Marine Corps Moms: November 28, 2004 - December 04, 2004 Archives

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December 04, 2004

The Prayer of St Ignatius for Corporal Brian R. Prening

GySgt Perez included this letter by LtCol Mark A. Smith in a comment to the previous post on LCpl Daniel Wyatt, noting that it was "forwarded to me by former Lieutenant E. M. Kohnke / USMC. Daniel's name is mentioned below." It deserves wider readership.

On Tuesday 16 Nov 04, I had the honor of taking my command element forward to Fox Company's position for the Field Memorial Service for Corporal Brian R. Prening, F Co, 2nd Bn, 24th Marines, killed in action against enemy forces Yusufiyah, Iraq. Now, I say honor, because as tragic as the situation was, and as painful as it was, what I witnessed that day is forever and indelibly etched into both my consciousness and my soul. So, if you will allow me, I will try my utmost to communicate to you the events as they unfolded that day. Fox Company has been forward in FOB St. Joseph for over two months now, attempting to bring stability to an area that had not had a presence of Multi-National Forces. As I have communicated to you previously, it was an absolute bastion of Radical Islamists and Terrorists, who had brutalized the citizens in unspeakable terms. Well, the WARRIORS of Fox Company have put an end to that. And, for the terrorists, many of whom are believed to have been the leaders of the insurgency in Fallujah, have been attempting to come home. Sad fact for them, Fox Company now owns their permanent zip code. So, on the day of Cpl Prenning's unfortunate death, the enemy, for the first time, chose to actually stand and fight. They did, and at the end of the day, over forty of them lie dead on the battlefield. And, over the course of the last week, throughout our zone, but especially in Fox's, we have rounded up and arrested over 120 of them. That said, and for all the fantastic work of the Battalion elements, this day was no cause for celebration, it was our time to mourn our honored dead. As the leadership of the Company, the Battalion and the Marines of Cpl Prening's platoon gathered for the memorial, the atmosphere was sheer solemnity. The Marines of Fox were layered with the Iraqi dust that they have called home for 60 days plus. The smell of sweat that eminates from them can only be described as the smell of freedom. That combination of sweat, dirt and emotion that combines to create an aroma that is not repugnant in the least, but serves to stimulate the Warrior gene that you are among "special knights of the warriored breed."
The ceremony began with the placing of the rifle, helmet boots and dog tags of the fallen Marine, and was followed by Scripture readings, Company Commander memorial and teammate remembrances. The Marines that knew Cpl Prening best, memorialized him, through their tears and emotions, in a manner that I know would have made his family swell with pride. They were eloquent beyond imagination, and their words were a lance to the soul in their beauty and truth.

Then came his Plt Cmdr, 1stLt Mayne. Now, before I continue, I must describe 1stLt Mayne. I have been in a few scraps in my day, and truth be known, kind of enjoy that. But, 1stLt Mayne is one of those physical figures that you see and immediately think, if I can avoid a scrap with this lad, that would most probably be the preferred course of action. Additionally, since the day we arrived, 1stLt Mayne's combat accomplishments have been EXTRAORDINARY! His actions have been right in the face of the enemy, and he has stared death squarely in the eye on several occassions, and has done nothing but lead his Marines is a calm and professional manner that has absolutely confounded the enemy each and every time, and more often than not, lead to many of the enemy achieving their goal of martrydom!

But, on this day, the Lt Mayne that I saw was not the Warrior. No, the Lt Mayne I saw on this day was the Man. And, it embarasses me not one bit to say I only hope to be one tenth the Man I saw in Lt Mayne on that day. He spoke of his admiration for Cpl Prening and Cpl Prening's actions in a manner that crushed your soul and made you want to scream that you were not worthy of sharing the same room as these Warriors. He spoke of the need to channel and contain the rage and always honor Cpl Prening by only killing in righteousness and in accordance with the rules. He spoke of the "decent people of Iraq" who we are here to liberate. He spoke of all these things in a manner and among those who must do it in a way that should shame every person who has ever ascribed any attribute to our Marines, other than hero. Having done that, he then finished with a prayer. A prayer that he stated he prays every night, and in knowing this man and the quality of his character, I suspect he prays it one hundred times a day. As he prayed the prayer of St. Ignatius aloud, I can tell you, I have never felt such overwhelming pain and peace, all at the same time. I have never been so destroyed and fullfilled, all at the same time. I have never been so torn, and so complete, all at the same time. Upon relfection, I understood how I could have such dichotomous feelings all at once. Because in that thirty second prayer, prayed aloud by a man and Marine Officer who will forever have my undying respect and admiration, I realized in the prayer of St. Ignatius, the eternal reality of our temporal struggle: GOOD VS. EVIL. And, I was standing, humbled to the bone, among the agents of GOOD.

