I trust this update reaches you while you are in OUTSTANDING spirits, full of motivation and singing the Marine's Hymn as you go about your daily duties! If not, let's work on that, for all three are now standard requirements for the families that comprise the Mad Ghost Mayhem Battalion.
This week I have decided to forego any details of the adventures of the Mad Ghosts. I can assure you that this week MANY ENORMOUS enemy weapons caches were uncovered and safely detonated, MANY of our most high value targets have been watching their Lieutenants and Operations Officers find themselves in the custody of the Mad Ghosts, and the Iraqi citizens of our zone ever increase their cooperation with us in rooting out the evil insurgents, terrorists and criminals that have repressed them and brutalized them for decades. Yes, we march ever closer to total victory and a safer world for all through the establishment of democracy and freedom in a zone of the world that has not known it, and blamed us!
No, this week I am going to discuss the exploits of another very special group of Mad Ghosts; the Mad Ghost families of 2/24. For in the last 6 months, I have come to witness, through selfless acts, through phenomenal patriotism, through unbelievable support and through unbridled dignity the most Amazing collection of human beings one could ever hope to be associated with: the Mad Ghost families of 2/24. I have seen more beauty, more love, more compassion, more support, more inter-connectedness and more of Heaven than any poor gun toter from Indiana should ever be allowed to see while in earthly existence! Now, it would be virtually impossible for me to detail for you ALL of the amazing things I have been witness to of the Mad Ghost Families of 2/24, and even if I had the time and space, my words and descriptions of the accounts would be insufficient to do justice to those acts, so if you will bear with me and allow me to beg your indulgence, I will focus on a few. Those few are representative of so many, of the collective you might say, and without a doubt the Mad Ghost families of 2/24 proved the social philosophy theory of THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS. For together you have cried, together you have laughed, together you have loved, together you have missed and been longed for, and together you have helped and supported the families of my fallen heroes! For all these, but in particular for the caring of our wounded families who have buried their beloved and bade them God's grace, well, for that you have one unrefined LtCol in the USMCR at your every behest, your every beck and call.
I have always tried to deflect attention away from me in these updates, for it is the Commander who reaps both the credit and blame of a unit. But, in 2/24, ALL credit for the unbelievable success of your Mad Ghosts, rests with the Mad Ghosts themselves, their amazing Company Commanders and my tireless Staff. Me, I have been but the luckiest SOB on the planet just to observe it all in action. However, I am going to have to take a little bit of the spotlight myself tonight, sort of. See, for as lacking as I am, one thing I executed perfectly, one judgement that I cannot be questioned on is the choice of a spouse. My wife Sheila, has a strength and beauty that exceeds her physical beauty, which is something in itself to behold. Now, this lady who accepted my hand in marriage, after my active duty time in the USMC, has struggled with me through the times that have left lesser marriages in the dirt. All the way, she taught me and mentored me that the marriage is first and foremost about the committment, and exemplified that in her many days of stress over my chosen occupations. Her answer was always one of support. She has seen more than her fair share of separations, and through them all, she stands at the end of it with a smile on her face, an embrace in her arms and heart, and a home and family both in far better shape then when I left them. She has taught me so much, and doesn't even know it. For that, I am to blame. But this time, and in front of all the Mad Ghost families of 2/24, I am going to thank her properly and give her her due. You see, all she has done for me could fill a Dr. Phil book on loving, but nothing more than what she did for me a little over a month ago. Unbeknownst to me, my wife had suffered a herniated disc in her back. The pain so excrutiating, she could rarely sit. She was forced to either stand or lie. Her answer to this dilema was to continue to tend to our daughters, our house and all the duties that you all know too well that accompany managing a family solo.
And, when the pain was almost too much, and at our Doctor's begging, she had surgery. Surgery that would lay her out for a couple of weeks, with many more weeks of extremely limited duty. She executed all the planning required to ensure our girls had rides to their Catholic school, that homework would still be done, that they could get to gymnastics, that there would be lunches for them and meals at home and every other stinking detail of raising kids that makes planning combat operations appear as child's play. She does all this so she can have the surgery and know her duties as a mother have been accounted for. Then she has the surgery. And she begins her recuperation. All of this I am made aware of AFTER THE IRAQI ELECTIONS.
