratic Iraq. The Warlords are honored to have this opportunity, and I am humbled to lead them. Have a happy Halloween.

I remain Semper Fidelis,

James J Minick



Posted by Deb at 11:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack



October 11, 2005



2/6 Update From Iraq

Lieutenant Colonel Scott Aiken, Battalion Commander of Second Battalion, Sixth Marines, sends along this update:

Our sister battalion from the Sixth Marine Regiment is en route back to Camp Lejeune. They have done an outstanding job; we wish them a safe trip home. We hope they have a happy homecoming with their loved ones.

The voters of Iraq are preparing to vote in their constitutional referendum on October 15. Our mission is to provide them a safe security environment so they can vote.

The weather here continues to be warm and dry. Cooling spell is occurring with high eighties. The country continues to observe the Islamic tradition of Ramadan.


Posted by Deb at 02:17 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack



October 10, 2005



America's military as first responder

Following natural disasters, the world looks to the United States to help out. After the tsunami last winter, our military spent weeks ferrying supplies, coordinating logistics, and being a friend to the people who have experienced devastation. The photo below shows the cargo bay of a C-17 en route to Pakistan from Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. Our military presence in Afghanistan provided a head start on providing food, water, medicine, and blankets for Pakistanis affected by the earthquake.

U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. James H. Cunningham

From SPC Claude Flowers at Centcom, here's a description of current efforts in Pakistan:

A United States Air Force C-17 delivered the first relief supplies here within 48 hours of the devastating earthquake that has left thousands dead and thousands more injured and displaced.

The aircraft and its crew from the 7th Airlift Squadron, McChord Air Force Base, Wash., delivered 12 pallets - weighing almost 90,000 pounds - of food, water, medicine and blankets from Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.

With only a few hours notice, Airmen and soldiers at Bagram, successfully worked to palletize the humanitarian relief supplies and prepare them for the flight. Three aerial port specialists were also on the flight to coordinate and manage the cargo once it arrived at Islamabad.

"This was a total team effort," said Col. Mike Isherwood, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Vice Commander. "Our hearts go out to all those affected by the earthquake and we are thankful we were able to help out."

Pakistan Army Brig. Gen. Imtiaz Sherazi, director of logistics, is coordinating the relief efforts as supplies arrive and ensuring rapid distribution of assistance to areas that need it most.

Said General Sherazi, "These items are very valuable to us because there are lots of people in great distress."

As relief efforts are ongoing worldwide, United States Central Command will continue to identify and provide additional capabilities for airborne reconnaissance, heavy lift ground equipment, medical support, shelters, rations and water to aid and assist the people of Pakistan.


Posted by Deb at 11:38 AM



October 02, 2005



Operation Santa USMC 2005


In late summer 2005, thousands of United States Marines left for seven month deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. For many of these Marines, this will be the first Thanksgiving and Christmas they will be away from home and family. For others, it will be the second or third in a row. And it is an unfortunate fact that some of these young men and women will not receive mail and packages from friends and family members. Although they have made a choice to serve their country, it's going to be a lonely holiday. And not just for the Marines but for family members back home as well.

With the help of amazing volunteers all over the country, for the second year the Marine Corps Moms hope to make a difference for our Marines.

Last year, we started out with an idea that we'd send Christmas stockings to the 42 Marines in my son's platoon. The project grew from there, and six exhausting weeks later, over 6,000 Christmas stockings had been mailed from individuals and groups all over the United States. Classrooms, businesses, scout troops, churches, and clubs adopted platoons or companies of deployed Marines. We sent stockings, they filled and mailed them. And it made a difference. The Marines in the picture above were deployed along the Syrian border. It was a dusty primitive place to spend seven months, but they did it for us. And troop supporters all over the country made Christmas merrier for them . . . and 5,800 other Marines. You can help us make that same difference this year.

Here's our plan:

Operation Santa USMC 2005 will provide as many battalions as possible with Christmas-in-a-Box. Each platoon in the battalions will receive a box containing the following:

  • A filled Christmas stocking for each Marine in the platoon.
  • A small fold-up Christmas tree with decorations.
  • A Christmas CD
  • Christmas Cards for each Marine
  • Treats (cookies, candy, snacks)
  • Gifts that the platoon can share (board games, decks of cards, DVDs)


Battalions are made up of 4 or more companies, and each company has a number of platoons. Each platoon has 30 or more Marines. We need church groups, organizations, clubs, employer groups, etc. to sponsor platoons and fill their boxes. We also need volunteers to sew the Christmas stockings and donations to help with postage and filling boxes. All boxes need to be mailed by Thanksgiving, so please sign up now.

If you can help make the Christmas season merrier for our Marines in Iraq, please contact one of us:

Deb Conrad - Operation Santa Coordinator - 541-974-6948 deb@marinecorpsmoms.com

Connie Riecke - Operation Santa Coordinator - 503-838-4111 riecke@marinecorpsmoms.com

And if you can help sew stockings (this is a great time to clean out your stash of Christmas fabrics), contact:

Terry Kallmbah, Stocking Coordinator - terry@marinecorpsmoms.com

Right now, we have 2 battalions with coordinators. If you'd like to help with one of these battalions, contact the coordinator. If you'd like to make sure another battalion is included, contact Deb or Connie.

Connie Riecke - 3/7 Marines - Riecke@marinecorpsmoms.com

Carrie Costantini - 1st LAR - Carrie@marinecorpsmoms.com

This project is sponsored by The Marine Corps Family Foundation, a 501(c3 organization. All donations made through the Foundation are tax deductible. We will have the Foundation website up very soon. Until then, please contact Connie Riecke at 503-838-4111 if you'd like to make a donation to the project.

Posted by Deb at 09:54 PM