Maybe I am wrong, but I believe in my heart and soul that everything has a time and a purpose under God. And at that time and for this purpose, God used Cpl Prening and Lt Mayne, that we would know our struggle is right, and that our will be not shaken, and that for our children and the future of our Great Nation, we will see this through until there is nothing but peace for our future generations. And, that for that struggle, there is a price paid in death, in visible scars and in invisible ones.

So, for LCpl Daniel R. Wyatt, Cpl Nathaniel T. Hammond, LCpl Shane K. O'Donnell, LCpl Branden P. Ramey, Cpl Robert P. Warns II, Cpl Peter J.
Giannopoulos, Cpl Brian R. Prening, the next time you see a US Veteran, you shake his hand and say thank you. You shake his hand with the ferocity of firmness that says I love you, and I thank you for my freedom. If you get the chance, you go to a US Veterans hospital and you gently stroke the head of our wounded and broken from all wars, in a manner that says, do not be afraid, for I am here with you friend, I love you and I thank you. You do all this if you can, because everything we have, everything we are, we have and are because of their unbelievable sacrifice! And for that my friends, you and I should be eternally grateful and eternally humbled, for we have walked with the Saints!

St Ignatius' Prayer

Lord give me the strength to serve you as you deserve;
To give, and not to count the cost;
To fight, and not to heed the wounds;
To toil, and not to seek for rest;
To labor, and not to seek reward, save that of knowing that I do your will.

May God continue to bless you and bless you abundantly, as he does me everyday that I share this earth with your beloved. And may he grant strength, peace and serenity to the families of our fallen heroes.

Mark A. Smith
LtCol, USMCR
Commanding Officer
TF 2/24

Posted by Deb at 10:15 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

A message from the Commanding General of 1MARDIV

As we continue to transition Operation Al Fajr from offensive operations to humanitarian operations, I wanted to let everyone know how incredibly proud I am of the Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Division. Urban operations against a entrenched enemy who is willing to use every dirty trick in the book is one of the toughest missions that any military organization will ever face, and the men and women of the Division executed it with professionalism, courage, and toughness. We were able to bring in forces from all of our services, plus our Iraqi allies and recapture the city of Fallujah in less time than we expected. It was truly a remarkable accomplishment.
Recently 2-7 CAV and 2-2 INF returned to their parent units. I want to publicly thank the Officers and Soldiers of these outstanding Battalions. They added the �Sunday Punch� to our assault forces and will always be a part of our proud legacy.

We want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! All members of the Division will be able to enjoy a special Thanksgiving meal that will include the traditional favorites. Our logistics planners have gone to great lengths to ensure that every Marine and Soldier will have an opportunity to partake in this great American holiday. We have many things to give thanks for; the unwavering support and love of our families will be foremost in our minds.

We continue to remember and honor those whose sacrifice was the greatest. Our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones during this holiday period.

Enjoy the holiday and may God bless the First Marine Division and it�s friends and families.

Posted by Deb at 10:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 03, 2004

"Tell your kids, your grandkids, what Sgt. Peralta did for you and the other Marines today"

Lance Cpl. Travis J. Kaemmerer, a combat correspondent assigned to the 1st FSSG is currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. He recently spent time as a combat correspondent during the Battle of Fallujah where his charge was to share with the rest of world the reality of the battlefield and heroism under fire. Here is one story of epic bravery.

On this day, I found myself without my camera. With the batteries dead, I decided to leave the camera behind and live up to the ethos "every Marine a rifleman," by volunteering to help clear the fateful buildings that lined streets.
After seven days of intense fighting in Fallujah, the Marines of 1/3 embraced a new day with a faceless enemy.

We awoke November 15, 2004, around day-break in the abandoned, battle-worn house we had made our home for the night. We shaved, ate breakfast from a Meal, Ready-to-Eat pouch and waited for the word to move.

The word came, and we started what we had done since the operation began � clear the city of insurgents, building by building.

As an attachment to the unit, I had been placed as the third man in a six-man group, or what Marines call a 'stack.' Two stacks of Marines were used to clear a house. Moving quickly from the third house to the fourth, our order in the stack changed. I found Sgt. Rafael Peralta in my spot, so I fell in behind him as we moved toward the house.

