Combat Center honors fallen from 1/7
Seven stacks of sandbags sat aligned in the green grass of Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Field Nov. 16. Twenty-one Marines in groups of three stood in dress blues behind each stack of sandbags. Each Marine held a rifle, Kevlar, or boots and dog tags. When the names of the fallen Marines and sailor from 1st Battalion, 7th regiment were called, one Marine with a rifle stepped forward and stuck the rifle with a bayonet attached into the stack of sand bags. A second Marine then placed a Kevlar on top of the buttstock of the rifle, followed by the Marine with the boots and dog tags.
http://www.op29online.com/articles/2006/11/24/news/news02.txt
Monday November 27, 2006
Lance Cpl. Nicole A. LaVine
Combat Correspondent
“These men have inspired us both in life and in death,” said Col. Nicholas F. Marano, commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, in his speech to the crowd at the memorial.
Marano spoke heavily about the dedication, ceaseless work and intense compassion of the men in his unit.
“The Marines and sailors in this unit dedicated themselves to showing the Iraqi people what it is to live a life free of fear and tyranny,” he said. “These men knew the difference between our enemies and the Iraqi people trying to live their lives. We showed them that we are a just and humane society.”
The unit’s two main missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom were to secure borders to prevent the inflow of terrorists, and to secure urban areas and build civilian institutions to work for a more peaceful Iraqi nation. Marano revealed that, in addition to accomplishing the original missions, the population had also almost doubled between the time the unit arrived and the time they departed.
Marano said that, despite the numerous missions, the unit worked for much more than the mission-at-hand.
“The Marines built the trust of the local people one Iraqi at a time,” he said. “The Marines defended the local people from the terrorists who hid in their midst and demonstrated the ultimate truth that freedom is indeed not free.”
Marano also made it a point to honor, not only the lost warriors, but also the families of those who had made the ultimate sacrifice.
Maj. Mark D. Dietz, the battalion’s executive officer, expressed the importance of getting the families together with the men who served with their fallen loved ones.
“This is a great opportunity for the families to meet the Marines who were responsible for their sons and were with them the last months of their lives,” Dietz said. “It gives them a chance to talk, tell stories and receive real closure.”
Many stories of sorrow and valor were shared that day.
A story shared about Lance Cpl. Aaron W. Simons demonstrated his compassion for the lives of those he didn’t even know. As he lay injured in his hospital bed, all Simons thought of was an Iraqi family who had lost several children to a rare kidney disease. Now, the one daughter who was still alive had also fallen victim to the illness. It was the young Iraqi girl, not himself, whom Simons focused his thoughts on in the midst of his own suffering. Simons’ wishes for her health were later granted when the little girl was able to get the treatment she needed to survive.
Another story shared by Marano revealed the sacrifices made were not one-sided. Two Marines who attended the memorial came home alive because of the valiant actions of an Iraqi soldier at a check point. An insurgent wearing a bomb vest approached the check point, threatening the lives of the men. The Iraqi soldier, with no hesitation, ran to the insurgent and bear-hugged him as he detonated the bomb. The soldier died in order to save the lives of the Marines behind him.
Gallantry knows no race, creed, gender or nationality. All heroes are united by the sacrifices they made without hesitation or regret for the sake of their country and brothers-in-arms.
Let it be through the telling of their stories that we may pay tribute to their lives.
The following Marines and sailor were honored at the memorial service Nov. 16:
Lance Cpl. Bryan Taylor, 21, a Milford, Ohio, native and a combat engineer in Company A.
Lance Cpl. Aaron W. Simons, 21, a Modesto, Calif., native and a rifleman in Company C.
Lance Cpl. Michael L. Ford, 20, a New Bedford, Mass., native and tanker with 1st Tanks Battalion, Company C.
Seaman Apprentice Zachary M. Alday, 23, a Donaldsonville, Ga., native and a corpsman with Weapons Company.
Lance Cpl. Salvador Guerrero, 22, a Whitter, Calif., native and a mortarman with Weapons Company.
Lance Cpl. Jeremy Z. Long, 19, a Sun Valley, Nev., native and rifleman with Company A.