Now, for my personality, or lack thereof depending on your perspective, I wanted to rage with anger, but when you hear "I just did not want you to worry, because you had such important things going on," well, the selflessness of the act overwhelms you and there is but one emotion: humility. Humility and bewilderment as to what it is that you have ever done to deserve such a woman. That bewilderment will last a lifetime. So, to my wife, and let me say for all the 2/24 Marines who have who have wives like mine, I RESPECT YOUR STRENGTH, I ADMIRE YOUR COURAGE, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND I LOVE YOU!
Oh, and one other thing my wife did, was to bear me two angels. Two angels straight from Heaven. How else do you explain an 8 year old and a 6 year old who donated hundreds of toys to Toys for Tots, and who got the only Christmas present they wanted: a framed picture of LCpl Daniel Wyatt, (killed in action in Iraq with 2/24) and a letter from Mr. Wyatt. That is what adorned their tree last Christmas; but I believe as a result, Daniel protected them and the Lord adorned their hearts. So, to Nichole and Brittani, and all the Mad Ghost children just like them, let me say on behalf of all Mad Ghost daddies: I AM PROUD OF YOU, YOU ARE PATRIOTS AND I LOVE YOU!
Next: Joannie Watson, my niece. 21 years old and full of life as a 21 year old should be. Currently in Rome. What does she do with her time? Party? No. Shop for fine Italian clothes? No. Seek the best Italian restaurants? No. She climbs the concrete stairs that in the Catholic tradition are believed to have been the steps Christ climbed to be condemned by Pilate. She climbs those stairs to pray for me and the Mad Ghosts. She climbs stairs and prays for us, at 21. Oh, by the way, she climbs them on her knees! Unbelievable. Unbelievable, and again, humbling. To Joannie and the amazing and faithful Watson family, from all the Mad Ghosts, Thank You and May God Bless You.
Sharon Semrow, Key Volunteer Coordinator for Fox Company. Sharon Semrow, or call sign: the Semrow, mother of 6! Gives so freely of her self in service of others as a Key Volunteer, that the VFW submits her for an award, and she wins! National Key Volunteer of the Year. Sharon is representative of all of our Key Volunteers and their selflessness in the face of adversity. Who in their right mind could expect a mother of 6 to be a key volunteer coordinator? Nobody! Nobody that is except the spirit that drives the soul of Sharon Semrow and those like her. Unbelievable. Unbelievable and humbling. To Sharon, and all the volunteers that are the Key Volunteer Network, Thank You and May God Bless You.
Regina Simon, wife of Chad Simon. Chad is a SSgt with Golf Company who was critically wounded in an IED that took the lives of three of our magnificent Marines in October. Regina, who maintains a bedside vigil with her husband in a VA hospital in Minnesota, and who has children who are still being raised. She takes the time to send me an email offering her prayers for me and the Marines and families of 2/24. Unbelievable. Unbelievable and humbling. And, although my heart wants to break for her so bad, it does not. It does not because she is an absolute pillar of strength and hope. So strong indeed, she keeps YOUR heart from breaking. There is no such thing as doing too much for Chad and Regina, as she is a light for all the world of faith, hope and love. To Regina, the prayers of an entire battalion of Marines are with you, Chad and your family, and I believe a legion of Angels surrounds you and admires you for what you are and for what you have shown us all. To Regina, Chad and all our wounded and families of our wounded, May God be with You.
Cpl Prenning's mother and father. Cpl Prenning KIA of 2/24. They send me emails congratulating us on our successes, wishing us well and praying for us. The selflessness stymies the mind. They would have every right to close out the world, and especially the Marine Corps; but in their selflessness, in their LOVE, they reach out and they bring peace to us with their words, and their strength. Unbelievable. Unbelievable and humbling. That the Lord be always by your side, that is our wish for you.