A Mexican-American who lived in San Diego, Peralta earned his citizenship after he joined the Marine Corps. He was a platoon scout, which meant he could have stayed back in safety while the squads of 1st Platoon went into the danger filled streets, but he was constantly asking to help out by giving them an extra Marine. I learned by speaking with him and other Marines the night before that he frequently put his safety, reputation and career on the line for the needs and morale of the junior Marines around him.

When we reached the fourth house, we breached the gate and swiftly approached the building. The first Marine in the stack kicked in the front door, revealing a locked door to their front and another at the right.

Kicking in the doors simultaneously, one stack filed swiftly into the room to the front as the other group of Marines darted off to the right.

"Clear!" screamed the Marines in one of the rooms followed only seconds later by another shout of "clear!" from the second room. One word told us all we wanted to know about the rooms: there was no one in there to shoot at us.

We found that the two rooms were adjoined and we had another closed door in front of us. We spread ourselves throughout the rooms to avoid a cluster going through the next door.

Two Marines stacked to the left of the door as Peralta, rifle in hand, tested the handle. I watched from the middle, slightly off to the right of the room as the handle turned with ease.

Ready to rush into the rear part of the house, Peralta threw open the door.

�POP! POP! POP!� Multiple bursts of cap-gun-like sounding AK-47 fire rang throughout the house.

Three insurgents with AK-47s were waiting for us behind the door.

Peralta was hit several times in his upper torso and face at point-blank range by the fully-automatic 7.62mm weapons employed by three terrorists.

Mortally wounded, he jumped into the already cleared, adjoining room, giving the rest of us a clear line of fire through the doorway to the rear of the house.

We opened fire, adding the bangs of M-16A2 service rifles, and the deafening, rolling cracks of a Squad Automatic Weapon, or �SAW,� to the already nerve-racking sound of the AKs. One Marine was shot through the forearm and continued to fire at the enemy.

I fired until Marines closer to the door began to maneuver into better firing positions, blocking my line of fire. Not being an infantryman, I watched to see what those with more extensive training were doing.

I saw four Marines firing from the adjoining room when a yellow, foreign-made, oval-shaped grenade bounced into the room, rolling to a stop close to Peralta�s nearly lifeless body.

In an act living up to the heroes of the Marine Corps� past, such as Medal of Honor recipients Pfc. James LaBelle and Lance Cpl. Richard Anderson, Peralta � in his last fleeting moments of consciousness- reached out and pulled the grenade into his body. LaBelle fought on Iwo Jima and Anderson in Vietnam, both died saving their fellow Marines by smothering the blast of enemy grenades.

Peralta did the same for all of us in those rooms.

I watched in fear and horror as the other four Marines scrambled to the corners of the room and the majority of the blast was absorbed by Peralta�s now lifeless body. His selflessness left four other Marines with only minor injuries from smaller fragments of the grenade.

During the fight, a fire was sparked in the rear of the house. The flames were becoming visible through the door.

The decision was made by the Marine in charge of the squad to evacuate the injured Marines from the house, regroup and return to finish the fight and retrieve Peralta�s body.

We quickly ran for shelter, three or four houses up the street, in a house that had already been cleared and was occupied by the squad�s platoon.

As Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Murdock took a count of the Marines coming back, he found it to be one man short, and demanded to know the whereabouts of the missing Marine.

"Sergeant Peralta! He�s dead! He�s f------ dead," screamed Lance Cpl. Adam Morrison, a machine gunner with the squad, as he came around a corner. "He�s still in there. We have to go back."

The ingrained code Marines have of never leaving a man behind drove the next few moments. Within seconds, we headed back to the house unknown what we may encounter yet ready for another round.

I don't remember walking back down the street or through the gate in front of the house, but walking through the door the second time, I prayed that we wouldn't lose another brother.

We entered the house and met no resistance. We couldn't clear the rest of the house because the fire had grown immensely and the danger of the enemy�s weapons cache exploding in the house was increasing by the second.

Most of us provided security while Peralta's body was removed from the house.

We carried him back to our rally point and upon returning were told that the other Marines who went to support us encountered and killed the three insurgents from inside the house.

Later that night, while I was thinking about the day�s somber events, Cpl. Richard A. Mason, an infantryman with Headquarters Platoon, who, in the short time I was with the company became a good friend, told me, "You�re still here, don�t forget that. Tell your kids, your grandkids, what Sgt. Peralta did for you and the other Marines today."

As a combat correspondent, this is not only my job, but an honor.

Throughout Operation Al Fajr, we were constantly being told that we were making history, but if the books never mention this battle in the future, I�m sure that the day and the sacrifice that was made, will never be forgotten by the Marines who were there.

Posted by Deb at 10:24 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

December 01, 2004

After Fallujah - Update from MSSG 31

MSSG 31 Marines filled this seven-ton Truck with explosives by hand. Every destroyed weapon translates into lives saved.

