Monday, May 27, 2013

Freedom is never free.

I am not in the habit of re-posting but please forgive me this Memorial Day. This is a post I wrote last year  and I want to honor these men I served with and all those who are never recognized for their ultimate sacrifice. 

This Memorial Day weekend we remember those who have died for our country. Many times we hear about the number of fallen troops in the history of our country but seldom do we put faces to those who have given all for our freedom. I am doing something I have never done before now, I am writing about some of those men who I am proud to have served with.
   Early during the Iraq War (2003-2004) I was deployed to Iraq with a Seabee unit, which is basically a Combat Engineer group for the Navy and Marine Corp. We were originally tasked with bridge, road and runway repair and construction but this was early in the war and the battle of Fallujah was raging in the Sunni Triangle and needless to say it was a bad neighborhood. Our battalion was attached to the MEG (Marine Engineer Group) and the MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force) and we were split up into smaller units / squads to work in convoy operations, base defense, force protection etc. I was first assigned to a Special Ops base North of Baghdad, working on force protection in a FOB (forward operating base) It was a lot of closely guarded ops and to this day if I pull the compound up on Google Earth the area is blurred out. Later our unit was sent to Ramadi to work with the MEG.
As I said earlier, in 2004 Anbar province was a bad area and little did we realize that when we boarded that DC-10 in Gulfport Mississippi that 7 of us on that one aircraft would not return alive. Apart from the seven KIA there were others of us to return in wheel chairs, stretchers or on crutches. Some of us had visible wounds and some not so visible but without a doubt we were all forever marked by our service.

On this Memorial Day weekend I will offer no details but rather honor to the seven men in my unit who made the ultimate sacrifice.


KIA when his vehicle was hit by an IED, Anbar province, Iraq. 
33 years old, survived by wife and children.







EO2 Trace W. Dossett

Orlando, FL.
KIA,  hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.

37 years old survived by wife and 2 daughters. 







SW3 Ronald A. Ginther

Auburndale, FL.

KIA as a result of hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.
37 years old survived by wife and 2 children

BU2 Michael C. Anderson

Daytona, FL.

KIA as a result of hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.
36 years old, survived by wife and daughter.








BU2 Robert B. Jenkins

Stuart, FL.
Died as a result of hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.
35 years old, survived by wife.






SW2 Jason B. Dwelley

Apopka, FL.

KIA when his vehicle was hit by an IED, Anbar province, Iraq.
31 years old.






 
CM3 Scott R. McHugh

Boca Raton, FL.

KIA as a result of hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.
Died 3 days past his 33rd birthday. His mother's care 
package had not arrived before he was killed.





"When I die, I desire no better winding sheet than the Stars and Stripes, and no softer pillow than the Constitution of my country." -- Andrew Johnson

22 comments:

  1. Wow! Incredible post. Seldom do we put names on those we remember. This one brings me to tears...

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  2. Thank you for the beautiful tribute. We're from Eustis, Fl, very close to several of the towns these young men were from. The Dickerson, Dossett, Ginther, Anderson, Jenkins, Dwelley, and McHugh families will be specifically remembered in our prayers. Our grandson, a Marine sniper, has completed two tours of Afghanistan and everyday we thank God for his safe return. -- Jan

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    1. Jan, Thank you. I hope your grandson remains safe.

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    1. Stephen, it does make you feel humble and grateful.

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  4. Thank you, Duke. We forget such sacrifices at our peril.

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    1. Hermit Jim, thanks my friend. Always enjoy your visit.

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  6. Dear Duke - that was a beautiful tribute (and i was very touched the first time that you posted it). i am glad that you posted it again because remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice is a duty for those of us who know that our freedoms relied on their sacrifice. i have had the pleasure of working with some incredible american soldiers...i have also had the pleasure of meeting some incredible american veterans. i thank and remember them all with you today, tho i be canadian.

    your friend,
    kymber

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    1. Kymber, Your kind words are appreciated. Thank you.

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  7. A wonderful re-post and tribute to your friends. We are thankful for your friends and for your service. Thank you Duke.

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    1. Mamma Bear, I to am thankful for those who keep us safe. Thanks.

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  8. Duke,

    Thank you for reposting this post, it's a beautiful tribute.

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  9. I wish I was as fortunate as you to have known these heroes. I know you think about them all the time, and you have talked about them at our outings before, but you and I know that one day, we all will be reunited and their sacrifice will always be remembered for maintaining our freedom. God speed shipmates!!!

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    1. Senior, as you know military service has it's ups and downs and it can be very rewarding but it takes it's toll on all of us and some to the point of death. Thanks.

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  10. Thanks for remembering AND reminding us those numbers DO have faces and names... Jack Punches, Larry Getzfred, Joe Pycior to name a few for me.

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    1. Old NFO, Thanks, we do need to never forget those names and faces.

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  11. Thank you for sharing this Duke and may God Bless those heroes and their families.

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    1. Six, I try and keep all our veterans sacrifice at the forefront.

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