"Remember Me and Not My Fate"

I don't think it's escaped anyone's notice that tomorrow is Memorial Day. 

It is a solemn day.  One where we honor the ultimate sacrifices  made on our behalf by brave men and women.  It is right that we do this.  We should do no less.

As I was searching the Internet this weekend for articles, I came across one titled "Silent Eulogies" from the Rocky Mountain News.  The article talks about Fort Logan Cemetery in Colorado.  One of the tombstones there is inscribed "Remember Me And Not My Fate"

 

That is what this post is about: remembering the lives of some who have made the ultimate sacrifice.  The first fifteen Marines are all fallen Highlanders from 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.  The next is the son of an old friend of ours.  After that is the son of someone I got to know through fishing events for folks at  Walter Reed.  She and her husband have made a point to attend every event.  Major Crocker served with my husband in Iraq as did LCPL. Gadsden.

For each name, if possible, there is a link to something written about how they LIVED their lives.

LCpl Jesus A. Suarezdelsolar    27 Mar, 2003    Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq
Cpl   Nicholas J Dieruf         8 Apr, 2004     Al Bu Hardin, Iraq
Cpl   Rudy Salas                20 May, 2004    Route TIN, Iraq
SSgt Jorge A. Molina-Bautista    23 May, 2004    Al Fallujah, Iraq
LCpl Jeremy L. Bohlman          7 Jun, 2004     Ar Ramadi, Iraq
Sgt Jason C. Cook               21 Aug, 2004    Al Jaramil, Iraq
Pvt Nachez L. Washalanta        21 Aug, 2004    Al Jaramil, Iraq
SSgt Theodore S. Holder II      11 Nov, 2004    Al Fallujah, Iraq
LCpl Kyle W. Burns              11 Nov, 2004    Al Fallujah, Iraq
LCpl Blake A. Magaoay           29 Nov, 2004    Al Fallujah, Iraq
LCpl Jason E. Smith             31 Dec, 2004    Al Fallujah, Iraq
LCpl Daniel S Bubb              17 Oct, 2005    Ar Rutbah, Iraq
LCpl Chad R. Hildebrandt        17 Oct, 2005    Ar Rutbah, Iraq
LCpl Jeremy P. Tamburello      8 Nov, 2005     Ar Rutbah, Iraq

LCPL Jonathon Gadsden         Wounded 21 August, 2004 in al Anbar Province, Iraq and succumbed to those injuries 22 October 2004  He was attached to 1st LAR at the time of his injuries but was with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1 Marine Division..

Cpl. Brett Lee Lundstrom        Jan. 7, 2006    Al Fallujah, Iraq   2nd Battalion/6th Marines

Capt. Brian Scott Letendre      May 3, 2006    Al Anbar province, Iraq   I and I staff, 1/25th

Major Ricardo Crocker             May 27, 2005   Al  Anbar province, Iraq  3rd CAG

In all honesty, the only of these Marines that I ever met was Cpl. Brett Lundstrom.  When I found out that he had been killed, I pictured the sweet, shy, dark eyed boy I had known years ago.  For the others, I "know" them because I have gotten to know the families they left behind.   

For example, I know that Jason Cook liked "expensive coffee" and always put his uniform together the night before work because he never wanted to let his Marine Corps down.  His beautiful wife, Yovana, told Lancelot and I these things with such a proud smile on her face.   

I know that Daniel Bubb asked his aunt Jules to physically purchase a pair of boots and mail them to a friend who didn't get any mail so that he would get something at mail call in one of his last phone calls home.  He was an incredibly caring young man. 

I know that Nick Dieruf liked to take things apart to see if he could put them back together...and sometimes, he couldn't. 

I know that PFC. Washalanta worked in a circus before joining the Marine Corps.  The judge who put him in foster care, who recommended that he consider joining the military and  who gave the eulogy at his funeral remarked that Wash had completely turned his life around and was so proud of being a Marine.

I know that SSgt. Molina-Bautista was such a good father that his oldest son, Jorge, is going to bootcamp soon.   

Thanks to  Crash Fistfight, I know this about Kyle Burns

"Kyle was my gunner - We lived inside a turret no bigger than the front two seats in a Hyundai...let's just say we got to know each other. I would describe him as a Carhartt wearing, Copenhagen swilling, country music loving cowboy who could cuss with the best of them, from Laramie Wyoming. Kyle was a veteran of OIF I and this was his second trip to the sandbox. I hand picked him to be my gunner because as a platoon commander you need the best with you because your time is so precious that you have to have someone that can control a 14 ton vehicle while you are busy controlling the fight and your platoon over a radio."

And also thanks to Crash Fistfight, I know that Sam Holder was "a mountain of a man from Littleton Colorado. When you think of a Marine - you are thinking of Sam Holder. He was my right hand - my hammer."

I know that Major Ricardo Crocker was held in such high regard by the Marine Corps and the Santa Monica Police Department that his funeral was standing room only and the ceremonies of both the USMC and the Santa Monica PD were both complete and in synchronicity with each other.  I was there.  I couldn't believe the love and the care by both organizations to  honor his memory and put him to rest.

I am the lesser for not having known these fine Marines and the world is a poorer place without them.    I still thank God that they lived.

They are gone but not forgotten.  They live on in our memories.

Semper Fidelis

Comments

[liberal army wife]

thank you, for reminding us what this weekend is really for.

LAW

[RedLegMeg]

Yes, I'll second that LAW; thank you SFW.
Thank you for the remimder and the beautifully written post.

[She of the Sea]

What a beautiful post.

[airforcewife]

Oh, SFW - that is the most wonderful/painful/beautiful post...

[Meredith Peterson]

Thanks for posting, Semper Fi Wife. This sure brought back a lot of memories from the 1st LAR days and while it's bittersweet to remember our fallen Marines and that time in our recent history, it's so important to pay tribute to these brave men and remember their families as we continue on with our everyday lives. We are so fortunate to have served along side and assisted during these challenging times.

[Semper Fi Wife]

Thanks for the kind words. Their lives deserve to be remembered. It is truly the least that I could do to remember them on Memorial Day.

Meredith, I am not missing that deployment but I do so miss all of my 1st LAR folks.
When someone uses the phrase "Marine Corps Family", I think of all of you.

[Cassandra]

Thank you for remembering.

[Amber]

I just wanted to say thank you for your beautiful posting. I personally knew Rick Crocker. I was one of his Police Activities League Kids. Today is Memorial day as well as the 3 year anniversary of his death. It's nice to know that he affected so many lives, including mine.

[Semper Fi Wife]

Amber,
Thanks for reminding me of something.
If I'm not mistaken, Rick Crocker conceived the idea of the Police Activities League, went out and found the funding for it. IF you think about it, YOU and the league are part of Rick Crocker's legacy as well as his important work as a Police officer and a Marine officer.

[Laura, a Military Mom]

I went to Ft. Logan to pay my respects and remember. #1 Son lost a friend, roommate and brother in arms last year in Iraq, and I remembered him and his family during this weekend as well as my father in law a part of the Greatest Generation. We have so many that have given all so that we may have all the freedom. Thank you for a wonderful post.