A message from LtCol James A. Vohr

Dear families of MSSG 31,

Well, a lot has gone on in the short space between now and my last update. The battle for Fallujah has been fought and as I write, operations continue to secure the city to allow for the rebuilding effort to begin. Your Marines and Sailors played a large part and continue to support the success the Marine Corps has experienced, and you should be proud of them. Each and every one of them is a brave young man or woman who want only to go out and get the job done. There professional determination is awesome to watch.

Everyone contributed during the fight. The communications section stayed on top of our command and control infrastructure, making sure we could talk with everyone who was out from the MSSG as well as higher and adjacent units. The communications officers always tells me communications is the key to success on the battlefield and his Marines worked hard to ensure we could talk. Motor transport and military police worked hand in hand to make sustainment convoys happen, sometimes on short fuse, and always ready to go in either the day or the night. The engineers have been digging in units to enhance survivability, building whatever the supported units called for in the construction shop, pumping fuel and water, and working with engineer ordnance disposal to destroy captured arms and ammunition. Our corpsmen provided medical coverage for the MSSG as expected, but then went two steps further in pushing critical medical supplies out to forward aid stations and working to provide dressing changes to wounded Marines, Soldiers, and Soldiers of the new Iraqi Army.

Marines in the headquarters detachment accomplished all the planning up front to set the unit up for success during the fight and then kept track of requirements as it all unfolded. Headquarters Marines also worked areas such as ammunition supply, certainly a critical asset. Supply build stockpiles of items critical to the support of the fight and they were readily available when they were needed for the attack. In short, there was not a Marine or Sailor who did not do their share.

As I wrap up this update, I?d be at fault if I didn?t mention the support the MSSG gets from the families back home. Letter mail, e-mails, and care packages are guaranteed to bring a smile to a Marine or Sailors face. I?d also be remiss if I did not mention how much everyone appreciates the huge effort the key volunteers mustered to put together cookies and snacks for the single Marines and Sailors, box them up and send them out to us. The first part of this shipment has just arrived and trust me, the Marines devoured them! Thanks so much!

As always, I?m proud and you should be proud of the Marines and Sailors of MSSG 31. It is an honor to serve with them.

Thanks for all your support

Sincerely,

J. Alex Vohr

Posted by Deb at 11:08 PM

11th MEU update

Photo by Cpl. Dick Kotecki

The Honorable Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy, sits with Marines, sailors, and soldiers during Thanksgiving dinner at the dining facility here, Nov. 25. England visited FOB Duke to thank service members for their hard work and dedication during their deployment this holiday season.

The command element for 11th MEU provides this end-of-November update:

We've been working hard to help the Iraqi people in An Najaf and Al Qadisiyah provinces and the results are showing. So far, more than 250 projects have been completed or are currently underway, totaling nearly 10 million dollars in both provinces combined.

In addition to these projects, we are busy making solatia, or condolence payments, to citizens of Najaf who experienced property damage of their home or business, injury, or death of a family member during August's fighting. We have paid more than 5,800 Iraqis approximately 3.7 million dollars. These payments are creating goodwill and building trust between us and the locals.

Citizens of both provinces are also currently registering for the January elections. So far, everything is running smoothly and we are happy to see the Iraqi people moving one step closer to taking charge of their country and their future. We also recently celebrated the Marine Corps' 229th birthday with the traditional ceremony and birthday meal of steak and lobster.

And, the 11th MEU is making plans to return home. This is good news indeed for the family members and friends who look forward to that day.

Posted by Deb at 08:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 30, 2004

Landstuhl Revisited

Diana Hartman visited our wounded troops at Landstuhl Germany again today.

hello all, tomorrow's trip to landstuhl (30nov04) will be a big-haul day as there were many arrivals today and i would like to thank each and every one of you for your generous contribution...
the toiletry kits i was able to put together are the best i've been able to take up yet...there is always a shortage of toothbrushes and shaving cream so i wasn't able to use all of the toiletries to complete kits...these "leftovers" (about 6 bushel baskets) are only leftover in the sense that when more toothbrushes and shaving cream shows up, more kits will get made and delivered; they are NOT leftover in the sense that they won't get used, cos they so will get used...
there are 21 kits and each one includes:

toothpaste
toothbrush
floss
nail clippers
cotton swabs
comb
chapstick
baby powder
shaving cream
shampoo
deodorant
razors
soap
mouthwash
lotion
candy
socks
letter/card from a child/adult

in addition, the delivery includes 24 articles of clothing, 49 backpacks, dvds, magazines, toys, games, writing materials, and disposable cameras...
this nicely compliments last week's haul of 17 toiletry kits, 7 coats and jackets, 18 articles of clothing, dvds, several dozen cds, models, modeling kits, and a lot of toys and games...