Cpl Hammond's parents. Cpl Hammond KIA of 2/24. They send their son's platoon commander the story of going to Camp Pendleton and of meeting with President Bush. They talk of how the President knew much about their son, to include calling him "Nate." The talk of the President crying with them, and of his genuine pain for their loss. They talk of the pride of receiving a personal Presidential Bronze coin, and of the burden of the President. What about their burden? No mention of it. Just talk of their pride in their heroic son, and of well wishes for his mates that are 2/24. Unbelievable. Unbelievable and humbling.
The Warns family. Family of Robert "Bobby" Warns KIA of 2/24. The family who produced a video so moving, so incredible, so deeply touching that to this day I have been unable to complete a viewing of it in its entirety due to my need to control my sobbing. Now, please, no attempt at anything but sincerity here, but the Bobby Warns video should receive an academy award for its power, its majesty, its tribute to Bobby. I have NEVER seen anything as painful, yet as beautiful as that video. If you think about it, kind of the absolute analogy of this War. Right and beautiful in its cause, unbelievably painful in its violence and loss. The Warns, all of them, routinely email me with prayers and well wishes. Unbelievable. Unbelievable and humbling.
Now, these are but some of the amazing events the last 7 months of my life's history have touched me with. Many is the day I have asked myself what is wrong with me? I used to be basically emotionless, and now can cry at the drop of a hat. I mean, I should have season tickets to the Oprah show. But, as we close our time on our deployment, it hit me. It is that I have been touched by the hand of God over the last 7 months, touched daily and touched deeply. And as is always the case with God, he has used the people in our lives to do it. He has done it with the Mad Ghosts of 2/24 and the Mad Ghost families of 2/24. He has done it through all of you! Why do I say it is God? Well, pretty simple, because if you look at the snapshots I have described above, they all have one unmistakeable characteristic in common. SELFLESSNESS! The absence of self. They are a continuum of acts for which those acting received nothing. THEY GAVE. THEY GAVE, AND THEY GIVE! The absolute antithesis of what our "modern" culture tells us we should be. And the amazing thing, when the self is gone, the end result is not the reaching of personal goals, but the touching of interpersonal souls! Now, no matter what or who your god is, that has to be the ultimate goal, else this is all for not. And, I for one, will not believe that.
So in closing I have attached two items. One are the poems that Sheena wrote for the funeral of her brother, and our hero LCpl Wichlacz. Now, get your tissues ready for it is painful reading. But more than painful, it is beautiful. It is the tribute of love and honor between and brother and a sister, that CANNOT and WILL NOT be broken by death. And I dare say, Sheena could write these words for she let go of self. She gave all for her brother, and you will be, like I was, touched and forever a better person for her selflessness expressed in her words. God Bless and Keep You Sheena, you are amazing.
Then, after you have gathered yourself and feeling the sting of death, open the second attachment. For it will be living proof that in losing of self, peace and healing DO follow the suffering. For the picture is the fiancee of PFC Vroman, KIA 2/24. The picture needs no words. God Bless PFC Vroman's fiancee, whose name I will not use, for right now, and in her selflessnes, I believe she would prefer to be called: PFC Vroman's fiancee.
After you view those, and reflect upon this update, you will know why I live every stinking day of this deployment in utter disbelief that I could be granted such a glimpse of heaven. If I never achieve it for real, it will be for my own failures, but if I ever do get there, it will be much like my life is now and will be full of people like the amazing Mad Ghosts and Mad Ghost families of 2/24.
Yeah, as I ponder our last couple of weeks fighting the Muj and bringing freedom to Iraq, I find the words of that famous philospher Rod Stewart most appropriately describe my life this last 6 months: "some guys have all the luck."
May God Bless and Keep the Magnificent Families of 2/24.
LtCol Mark A. Smith, MAYHEM 6
CO, Task Force 2/24
"Mayhem from the Heartland"
or as the terrorists call us
"The Mad Ghosts"
Mahmudiyah, IZ
2nd Bn, 24th Marines, H&S Co, Bn Cmdr
Unit 43495