i have been in receipt of $250 to be used for supplies for the wounded...i have spent $151 of that cleaning out the px here of all their toothbrushes and shaving cream and other stuff (the commissary only sells fullsize and is more expensive)...i will be taking the remaining $99 to the ramstein px (afb adjacent to landstuhl) to buy more supplies...at the same time i will be redeeming vouchers for those wounded who are unable to do so themselves...if you would like copies of the receipts (i can digitally photograph them and email them to you) please let me know...

one more thing:
if you sent stuff via another person or company (thus i wouldn't have your address), please send me your address...c'mon people, don't be shy...the cards i picked out just for the thank yous are quite pretty...they're already bought and the stamps are already attached, they're just waiting for someone to say "yes i sent something, here's my address"...

if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the landstuhl trips, please feel free to email me!

sincerely, diana hartman
marforeur spouses
stuttgart, germany

Her email address is msdusmcd@yahoo.com. Read about her first and second visits if you've missed them.

Posted by Deb at 10:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wish List for Infantry Marines

Wondering what to get your favorite Marine for Christmas? Here's a list compiled by Charlie Company Marines from 1/3.

Advanced combat optical gun sight/Binoculars: �When you�re on post, you can tell what individuals walking down the street (blocks away) are carrying,� said Cpl. Michael Fredtkou, a M-203 gunner. �The enemy doesn�t expect you to see them that far away.�
Energy bars: �They�re lightweight, easy to get to,� said Staff Sgt. Luis Lopez, 3rd platoon sergeant. �Plus they�re not as bulky as MREs.� (meals-ready-to-eat)

Kevlar cushions: �The old padding gives you a headache after wearing it for a few hours,� said 1st Lt. Travis Fuller, 3rd platoon commander. �After a few minutes with the cushions on, you can�t even tell it�s there.�

Elbow/Knee pads: �If it wouldn�t be for these things, my knees would be completely cut up by now,� said Lance Cpl. Tim Riffe, a machine gunner. �You can only take so much jumping into a defensive position without them.�

Personal Role Radio: �Communication has been a huge key in our operations,� said Cpl. Tyrone Wilson, 2nd squad leader. �When my squad was across the street in a defensive position, the platoon was able to let me know insurgents were in the building next to us. Who knows what would�ve happened if they couldn�t contact me.�

Global Positioning System: �I�m able to pinpoint our location within 10 meters when calling in position reports and medevacs,� said Lance Cpl. William Woolley, a radio operator. �We�ll never get lost as long as we have it.�

Extra socks: �My feet are nice and dry right now,� said Lance Cpl. Kaleb Welch, a squad automatic weapon (SAW) gunner. �I�ve gone without changing my socks before on three to four day training exercises and I always regretted it later.�

Gloves: �They�re clutch because when you�re climbing over a wall you don�t have to worry about broken glass cutting your hands,� said Cpl. Gabriel Trull, 1st squad leader. �You also don�t burn your hands when changing 240 golf barrels.�

Baby wipes: �It�s a multi-use piece of gear,� said Petty Officer 3rd Class Irving Ochoa, a Navy Corpsman. "You don�t have much time out here for personal hygiene, so it�s the best alternative.�

Three-point sling: �When you�re jumping over rooftops you don�t want to worry about dropping your weapon,� said Cpl. Dave Willis, 3rd squad leader. �At any time you can just reach down and grab it.�

Alice/Day pack: �Without these I don�t know how I�d carry all of my gear,� said Lance Cpl. Geoffery Bivins, a SAW gunner. �It displaces all of the weight around my body, so I�m not uncomfortable. When you�re running with 100 lbs. on your back, that�s important.�

Night Vision Goggles: �Wearing these at night gives you the advantage over the enemy,� said Lance Cpl. Marquirez Chavery, a combat engineer. �When you�re on a rooftop at night you can see everything.�

Personal hydration system: �Water is one of the things you always need to make sure you have,� said Seaman Hugo Lara, a Navy corpsman. �Instead of struggling to get your canteens out, the cord is there within your reach. Plus it holds more water as well.�

Watch with compass: �You get calls where you have to lay down suppressing fire in a certain direction and instead of wasting time to ask which way is north or south, you can just look at your wrist,� said Lance Cpl. Lonny Kelly, a machine gunner. �Knowing the time is important because everyone pulls shifts for guard duty or standing post. How would you know when your shift starts or stops without one?�

AA batteries: �You use them for your NVGs and handheld radios; both which contribute to more effective fighting,� said Cpl. Bryan Morales, 1st squad 1st fire team, team leader. �You wouldn�t want either of those items dying on you, so having a spare set of batteries around is very important.�

Poncho/poncho liner: �The temperature at night is extremely different during the day,� said Lance Cpl. Jonathan Etterling, machine gun team leader. �If you don�t have some sort of protection at night, you end up freezing because you�re cammies are still damp from sweating during the day.�

Ballistic goggles: �I was the A-driver one of our convoys and we got hit by an IED (improvised explosive device),� said Lance Cpl. Anthony Johnson, an assaultman. �Shrapnel bounced off of my glasses, saving my vision.�

Multi-purpose portable tool kit: �It�s like carrying a combat knife, hammer and screwdriver in one hand,� said Lance Cpl. Evan Fernandez, an assaultman. "Cutting open MREs, cleaning your weapon, tightening screws on your gear; it has a thousand uses.�

Carabineers: �Anything that you might have to grab at a moments notice, you don�t want to be digging through your pockets to try and find it,� said Pfc. Jason Kurtz, a SAW gunner. �With these you can attach anything to your flak and have right at your fingertips.�

High powered flashlight: �It does wonders,� said Cpl. Chris Williams, 2nd squad 1st fire team leader. �After you throw a fragmentation grenade into a room it�s difficult to see because of all the dust floating around. No one can hide from them."

Posted by Deb at 10:10 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 29, 2004

Doc's Thanksgiving Message

It's inelegant but comes straight from the heart.

Thank God for the fucking Marines.
I mean it. Thank God that we have a corps of warriors who can storm a city like Fallujah, and completely conquer it. Thank God we have men such as these. MOUT, or urban fighting is historically some of the most bloodiest. Urban warfare is like fighting just by headbutting. It's repetitively very sudden, and twice as violent. You toss a grenade in, and follow the blast into the room. You storm in to what may be nothing or what may be a squad of bad guys. You just run in, and hope to kill them in that frenzied second before they kill you. Then you do it again. And again. And again. You keep doing it until you run out of rooms, or run out of luck.

Thank God we still have Marines who can do this. Growing up in America these days, we are constantly told about how our grandparents did such a smashing job. They weathered a depression, and then saved the world for an encore. They fought all across the globe. As a young Marine, when you wallk across that grinder for the last time, they call out over loudspeakers where other Marines who had marched that grinder had marched into next; Tarawa. Okinawa. Lebanon. Iwo Jima. Khe Sahn. The Chosin reservoir. It is easy when you recall such battles, such examples of fortitude and courage on earth made Hell, that maybe oure best days are behind us. Maybe we will just have to accept that we and our children, and our children's children will be condemned to living in the shadow of their forefathers. Maybe, that was as good as it got.

And then the Marines go in. They go in and they fight. They fight and they bleed. They fight and they tire. they fight and they die. And yet, still...they keep fighting. Through the hail of automatic weapons, the rain of mortars, and the thunder of RPG's they fight an enemy entirely prepared for and committed to killing as many as they can before they are killed themselves. But no matter how determined and how zealous the enemy, the Marines prevailed. Against all of this, they prevailed magnificently.

The Marines went in and a flagging cause was resurrected. The Marines went in and while saving a city, they reaffirmed their standing as the warrior sentries of civilization. Maybe some day, Americans will have to live in the shadow of days long gone past. Maybe one day they will think that the Hall of heroes is full, and there is none left to enter. Maybe some day this will happen.....but not today.

Today they are standing tall; bloodied but unbowed. Today they have proven themselves as good as their title. Today the battle of fallujah is added to the list of battles that will be called out as new Marines march across the old grinder. Today.

Today, I thank god for those fucking Marines.

Oohrah. Read the rest.

Posted by Deb at 04:03 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Heroism under fire

Sgt. Peralta cleaning his weapon after training at Edson Range, Camp Pendleton in February 2003.
Photo by Sgt. Charles E. Moore

"Tomorrow, at 19:00 hours (7 p.m.), we are going to declare war in the holy city of Fallujah," Peralta wrote to Ricardo, 14. "We are going to defeat the insurgents. Watch the news, it's going to be all over. Be proud of me, bro, I'm going to make history and do something that I always wanted to do."

This exerpt from a letter sent by Sgt. Rafael Peralta was received by his younger brother, Ricardo, one day after the Peralta family learned that their Marine was killed in action on November 16, 2004. It was his first and last letter to his brother and after he mailed it, Sgt. Peralta indeed made history as one more in a long line of Marine Corps heroes. His final act of bravery saved the lives of his brother Marines at the cost of his own. It will be retold by future generations of Devil Dogs who will privately wonder if they could ever measure up to this example of selfless service.

From the Seattle Times:

Sgt. Rafael Peralta built a reputation as a man who always put his Marines' interests ahead of his own.

He showed that again, when he made the ultimate sacrifice of his life Tuesday, by shielding his fellow Marines from a grenade blast.

"It's stuff you hear about in boot camp, about World War II and Tarawa Marines who won the Medal of Honor," said Lance Cpl. Rob Rogers, 22, of Tallahassee, Fla., one of Peralta's platoon mates in 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

Peralta, 25, as platoon scout, wasn't even assigned to the assault team that entered the insurgent safe house in northern Fallujah, Marines said. Despite an assignment that would have allowed him to avoid such dangerous duty, he regularly asked squad leaders if he could join their assault teams, they said.

One of the first Marines to enter the house, Peralta was wounded in the face by rifle fire from a room near the entry door, said Lance Cpl. Adam Morrison, 20, of Tacoma, who was in the house when Peralta was first wounded.

Moments later, an insurgent rolled a fragmentation grenade into the area where a wounded Peralta and the other Marines were seeking cover.

As Morrison and another Marine scrambled to escape the blast, pounding against a locked door, Peralta grabbed the grenade and cradled it into his body, Morrison said. While one Marine was badly wounded by shrapnel from the blast, the Marines said they believe more lives would have been lost if not for Peralta's selfless act.

"He saved half my fire team," said Cpl. Brannon Dyer, 27, of Blairsville, Ga.

Sgt. Peralta finished his letter to his younger brother:

"Just think about God and we will all be together again," he wrote. "If anything happens to me, just remember I lived my life to the fullest and I'm happy with what I lived."

Letters of condolence for Sgt. Peralta's family can be sent to:

Humphrey Mortuary
753 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91910-5328

Posted by Deb at 03:47 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

November 28, 2004

Best of the Blogs

Nominations are being taken for Weblog Awards - 2004 and there is a new category for military blogs. If you haven't nominated your favorite milblog yet, do it tonight since nominations close in a few hours. Check out the list of milblogs in the Marine Corps Moms blogroll, pick your favorite and give them some love.

Posted by Deb at 04:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

What it means to be a grunt

Sgt. Robert M. Storm, press chief for The Scout, the base newspaper at Camp Pendleton wrote this essay on his experience as an infantry Marine. I've heard the same sentiment from my own 0311 son.

There are so many different aspects of the job: training, the field, combat. During each of these times, the job varies. I could explain each of these experiences at great length and detail but as with many experiences, words don�t adequately express what it means to be a grunt. But I�ll try to give you a picture anyway.
Training: Four words sum this experience up: �Any clime and place.� This means you go complete a Combined Arms Exercise at Twentynine Palms, Calif., in 100-degree plus heat, or a cold-weather package at Bridgeport, Calif., in negative 14-degree weather with 40 mph winds. Spending a month in Jordan to cross-train with the Jordanian military or carrying out a range on Guam in the pouring rain are just other ways to use our time. Sitting eight hours in the back of an AAV sucking diesel fumes and getting a headache while being jostled worse than any roller coaster I�ve ever been on. Even when we�re not doing ranges, we stay busy with endless classes on radios, Marine Corps martial arts program, close quarters battle, first aid, crew-served weapons and nuclear, biological and chemical training, all so that we can deal with problems quickly, cleanly, decisively and with swift violence when necessary.

The Field: Next I�ll move to the field, where the motto is, �If it ain�t raining, you ain�t training.� This aspect probably wouldn�t be that bad except that contrary to popular belief, we rarely use tents. You will also eat the best meals of your life as a grunt. I�m not joking either because believe me when I tell you that the meal you eat after spending four months eating Meals Ready to Eat will be the best meal of your entire life no matter what it is. The MRE you eat after a day of patrolling or a 12-mile hike with an 80-pound pack will taste pretty good too.

Combat: It�s a lot easier than training. After all, it�s pretty easy to get shot at. Most of the time combat is boring, waiting for something to happen followed by a few quick minutes of excitement. In those hours of doing nothing, you try not to think of everything you miss back home. Playing cards passes the time and if you don�t know how to play, don�t worry because you�ll learn, with spades, hearts and rummy being the most popular games. In the meantime, you�ll run endless patrols and search house-to-house all day long. You�ll crawl through an Iraqi sewer and climb to the roofs of many buildings so you can clear from the top down. After exhausting yourself all day, you�ll dig a fighting trench so that you can bed down for the night. In the interest of speed you make this hole just big enough for you and your partner so that you can get as much sleep as possible, since during war you�re usually at 50 percent firewatch. This results in closeness with your fellow grunts that I don�t even share with my wife at home. Despite all these occurrences, there are fun times; the joy of blowing up a bus on a demo range, fast roping out of a helicopter, conducting a live fire range at night with just tracers. The camaraderie you feel with fellow grunts as you complete a mission and bed down for the night underneath the stars. These are the parts of the job that make what it means to be a grunt.

Posted by Deb at 03:57 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Sending packages to APO/FPO addresses

The U.S. Post Office has just released a new flat rate Priority Mail box. It's too late for Operation Santa but good news for those of us who are still getting holiday packages in the mail for deployed loved ones. I just orderd 50 boxes that can be mailed for a flat rate $7.70 for any U.S. destination, including APO/FPO addresses, and contain any weight up to a 70 lb. maximum. Two box sizes are available with dimensions of 14" x 12" x 3.5" and 11.25" x 8.75" x 6". Best of all, these boxes can be ordered free of charge from the post office via their website and sent to your home. This program started November 20 and will operate in a trial status for 2 years. For those of us who mail frequently, it will be a tremendous savings.

Posted by Deb at 02:26 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

The CinC's Thanksgiving Radio Address

Good morning. As Americans gather to celebrate this week, we show our gratitude for the many blessings in our lives. We are grateful for our friends and families who fill our lives with purpose and love. We're grateful for our beautiful country, and for the prosperity we enjoy. We're grateful for the chance to live, work and worship in freedom. And in this Thanksgiving week, we offer thanks and praise to the provider of all these gifts, Almighty God.

We also recognize our duty to share our blessings with the least among us. Throughout the holiday season, schools, churches, synagogues and other generous organizations gather food and clothing for their neighbors in need. Many young people give part of their holiday to volunteer at homeless shelters or food pantries. On Thanksgiving, and on every day of the year, America is a more hopeful nation because of the volunteers who serve the weak and the vulnerable.

The Thanksgiving tradition of compassion and humility dates back to the earliest days of our society. And through the years, our deepest gratitude has often been inspired by the most difficult times. Almost four centuries ago, the pilgrims set aside time to thank God after suffering through a bitter winter. George Washington held Thanksgiving during a trying stay at Valley Forge. And President Lincoln revived the Thanksgiving tradition in the midst of a civil war.

The past year has brought many challenges to our nation, and Americans have met every one with energy, optimism and faith. After lifting our economy from a recession, manufacturers and entrepreneurs are creating jobs again. Volunteers from across the country came together to help hurricane victims rebuild. And when the children of Beslan, Russia suffered a brutal terrorist attack, the world saw America's generous heart in an outpouring of compassion and relief.

The greatest challenges of our time have come to the men and women who protect our nation. We're fortunate to have dedicated firefighters and police officers to keep our streets safe. We're grateful for the homeland security and intelligence personnel who spend long hours on faithful watch. And we give thanks to the men and women of our military who are serving with courage and skill, and making our entire nation proud.

Like generations before them, today's armed forces have liberated captive peoples and shown compassion for the suffering and delivered hope to the oppressed. In the past year, they have fought the terrorists abroad so that we do not have to face those enemies here at home. They've captured a brutal dictator, aided last month's historic election in Afghanistan, and help set Iraq on the path to democracy.

Our progress in the war on terror has made our country safer, yet it has also brought new burdens to our military families. Many servicemen and women have endured long deployments and painful separations from home. Families have faced the challenge of raising children while praying for a loved one's safe return. America is grateful to all our military families, and the families mourning a terrible loss this Thanksgiving can know that America will honor their sacrifices forever.

As Commander-in-Chief, I've been honored to thank our troops at bases around the world, and I've been inspired by the efforts of private citizens to express their own gratitude. This month, I met Shauna Fleming, a 15-year-old from California who coordinated the mailing of a million thank you letters to military personnel. In October, I met Ken Porwoll, a World War II veteran who has devoted years of his retirement to volunteering at a VA medical center in Minneapolis. And we've seen the generosity of so many organizations, like Give2theTroops, a group started in a basement by a mother and son that has sent thousands of care packages to troops in the field.

Thanksgiving reminds us that America's true strength is the compassion and decency of our people. I thank all those who volunteer this season, and Laura and I wish every American a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend.

Thank you for listening.

Posted by Deb at 11:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack