Pfc. Nachez ("Little Fawn") Washalanta II

Like a lot of other false starts in Nachez Washalanta's young life, the circus wasn't working out all that hot. Wasn't too long after his stint under the big top that Wash enlisted in the Marine Corps.

If that strikes you as an improbable resume, the few observers of Nachez "Little Fawn" Washalanta's life will tell you that's because you ain't a Marine.

"You could tell he never fit in anywhere before ... until he joined the Marines" observes journalist Earnie Grafton. Grafton, a reporter/photographer for the San Diego Times and a former Marine, got himself embedded with Wash's light armored reconnaissance unit charging from Kuwait to Tikrit in March of 2003.

He was a short kid. So short I remember thinking he must have just squeaked by the Marine minimum-height requirement. I think he was barely 20 years old at the time. Too young to drink, but old enough to drive an armored vehicle into war.

He came from Ardmore, Okla., some small town where opportunity doesn't exactly shoot up from the hard-packed red earth. I remember that he hadn't had an easy life. He told me he had "screwed up" a few times back in Oklahoma. He was a tough guy who didn't talk much. He either said what he thought, which usually wasn't the right thing to say to your boss, or he simply clammed up. . .

Washalanta wasn't a poster Marine. He sure wasn't the type a press-relations officer would want you to write about.

"Screwing up" was how Wash came to the attention of Judge Tom Walker. Carrie, wife of Wash's commanding officer, wrote in to the comments section of Villanous Company, a blog maintained by a Marine wife

Wash had the worst family life ever. Father went to jail and mom was/is a drug addict. It became clear early on that Wash's mom was not a good caregiver and the same judge who put his father in jail put him and his little brother in the custody of a great aunt.

Later, when the great aunt could no longer keep up with the boys because of age, he put Wash into foster care. I know nothing more about his brother after this point. If I remember correctly, Wash bounced around foster care abit but finally ended up with a good family. He stayed with them until he graduated from high school.

Judge Walker had a hand in steering Wash -- or "Chez" as he was called in school days -- to Thunderbird Academy, an alternative school that's an adjunct of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program. There's some evidence that the Judge took part in the family intervention that convened to persuade Wash that the circus might be a poor career choice. His foster parents and even his foster brothers and sisters thought a circus lifestyle might be a little too much like the family life he'd been born into.

The break from his "family of origen" doubtless paved the way for what happieness and success Wash enjoyed in his too brief life. The partisan feelings of those championing Wash, however, have buried the origen of his name "Little Fawn." Along with "Chez" and "Wash," "Little Fawn" is how he gave himself to be called by new or significant people in his life.

"People are probably reading this and shaking their heads," Lcpl. Weaver writes of one of the best friends he's ever known, "but this is how Chez' and I used to talk, and will talk when we meet up again. Until next time, Little Fawn."

No tribal affiliation is mentioned in the sources readily available for the young Oklahoman, but the name so perfectly fits the wary coltishness Wash often displayed you almost have to believe some native American shaman "read" Wash's spirit at birth.

One of Wash's teachers, Ms. Vanessa Chappel of Smithville, Texas, penned this recollection to Chez

My most fond memory of you was on our field trip to Grapevine Mills Mall and the Ft. Worth zoo. I don't know if you'd been included on any field trips before that time. You acted surprised that I invited you to go. But I was very happy that you went. When we returned, you and I had time to visit with each other while we waited for Christine to pick you up. I enjoyed that time very much. I was happy to have the chance to get to know you a little better.

Well, and yes, at-risk-youth, kids with trouble at home often maintain a reserve within themselves. Skittishness at simple human regard -- trembling at the common respect which binds our society -- these are the conditioned responses of trust shattered at an early age, trust not soon restored.

But who's to say a shaman cannot foretell an infant's destiny? Surely a seer does not blink at the betrayals that may befall a child he is called to name. What soothsayer worth his salt averts his eyes to the wounded response to such betryal ?

If journalist Grafton knew Wash's Indian moniker, he may have considered it too vulnerable. Aside from sounding so un-Devil Dog, "Little Fawn" would have rendered the portrait he gives us of Wash as a brooding loner altogether too sentimental and schmaltzy.

Grafton tells us of two encounters, two moments of "quality time" with Wash. One relates to the moody photo above. After snapping the picture of Wash taking a solitary smoke break, Grafton engages him about his job as driver of the 12 ton light tank they travel in. Having earlier overheard the tough young marine's complaints (" 'I don't want to be a f – -ing driver,' he said, 'I joined the Marines to fight,' ") Grafton expects a brusque brush off. Instead, Wash responds to the attention by offering a detailed explanation of the machine and its operation, revealing the deep pride he takes in his developing mastery of the beast.

The journalist sets the scene of his other moment of quality time: Wash's job isolates him in the cockpit of the tank, Grafton explains, so his limited social interaction often involves the squad outdoing each other as they grandiloquently rag on their young driver about the uncomfortable ride he's giving them across the desert.

One day south of the Tigris River, Wash got the vehicle stuck up to its axles when a dike we were crossing gave way on the right side. [Sergeant] Mike turned the air blue yelling at Wash, even though everyone, probably including Mike, knew it wasn't really Wash's fault. Everyone except Wash, of course.

I remember seeing the tough guy, the I-don't-take-crap-from-anyone guy, standing off by himself with his head down. I walked up to him. He had tears in his eyes and said softly, "I really f – -ed up. I let the staff sergeant down."

He hadn't, of course. I told him that, and later Mike told him the same. But Wash wasn't buying it. His pride wouldn't allow that.

There's much about Little Fawn that brings to mind that "underdog soldier in the night" Bob Dylan wrote of, so much in his story that gets you yearning for the chimes of freedom to ring for him. Again, Carrie, wife of Wash's commanding officer:

While we were driving from California to Virginia, we took a detour to Ardmore, Oklahoma. Ardmore is exactly what you'd think it was. Small, not high rent, dusty. The Gene Autry museum is there.

We met the judge who'd had been such a part of Wash's life at the cemetery and talked with him for about an hour. He gave the eulogy at Wash's funeral. Said that there weren't very many people there. Mostly guys from the local VFW.

The judge made sure that the great aunt who had first taken care of Wash received a flag. The mother was there but the look on the judge's face when he referred to her made me not want to ask more. I know that the CACO warned me off of her. She had somehow grifted money out of the Marine Corps and they were all pretty disgusted with her.

After Wash's foster parents died, he changed the beneficiary of his SGLI to his foster sister. I always think about that and it makes me sad. He didn't have anyone else to leave it to.

It's very much the tender concerns the military wives at the Villainous Company blog express for Wash that drew our attention to him. There's much to mourn in the story of a young life whose road of redemption ended way too early. Little Fawn had only just begun strengthening his legs for that road.

But already on that road, Wash encountered allies every bit as stalwart as Judge Walker. Lcpl. Weaver with his testimony that Wash was a "no BS type of guy and . . .a great Marine" is just one among several comrades expressing their respect and admiration for the warrior, and not just his age peers.

"To the Washalanta Family, My most sincere condolences go to your family. I met young PFC Nachez Washalanta in Iraq. My unit was attached to his battalion. We shared a helicopter ride back to Kuwait and later the freedom bird back to the USA, where I met his brother. We shared stories of our units’ exploits during the "march up" to Baghdad and spoke as peers despite our age difference. He was a fine young man and a credit to the Marine Corps and to his country.
Semper Fidelis."
Staff Sergeant Guevarra of 4th LAR Bn.

"Wash I am sorry for what happen to you. I think of you everyday and can't sleep a night with out that day replaying in my head. The truth is you were there because you were the best for the job. You were respected and loved by all of us Wash. I saw how important you were to every one that day and how important you were to me in the thoughts I have about you all the day. It hurts to know you are gone but I gain strength from knowing you were with the people you wanted to be with that day."
Sgt. Anthony Jones -- Nightcrawler 4 -- 1st LAR PRT Guard of Norco Ca

And while the wives' seem particularly concerned that Wash had insufficient time on this earth to find a soul mate who might mourn his passing and remember him always, Little Fawn is respected and remembered with love by his natural family

"Nachez,I found out to late you are my brother. I wish we could have had the chance and time to get to know each other. The friends of yours I have had the privledge to talk to maintain what a wonderful and brave person you were and how blessed they were to have you in their lives, even if for only a short time.
So, I thank you and love you...."
Suncerrae of Phoenix, AZ

as well as his chosen family

"Chez: Today we went to a memorial to honor your life. What a big to do it was! You would have just quietly shrugged and said, "It was no big deal, that was my job." You were such a blessing to us Chez. You showed me what a hero truly is. You taught me the past is exactly that, the past. The future and what we choose to do with it is the only thing that matters.
Darrien and Jackson loved you so. Through your eyes they saw the whole world. Inside your bible they found their picture. It put them atop the world. Although it is so difficult to say, I am truly thankful you are finally at peace. Thank you for loving us enough to defend this country...so Jackson may never have to. I thank God for the time you spent with us. You are and will remain our precious hero. Semper Fi"
David, Jennifer, Darrien and Jackson of Norman, OK

No matter what false starts Destiny presented Little Fawn, it was not so cruel as to completely deny him the love that was his due nor to withhold the respect that he earned in his short time among us.

For that, let us remember Nachez Washalanta II.

* On June 19, 2008, The Daily Ardmoreite noted the passing of Lila Esther Sturdevant at 98 years of age. A teacher in local schools for 31 years, Mrs. Sturdevant and husband Gordon were childless but helped to raise three generations of nieces and nephews. Mrs. Sturdevant was preceded in death by her husband, her three brothers and a great nephew, Private Chez Washalanta, USMC.

** Be sure to check out the Wall of Honor at Thunderbird Academy, a link from Jason's Peace. . .A Piece of Honor.

Political Correctness -- Part IV B 2 d, The IraqNam Exclusion

What passes for the Portal's "Editorial Board" -- which includes most anybody passing by the computer banks here at the Library -- has green lighted linking to posts at the blog "IraqNam."

Since hammering out our editorial policy enshrined at the flagship site -- pledging ourselves to embed only links "as free as possible of political presentation or editorial framing" -- it has come to our sad attention that media outlets do not maintain articles and coverage of the individual fallen at their websites indefinitely.

In some cases, coverage is archived and can be retrieved upon enrollment with the outlet, sometimes at a fee, sometimes not. Occasionally, as serendipity dictates, articles can be retrieved with the Way Back Machine at the internet Archive.org.

Frequently in our research we'd come across the entries for the fallen at the IraqNam blog, an anti-war (but pro-troop -- our editors grudgingly agreed) site active September '06 to October '07. While deferring to the original source of the articles reproduced at IraqNam, we did notice that the blog had copied and pasted directly from the sources, exercising no editorial rewriting nor highlighting. The blog is quite outspoken in its opposition to the war in its other entries, but interposes none of its views in the biographical postings.

Increasingly this summer, we've discovered that the original documents are no longer featured at the publisher's sites. IraqNam has by default become the readiest access to the sort of biographical material that fully commemorates our heroes.

In future, we'll be including the IraqNam links when content warrants. We're simply going to trust that Americans have not become so supersensitive that they have rejected a heritage of pragmatic review and respect of other's views.

Photo courtesy Jason Barbacovi of Me and Chairman Mao at blogspot.

Lcpl. Jonathan W. Collins

Angels laid him away. . .*

Lcpl. Jonathan W. Collins, 19; Crystal Lake, Illinois
12/31/84 --
08/08/04
U.S.Marine 2nd BN, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force
One of the last images JonathanW. Collins' parents have of their son is a picture of the Marine surrounded by laughing Iraqi children. "Here he has this huge smile, in the middle of all this nonsense and death and heat," Jack Collins said. "I always looked at that picture as a moment of sanity in an insane situation. . .he loved surrounding
himself with people." Faces of the Fallen -- Washington Post/Legacy.com

_________________________________________

From Fallen Heroes Memorials

Bryden is sleeping. His eyes are closed tight.
It's funny how his muscles twitch and make him look funny.

He's beautiful man, i wish you could see him.
Everyday when i see him being held by his mother, it breaks my heart that neither of them will ever get to meet you.
Bryden won't have that cool uncle who will let him drink when he's 16, or take him out to a movie or to the mall and make him feel like he's cool because he is not with his boring lame parents, but with his cool uncle.
Everyday i make sure i hold Bryden up to your USMC photo and point out "That's your uncle, he was a great guy, but he's not here now. When you get older I'll tell you about him."
And Catherine misses you too. Whenever we go to the cemetery, she breaks down and cries. She feels like she knew you.
I miss you everyday.
Bryden is waking up now. Please watch over him and keep him safe.
I'll visit your grave as soon as i can.
I love you.
Take it easy brother, i'll see you soon.

Brandon

_________________________________________

It'll come as no surprise to anyone who's read Jonathan's biographical info and his tributes that kids are the chief beneficiary of the The Lcpl. Jonathan W. Collins Memorial Fund.

Those of you nearby Crystal Lake, Illinois next weekend note that a Walk/Run is scheduled. If you're looking for some recreation among some good folks, I'd say it's a good bet. Info at the website: check it out !

* The childlike wonderment in Mississippi John Hurt's song "Louis Collins" combines with the deceptively simple guitar to make of the meditation something like a reassuring lullaby. The 1928 rendition is courtesy of the Internet Archive.

US Forces Personnel: The Prospect for Gold

Maintaining a long tradition of military personnel competing at Olympic Games, 17 US athletes still in uniform and 4 retired veterans go for the gold in Beijing. The athletes represent a full spectrum from E3's to officers. Aptly enough, NCO's are sprinkled throughout the US delegation in coaching roles.

Indicative of the preponderance of Army athletes, shooting and marksmanship events make up the largest category of participation, though Greco-Roman wrestling, endurance sports and even epee (fencing) demonstrate the range of talent and athletic expression found in the uniformed services.

The Department of Defense website features a thorough section on military Olympic hopefuls. We've only begun to investigate it, but have it bookmarked as the games unfold.

Summer Olympics -- UK Defence Hopefuls

2nd Lt. Joanna Yorke Dyer, Duke of Lancaster Regiment, was among four soldiers killed by a roadside bomb west of Basra City on April 9, 2007.

After graduating Oxford University with a degree in Political Science/Economics, Ms. Dyer went on to Officer Training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. A classmate of Prince William, Joanna commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in December, 2006 and was posted to Iraq to gain operational experience.

Described as "bright, ballsy and an absolute credit to the Army," Jo won both respect and affection from her comrades and superiors. Her commanding officer commended her "boundless enthusiasm" while her peers marveled at her "thirst for knowledge" and pragmatic experience. Of her chipper personality, one mate noted:

"Jo always managed to amaze us with the amount of mail she received – this is testament to just how loved and popular she was. She always spoke with great pride of her family, her partner and her friends back home."

The "partner" Jo extolled -- Lt. Robin Bourne-Taylor of the Household Cavalry (Lifeguards) -- bragged no less of her to the other oarsmen competing that spring for seats on Britain's Men's Eight, a necessary stepping stone to Beijing. "She's the one," he confided to his companionable rowing rival Alastair Heathcote, a captain in the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals.

Longtime oarsman Bourne-Taylor, impressed by Heathcote's athleticism, had sized him up as an ideal rower. He'd recruited Alastair to join his own longplanned bid for the Olympic crew. The two soldiers encouraged each other in their bids for the Olympic squad through many hours of rigorous land training, Robin mentoring the newcomer in the on-water essentials.

A Basra hand, Heathcote proved a fortunate choice when the stunning news of Johanna's misfortune hit the rower's camp. The captain's was a steady shoulder on which Bourne-Taylor braced himself. While the civilians on the rowing squad certainly "got it" about the deeply personal loss Robin faced, it was Al alone who could share Robin's grief for Jo as a sister-in-arms fallen for Queen and country.

The disciplined stoicism of British soldiery is legendary; compound that with a similar fortitude demanded by the sport of rowing and you have a hard nut for Britain's (equally legendary) sensationalist press to crack.

Keep this in mind as you view Sky News' interview with Lt. Bourne-Taylor and Captain Heathcote. A stiff upper lip should not be mistaken for shallowness of feeling -- indeed: for fellows like these, the measure is quite the contrary.

In rowing preliminaires beginning Saturday (8/9/08), Bourne-Taylor will be competing in pairs while Heathcote boats with the 8. Also in rowing events, Lt. Peter Reed of the Royal Navy competes in men's fours.

Meanwhile Lt. Commander Penny Clark of the Royal Navy goes for the gold in laser radial singles sailing.

For profiles and schedules, check out the Olympics feature page at the MoD's Defence News site.

Sgt. Juan Calderon

Juan Calderon Sr. looks at pictures of his son Marine
Sergeant Juan Calderon Jr., his daughter-in-law Ana and grandson Juan Andres, who was born one month after the younger Calderon died from enemy fire at age 26.

Caption and photo from University of Texas Pan American at Edinburg on the inaugural of the UTPA Valley Heroes Memorial Scholarship Fund, 4/13/05. Heroes honored by the scholarship now include 18 fallen valley service members.

______________________________________________

From FallenHeroesMemorials.com

"I can't believe you're gone compa, as I fill in these lines I can feel a lump in my throat. I remember all the fun times we had in Okinawa, we always talked about El Valle. Your favorite rollas were las de Ramon Ayala, I'll always remember you carnal.

You are a true hero compa, I know you are up there looking down at us singing Ramon Ayalas ,,que me entierren cantando".

Te nos adelantastes compa, but I'll be there one day singing by your side. Te lo prometo tocayo.

Las mas sinceras condolencias para la familia Calderon. Yo tuve la oportunidad de conocer a este gran heroe y fue un buen amigo.

RIP CARNAL, SEMPER FI DEVIL DOG,

Un dia voy parriba y.....
voy a entregar lo que ...
un dia el Senor me presto....' "

JUAN GONZALEZ of OCEANSIDE,CA

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

For 2008 scholarship application and to read profiles of the Valley Fallen, visit UTPA Student Financial Services.

UPDATE: Ramon Ayalla's song, unblocked.

Deadline for Valley Heroes 2010-11 Scholarship is May 1st -- click for info.

Remembering a Titan

They called him "Touchdown Talbert" at TC Williams. Around Alexandria, Virginia, though, it wasn't just his football exploits that prompted kids coming up to exclaim: "Did you see what Dee did ?"

In a tough enviornment studded with pitfalls, DeForest Talbert relaunched his young life in a way that turned young heads and dropped the jaws of older folks. According to the Washington Post:

He was raised by a single mother in a public housing complex in north Old Town Alexandria. He spent much of his freshman year skipping class and talking back to teachers. He was bright, athletic and good-looking -- and he knew it, recalled Carolyn Lewis, principal of the Secondary Training and Education Program, which supports students who aren't doing as well as they could.
"He was really in trouble in the streets," Lewis said.

Even the most skeptical school administrator must have enjoyed a huge morale boost when Dee not only to took to the one-year alternative ed program but thrived in it. Continuing under its wings for three years, Dee buckled down to academics, develped team skill as a spectacular tight end and cultivated community citizenship by mentoring the little kids at the neighboring pre-school program.

So when Dee won a military scholarship and admission at West Virginia State University, it was as if the sky opened up over Alexandria's meaner streets.

"Here's this kid who went through so many hurdles growing up in the inner city," said Jill Lingle, a George Washington Middle School resource police officer who knows Talbert's family. "Even the younger boys I know at the school would talk about him. They'd say, 'Did you see what Dee did?' Everyone knew he'd gone on to college. He was definitely a role model for these young kids growing up in the same way."

National Guard duties, military study and his work toward a communications degree kept Dee from pursuing football, but not from pursuing romance. Frances Hamilett, studying to be a social worker, met Dee on campus and the two fell in love. Even with the birth of their son Deontae, the two maintained their academic committments and Dee continued his mentoring to the community back home through visits, phone calls and e-mail contact.

It was a two way street. When his unit got deployed to Iraq, Principal Lewis and the young people at TC Williams alt.ed. sent care packages and correspondence to Dee, making him the envy of the unit for the volume of mail he got.

A notable aspect of this war is the flurry of nearly instant communication that accompanies it. Not two nights before the routine patrol that would be his last one, Frances and Dee were instant messaging. Just texting a normal conversation about Deontae, about missing each other. That next day Ms. Lewis had another e-mail from Dee. "Just want you to know that I'm fine," it read, "It's still hot."

Then too that night in Iraq, within moments of the IED blast, tinny voices conferred in chattering transmissions that crackled over walkies and radios. Not a few of the condolence posts left for Dee at Fallen Heroes Memorials mention that they got the news about Dee through those overheard strained exchanges. The posts themselves are recent, three and four years out from July 27, 2004: testament that while communicating such news is quite nearly instant, processing that news can be the work of a lifetime

It's not unusual to read in veteran's accounts how news of a comrade is learned first through just such tinny but frantic voices remote amid the electronic blizzard of our interconnectivity. The veterans especially rue and ruminate upon that burst of information, of communication, followed by a silence made all the more utter and complete when the sender terminates transmission.

That's especially true in Dee's case. A great many folks rue the silence shrouding Dee's voice. Throughout his short life, DeForest Talbert, that most unlikely of success stories, fully utilized every medium at his disposal to stay in touch with a community eager for tips from any trailblazer who could find his way out of a situation frought with missteps and perilous false starts. He maintained a broadband communication with his home, signalling back lessons learned and wisdom earned to ease the way ahead for those hoping to follow.

Not long before OIF, an observer could pick up a lot of chatter about the mission of America's military. Since the '90's when the US got involved in Bosnia and on the fringes of the situation in Haiti, the pros and cons of "nation-building" became a topic for pundits and talking heads.

Wherever anyone stands on that discussion, it seems quite clear that before deploying to Iraq, DeForest Talbert had already dedicated himself to just that mission: nation-building right here at home.

Pfc. Charles ("C.C.") Persing

Justin DeLacerda, 11, pedals past M&M Family Mart, where a sign memorializes Spc. Charles ‘C.C.’ Persing -- Brett Duke photo & caption posted 07/23/04 courtesy NOLA.com (New Orleans Times Picayune and ABC23TV)

At the Iraq Memorial Portal we strive to maintain a sort of Tom Joad-like internet omniscience. For any number of reasons, this is hard going in our considerations of "CC" -- or, as the library ladies around the Portal refer to him, Charles Clayton -- Persing.

On hearing themselves addressed by their full complement of given names, Southern boys especially are conditioned to expect a reprimand or rebuke. The connotation is of stern admonishment that they fully measure up to the character that family and extended family intended to embue when those names were conferred.

Often a Southern boy is fixing to be a young man or well into maturity before he hears spoken in the hyper-formality of such an address a demure tone of pride. A quiet but sure tone suggesting that he has in fact achieved that full character. Hears it spoken or perhaps feels it expressed in the stroke of wizened fingers on his cheek or in the warm grasp of a gnarled and calloused hand that accompanies so quaint a salutation.

Those of us involved in researching and publishing the Epitaphs at the Iraq Memorial Portal go through a lot of wrangling to construct a tribute to the fallen clear of political overtones and free of service branch/unit favoritism or geographic chauvinism.

Again this year, the hard wrangling for editorial balance pretty much went out the window on the "Iraq Daily Epitaphs -- July 19" when we got to Pfc. Persing (third posting, 2004).

Maybe next year we'll move the blatant editorializing to this blog where, arguably, it belongs. We hope you'll give us credit for utilizing footnotes at page bottom to suggest some of the personal thoughts and feelings we maintain for this soldier.

Meanwhile, the Portal is proud to stand behind it's introduction to you of Charles Clayton ("C.C.") Persing, a favorite son and as fine a young man as ever came out of cajun country.

Run for the Fallen

While researching for the Portal over the July 4th weekend (what? you thought we take time off ?) we came across Run for the Fallen, a terrific (and terrifically strenuous) tribute to the fallen of OIF presently ongoing.

Check out this video (minute and a half) -- we'll meet you below.

* * * * *

* * * * *

Starting on Flag Day back on June 14, a relay team of ten runners set off from Fort Irwin, California bound for Arlington National Cemetery. Each of the 4100 miles of their route is dedicated to a particular servicemember who has made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.

The runners leave at each mile in their trail a flag and nametag / bio-profile -- chronologically sequenced west to east by fatality date -- consecrating that mile and "activating" the memory of the fallen hero.

This daunting project grew from idea to internet footprint to sweaty reality among the circle of friends surrounding 1Lt. Mike Cleary of Dallas, Pennsylvania (our "Daily Epitaphs" page headlined his soccer coach's comment that he stood. . . "five foot nothing but was 7 - 5 in heart")

As much as Run for the Fallen celebrates our heroes, its moving backstory of the bonds of love and of friendship that endure the gulf of separation serves as a healthy model to a nation grieving for its fallen patriots and mourning its countrymen.

Run for the Fallen (RFTF) is encouraging physically active tributes to the fallen nationwide. The idea is that folks will dedicate a stint of walking, running, biking or other activity suitable to their fitness level in honor of the fallen. RFTF particularly invites such commemorations on August 24 to coincide with their arrival at Arlington.

The groups' Facebook page facilitates networking at the grassroots level on the 8/24 concept, cultivating a truely national participation. Despite having gained as yet little national exposure in the media, responses thus far for observances nationwide are encouraging.

Meanwhile, the team is keeping a blog as they trek. We're seeing in the comments section of their postings tributes to and anecdotes about our fallen heroes. We anticipate the blog site becoming a rich resource in our elegaic endeavors.

While they accept financial support, they vigorously re-direct support to five organizations dedicated to easing the burden of wounded soldiers, ameliorating the grief of gold star families, and perpetuating the memory of our fallen heroes.

As you can tell, we're fired up about Run for the Fallen. We encourage you to browse around their web presence and hop aboard this bodacious commemoration in whatever way best suits you.

"Born A Fijian -- Dies a Rifleman"

Rfn. Edward Frank Sanday Vakabua
4th Batallion - The Rifles

9 /14 / 83 * * *7 / 6 / 07
Suva, Fiji * * * *Basra, Iraq

A Rifleman Lost - But Never to be Forgotten
Forever "Swift and Bold"

"We have just held a service of farewell for Vaka," writes Lt.Col. PNYM Sanders, OBE

". . .in the dusty, stifling chapel we have made for ourselves here, just above the room where he slept with his friends. It was almost unbearably moving and the tears that flowed down the cheeks of all of us packed into the room were only disguised by the sweat on our faces. His fellow Fijians sang for him – how they sang.

They come from a great tradition of harmony singing, but tonight their powerful, clear, sweet voices rang out across the Shatt Al Arab, singing a hymn with more passion, faith and feeling than I have ever heard. It raised the hairs on the backs of our necks and was a fitting and wonderful tribute to a fallen friend whose faith, courage, selflessness and simple decency defined him and inspired all who knew him."

His sisters and his numerous older cousins back home in Fiji teased Teddy for being "spoilt" as the baby of the family. What they meant was that he enjoyed more space in the house as they embarked on their own lives and suffered less in the way of hand-me-downs. He even got to play new-fangled video games at which he excelled.

While the island republic is rich in beauty, half of Fiji's population live below the poverty line; Teddy's late arrival on the family scene came with some advantages.

And some severe disadvantages.

"We lost our father when Edward was just about 13," remembers his sister, Arieta Carna. "It did not make Edward grow up angry at the world. He took the loss with grace and humility and enveloped his Mum with all the love and support he could muster."

Throughout his life Vaka impressed people as humble and laid back, a fellow who kept an even keel. Lt. Col. Sanders remembers "a gentle giant; a courteous, smiling, humble man with a natural warmth of spirit, a gentle sense of humour, truly unselfish; in short a gentleman."

His Captain, Will Peltor, recalls "no matter how much you had shouted at him an hour before, [he] would still give you a winning smile and have no hard feelings towards you when you then asked him to do you a favour."

"Edward was advanced for his age," Arieta notes, "In his dictum and the way he carried himself, he was like an old soul......"

His schooling done, Vaka enlisted in the British Army at 20, joining 2,000 Fijians under the Union Jack including his brother, Joji, serving in the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. Idyllic tropical paradise notwithstanding, Fiji carries the DNA of a warrior tradition that finds expression at home or abroad. The Republic is a reliable U.N. partner in peacekeeping operations, providing toops from its military to far flung hotspots.

By all accounts Vaka was an instant fit with the mortar platoon of The Rifles. "He loved his rest he loved his food," recall mates Lcpl. Zwijnen and Cpl. Grievson, "he loved his rugby and he hated running; he was a true mortarman!"

Vaka "moved from being the quiet Rifleman at the back to being the quiet Rifleman at the front," insists Capt. Peltor, "setting the example to the younger Rifleman; be it whilst maintaining the vehicles with grease all over his arms and hands to preparing the vehicles prior to going out on patrol to actually being out on patrol and 'cutting' about on the ground; not needing to be told what to do.

"He was a team player, he would always do more than his fair share and never think that a more junior Rifleman should do a job instead of him."

And when the chips were down, Vaka was capable of tapping into a reserve of courage.

"Vaka was constantly volunteering for duty in the rooftop sangars - the most dangerous spot," Lt. Col. Sanders writes. "And when a sangar was struck with a direct hit by a mortar round severely injuring a fellow Rifleman, it was Vaka that volunteered to drive the vehicle taking him to the emergency helicopter landing site for evacuation, braving the incoming mortar rounds as he did so with several exploding very close to him. That Rifleman is now recovering in hospital and he owes his survival in part to Vaka's courage."

And through all this mayhem and tedium, Capt. Peltor says, Vaka "incessantly read books; especially large volumes of books on military history as well as his favourite Special Forces books. It was for this reason and his exceptionally neat writing that he always guaranteed himself for being pinged when a 'scribe' was required."

Those traits were brought forward from childhood, according to Arieta, who remembers that he "loved movies and books. And again not those meaningless movies with a lot of sound and action. Movies that challenged the mind, was what Edward loved. Edward was well read."

"He was also exceptionally bright," Lt. Col. Sanders concurs. "He scored top of his basic skills examination and read avidly, with a love of military history which he found inspiring. When I last saw him he was reading 'Redcoat' and we had a long discussion about the books we particularly loved.

"He loved being a Rifleman" the Colonel reflects, "and wanted nothing more than to stay with his mates in the Platoon and talked of serving to his twelve year point. He had no desire or inclination for promotion; it was not that he lacked ambition" Sanders asserts,"his ambition was simply to be the best Rifleman he could be."

If any hearts are not broken at the loss of such a soldier, let them break now: Vaka was killed in his sleep as a result of foolish -- foolish -- horeseplay with a loaded weapon.

"What happened was just a mindless accident," one of the lads in 4 Rifles told the tabloids, "Nobody thinks Edward was murdered. But at the same time it’s the number one rule in the Army that you don’t play around with weapons. It was appalling stupidity and someone deserves to get locked up for a long time.

"Edward’s death was the last thing we needed at the time and left everyone really down. The enemy were killing enough of us without any of us having to help them."

The grief, especially for those who knew of the circumstances in advance of the April, '08 announcement from the Ministry of Defence, bore heavy on The Rifles. Nine of Vaka's mates and a handful of his officers joined his brother Joji accompanying the casket on the repatriation flight home.

Letters to Vaka's family arrived from London. Prime Minister Gordon Brown called Vaka a true son of Britain and Fiji "as he died a hero". In his note to Vaka's mum, Sera, Prince Charles expressed his sincere sympathy. His wife, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla Parker-Bowels, Royal Colonel of the Battalion, also sent her condolences. Later in the year, she commemorated Vaka in a year-end speech to The Rifles at their base in Bulford.

Slightly homier condolences are expressed by Vaka's mates at the memorial page maintained for him at the regimental website:

Rifleman Milner said:
"Take care my brother and don’t bother those good looking angels like I know you’re probably doing now. You will not be forgotten."

Rifleman Sharpe said:
"Take care mate I will never forget you. You’re a cracking lad, rest in peace bro."

Rifleman Croker said:
"There will always be a gap in this platoon in which you belong. At least you won’t be doing phys up Kiwi hill any more. Rest in Peace mate."

Lance Corporal Zwijnen and Corporal Grievson said:
"Vaka was a gentle giant. He was a true Rifleman and Mortarman. . . .Even though he was quiet he was a legend to everyone who knew him. He will be greatly missed in mortar platoon. Rest in peace. Three rounds fire for effect followed by rate eight 'Vaka'. Job done."

_______________________________________________________

And from tafarian95 at YouTube, this memorial video

_____________________________________________________________

Music on the video is by Daniel Rae Costello.

The Rifles' motto "Swift and Bold" (`Celer et Audax`) dates to 1759 at the Battle of Quebec when General Wolfe so characterized the actions of the 60th Royal Americans, ancestral unit to The Rifles. The battalion website makes for precisely the sort of reading Vaka is said to have relished.

Cpl. Travis Bradach-Nall

Five years ago today, Marine Cpl. Travis Bradach-Nall was killed in Karbala during a mine-clearing operation. The 21 year-old volunteered to extend his in-country assignment when he recognized how much work was left to be done clearing up after the invasion.

His mom, Lynn, wasn't keen on the idea when he phoned home. After the divorce, Lynn had had to balance her maternal instincts with the need to be judiciously supportive of decisions made by Travis and Nick as they grew to be men.

It helped that the boys had 18 uncles and aunts all over Multnomah County, Oregon, who weighed in on the rearing of the two boys as well as the herd of cousins they ran with and frequently led. While the mom in Lynn worried at her dare-devil little kid and, later, her white-water rafting teenager, the parent in her accepted Travis' explanation for joining the Marines: ''Because they're the toughest and the strongest."

What she couldn't support, what drove her crazy, was the tattooes ! They skirmished over all of them, especially the "sleeve" he was working on.

Travis figured the way around his mom was through the uncles. Who better than a heavily tattooed Marine to dampen the ardor of boys interested in his girl cousins, he challenged ! Point well taken, but it didn't exactly win an armistice. The heart tattoo with "Mom" written in it sort of backfired too. He'd had it put on the back of his neck and might have lost points when he explained: ''It seemed appropriate since you're always on my back.''

Their lively disagreement about "body art" notwithstanding, all recognized the unconditional love binding mother and son and their devotion to each other. Aware of the hazards he faced, Travis had written home to ask a favor of his Aunt Katie if anything should happen. ''He said, 'Make sure to take care of Mom. Make sure she doesn't go crazy.' That's what I'm supposed to be doing, making sure she doesn't go crazy. Every day, I figure that's what I'm doing for him.''

The Bradach clan made it through that grievous summer, leaning on each other, finding strength in the memory of Travis' zest for life.

Now, five years later, Lynn keeps the memory of her son alive dedicating her efforts to the eradication of land mines and cluster bombs.

It was, after all, the very work Travis was about when he was taken.

Sgt. Chad M. Mercer

"He’s an average guy," Casey Caswell says of his childhood buddy, Chad Mercer. "He did what he had to do to get by. He worked six, seven days a week to provide for his family."

Chad and wife Pam were raising a full house: 2 year old Gavin, Amber, age 5 and Alanna, 8 years old. When Chad came back from Bosnia in 2001, he landed a job at Lee Hardware in Waycross and moonlighted at Papa John's Pizza. "We trained Chad on the job," owners Billy and Kim Turbeville note, "then he of course turned and trained us."

Chad not only kept up with his National Guard obligations, he excelled at them. In 2004 the 48th Combat Brigade named Sgt. Mercer "NonCommissioned Officer of the Year." Likely this came as no surprise to childhood pal Casey, who'd joined the Geogia National Guard along with Chad before graduating Ware County High in '98. Long summer days playing GI Joe in the woods and later days sharpening competitive shooting skills pretty well charted their course to the Guard and to scholarships at Georgia Military College.

"He was a great cadet," according to Col. Pat Beer, Commandant, recalling that Chad's top 20% ranking put him in the Chain of Command. "He always had a very can do attitude. He had the biggest smile you could possibly believe," the colonel reflects, "always very friendly."

It's just such qualites that Moni Basu, an Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter embedded with the 48th, considers the special assets that National Guard units bring to the conflict in Iraq. "There's a lot of interaction between American soldiers and Iraqi civilians and the National Guard guys are great at that because in their civilian lives in Georgia . . .they're used to dealing with civilian problems." She also believes they bring a greater maturity level than professional soldiers who often are right out of high school at 19, 20 years old.

Though Chad was only 25 when he was killed in a vehicle rollover in Baghdad, June 30, 2005, he seems clearly to have been mature beyond his years. "He was a good man," childhood pal Casey Caswell, now a Waycross police officer, comments. "He stood up for what he believed."

"It is so awesome to talk with your children," writes Chad's sister-in-law, Carol Cole, "and hear them tell me 'my daddy died so I can be free.' Who knows if they really understand because they are so young but they truly beleive it.

"Took your son to town last week, offered to buy him a toy but he wanted a flag for his daddy. The girls always look for things to put at your resting place. I know you are keeping watch over your family and we all miss you very much. . .Our family and friends will never be able to thank you and other fallen heroes for ALL that you have given us.

"We will keep your memories forever."

[ The Atlanta Journal Constitution followed the Georgia National Guard's 48th Combat Brigade Team throughout its deployement in 2005-2006. Their archives are readily accessible. Their tribute page, "Remembering the Fallen of the 48th" is particularly moving for capturing the loving soft voices of that region. Some graphics have been eroded with time: each of the nine boxes in a double row array at mid-page activates an additional sound clilp.

A further resource for the work of the 48th in Iraq is found at the brigade's unit page.

Sources for this post include The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Washington Post/Legacy.com, and FallenHeroesMemorials.com ]

On the Red Carpet with the Portal

We're not real current with celebrity news around the Portal (is Brittainy in or out of rehab ?). Surfing around the net, however, we stumbled across the news that the Jolie-Pitt Foundation (as in "Brangelina") has donated $1 million to benefit American and Iraqi children affected by the war.

$500,000 is dedicated to the Armed Services YMCA Project Hero Program. The ASYMCA works through schools to provide counseling services, educational assistance and emotional support to children of military families coping with long deployments and/or grief.

The other half million bucks benefits three groups working to sustain educational opportunity for Iraqi children: a group serving refugee Iraqi children in Jordan, a group assisting Iraqi moms still in country and a third group working specifically in Najaf.

The web headlines particularly caught our eye because the blogosphere is abuzz follwing reports of diminishing media coverage of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The rhetorical pot shots at network news in particular focus on the generous coverage of entertainment and celebrity "news" (this could be a good introduction to Abu Muqawama if you're not already following the blog).

So you'd expect that the bona fide celebrity surrounding Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would lend some cache to covering America's longest armed conflict, right?

Don't bet your Underwood on it.

Wierdly, the headlines catching our eye all turned out to come from foreign press sources: the Calgary Herald, the BBC, Ireland's DRE, the Malaysia Star. Even more wierdly, we've seen no coverage of Brad and Angelina's philanthropical zeal on "Extra" or "TMZ" when we parked in front of the tube to audit those shows.

Does the corporate media truely believe we Americans are so averse to difficult issues that we'll turn off the TV if they so much as mention them? Do they really think we'll get so angry if we hear about our wars that we'll stop buying the cushioned innersoles and deodorants their sponsors sell ?

Even more scary: what will the media advisors to the Presidential campaigns recommend they do when talking to us about the issues brought up by our nation's wars ?

This won't be the only lament you'll hear from us about media coverage of Iraq. One of the factors that launched the Portal was when we noticed CBS News discontinued their "American Heroes" spots when Bob Shiefer left the anchor chair (some are archived on the CBS News tribute page).

More importantly, this won't be the last time we'll be highlighting the compassion and generosity inspired by the sacrifice military families endure.

Be sure to take a look at the ASYMCA website. The organization has a long history of support to our troops and offers a broad array of services to the enlisted and their families. The Project Hero Program premiered at Camp Pendleton; the chapter offers more info at its website.

Obie

You know Obie even if you never met him. He's an American archetype, as natural a product of our national DNA as the ballfield in the park, the autumn changing leaves dappling the woods, the sweet smell of lawngrass when the yard's been mowed.

You might have known him as Branden, Branden Oberleitner. A big kid but quiet. "He was always quiet unless he has something important to say."

Loved tinkering on cars. It's why he got that job at the gas station, that one that's still got a workbay there in Worthington -- Worthington, Ohio? Just outside of Columbus?

Most of his tinkering still got lavished on the old car in the driveway at his folks' house. He'd been working on it for years. Friend and classmate Tyler Louk still laughs remembering the night of the senior prom. She and her date, decked out for the big night, passed by Obie's house and there he is in the driveway, all elbow-deep in grease just working on that old car.

"He wasn’t into the social scene," she smiles. "He went his own way."

Caroline Peters went to Kilbourn Middle with Obie, she'd gratefully second that notion. Caroline sort of went her own way too, signing up as the only girl on the Kilbourn football team.

"He always stood by me and didn't look at me crazy like everyone else did cause I wanted to play football." Caroline gives her teamate high marks not just for his courage to go against the herd but for his compassion and understanding. "He was a true leader, I will always remember the words of courage he gave to me being a female and playing football on a boys team."

Obie did that a lot: encourage people when they were challenged. He bucked them up through his quiet conviction and presence. High school buddy Roger Hohman shared Obie's interest in firefighting as a career. They took Fire/EMS classes together at nearby Delaware JVS. Roger, now a certified firefighter/EMT in Washington, D.C., gives the credit to Obie.

"Branden was plane out one of the most dedicated people I have ever met. . .If it wasn't for Branden's encouragement and willingness to help me out, I probably would have never made it to where I am today."

Obie had been giving a lot of thought to the military as a career move too. Kevin Earhart who worked with him at the gas station got an earful. "That's all he wanted to do," Kevin insists -- his pal was passionate about it. After 9/11, Obie felt "compelled" to join the military. He put his firefighter plans on the shelf and told his mom he was enlisting.

He ended up in the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry (2/502) out of Ft. Campbell. He made deep impressions with "The Renegades" and bonded with a whole new circle of folks.

"I remember one day while we were training in the woods of Ft. Campbell," Jason Stockton writes: "It was raining that cold, miserable rain. Everyone was soaked and cold. We were stopped for a moment to rest and let the LT do his thing. Half of what was comming out of everyone's mouth were complaints.

"Well, a squad leader came by and asked Obie how he was doing. The only words out of his mouth were 'good to go sergeant.'

"That was something that has always stuck in my memories and, when times get tough, always motivated me."

Ellen Resnik says: "I met Obie several times when I came to Ft. Campbell to visit my fiance, Jason Resnik. . .I have never met a young man who loved Elvis as much as he did, and he sure knew all the words. We all had many great memories together. Obie . . .holds a great place in our hearts."

Somehow it's not surprising that Obie was a big fan of the King. Everything that is truely American about the Presley mistique is true for Obie, he would have fit in easily in any Elvis Presley movie.

Consider this note from Jason Resnik's mom to Obie's folks:

"Obie came to our home several times with Jason and their friends. He was very mannerly and a fun person. He and I both loved 'The King' so we had a common interest there. You raised a fine young man. . .I know Jason loved rooming with him."

Ms. Resnik isn't alone in praising Obie's natural politeness. Nilda Miranda Negron, wife of Obie's sergeant writes:

"I knew Branden, every time he notice me in the parking lot waiting for my husband, he will running to me to let me know my husband was advice of my waiting. Very correct in the presence of the wifes. I always appreciate that."

So many features of the Elvis Presley image -- the self confidence to go against the herd, the ready fellowhip, the generosity of spirit, the innate grace and manners however unpolished -- all those qualities of the American hero that the Presley image was crafted to convey actually resided in Branden Oberleitner. They were in fact in his DNA. American as apple pie.

December of 1955, two weeks before his 21st birthday, Elvis Presley basked in the glow of a national record deal and the prospect of a springboard into the hearts of a nation.

Two weeks before his 21st birthday, June 5, 2003, Pfc. Brandan Oberleitner was felled in an RPG attack in Fallujah, Iraq. Obie isn't known nationwide, but he is firmly implanted in the hearts of all those who knew him and of many who now can only hear of him.

"I. . .was in the same squad as 'Obie' and was there when we were hit," writes Thomas Ford of Ft. Richardson, Alaska, "and everyone that was there was hurt by the loss of such a good guy.

"Sorry that my words come so late, and i'm extremely sorry if these words don't make any sense or if they bring up old thoughts and emotions."

Obie's death inspired a lot of thoughts and emotions -- feelings and memories from middle school and from mud soaked training fields, from fun gatherings of new friends and from old friends acknowledging help selflessly given.

In her letter, Sgt. Negron's wife recalls June 5th, '03 and how her husband -- still in the States then -- sensed trouble even before he heard the news. Devastated when he did hear, Nilda worried many weeks for her distraught husband.

"I know is hard for him to write you, he is not good at it, so that's why is me who is doing it; but I can tell you, he have not forgotten... he remembers Branden every day...and remembers all the others 'guys' too. He feels sorry but also feels proud for the way Branden was...'a good guy a good soldier' that's what he just say to me with a smile. I think is a soldier thing, I don't know.

"Last year we went to Fort Benning in a trip and we found Branden's name in the book they have in the museum honoring the fallen soldiers... my husband touch the name and smile. I think now he is better if I may say so.

"My husband was Oberleitner's sgt," Mrs. Negron explains to Obie's folks, "and his lost affected him, and of course me too. But you have lost more and I ask God to give you all the strength and the confidence to live with this."

Obie's mom, Iris and stepdad, Freeman Carmack did find that strength. Their son's passing inspired them to continue sending "care packages" to the Renegades still overseas. The gesture meant a lot to Obie's comrades.

". . .thank you for sending the letters and packages after we lost 'Obie,' " Tomas Ford goes on in his letter, "it really felt good to hear from the family and letting us know that it was ok, that it wasn't our fault, and we wasn't to blame, it really felt good and was motivating to read those words from the people that mattered the most to 'Obie'."

His mom and stepdad's movement gained momentum as other families joined in, people who hadn't even met Obie. Shelby Bergin of Washington, Missouri writes:

"Branden was a very brave soldier who will live on forever in my heart as a hero. I am only 13 years old but my brother, Leo, is overseas. He is with the 101st Airborne out of Fort Campbell Kentucky. My mom, sister-in-law, and me are all a part of the Renegades Family Readiness Group. I just wanted to tell you that Branden will always be a hero to me and my friends and family."

Maybe it's "that touch of an angel in him," Ms.Carol Liller White speculates, wishing she'd been able to meet him, "that reached out to others" inspiring them to post letters and notes to the Fallen Heroes Memorial site. Letters and notes that paint a vivid portrait of an American boy, that kid worked at the gas station, an irreplaceable American hero.

God bless the family, friends and comrades of Branden Oberleitner and thanks for giving us Obie, a model for how to live a valuable life.

Memorial Day, 2008

If the Memorial Day weekend is overwhelming you with recreational opportunities or honey-do obligations, the Portal offers you this opportunity to take a moment to remember those who sacrificed to secure the liberty and freedom in which we relish this holiday.

This YouTube video captures Captain Brian Letendre obliging his community's request to speak at Memorial Day 2005 commemorations in New Britain, Connecticut. Having served a tour in Iraq with the invasion and intial pacification, Capt. Letendre was serving stateside with the 4th Marine Reserves ("New England's Own") at the time of the address.

In the three weeks leading up to the speech, the 4th had entrusted Brian with bereavement duties following the death in Al Qa'im of Lcpl. Lawrence Philippon, 22, of West Hartford. The younger marine, who served in the Marine Corp Color Guard at Ronald Regan's state funeral, had volunteered for front line duty.

"Brian helped us carry the cross of our son's death," the lance coporal's mom said, "and he left sunshine in all of our hearts."

The Captain's very capable address demonstrates his rhetorical proficiency and research skills, but it's at halfway, when Brian relates his own new personal feelings about Memorial Day, that the speech soars.



Confident that he could materially contribute in the redoubled effort to train Iraqi troops, Brian volunteered for a second tour in Iraq. He was killed in a co-ordinated car bomb attack in Al Anbar Province, May 3, 2006.

In March of 2008, Brian's widow, Autumn, and their 4 year old son Dillon returned to New Britain for the dedication of the Captain Brian Letendre USMC Memorial Park across from their old home.

"Dillon's only a child," Autumn Letendre said, "but when he's an adult, I think this will be another location to place the puzzles of his life together."

Part of what Memorial Day is about is providing a missing part of the puzzle to military families, a vital part of Memorial Day is in expressing our gratitude for the sacrifice our patriots and their families have made for to our nation.

The Lion of Fallujah

Major Doug Zembiec fell one year ago in a Baghdad firefight. He had volunteered himself out of a stateside deskjob for his fourth deployment in Iraq.

Son of an FBI agent, Doug Zembiec grew up in Albuquerqe, New Mexico. Classmates remember a champion against bullies and a champ on the wrestling mat, winning state titles for the school.

The charismatic Annapolis grad was a marine's marine and unapologetic warrior, "a military hybrid of modern tactics and ancient attitude."

The Arlington National Cemetery Association's tribute page to the Major archives this from the Washington Post coverage of the funeral.

About 40 enlisted men gathered under a tree, telling stories about their former commander. Some had flown in from as far away as California, prompting one officer to observe: Your men have to follow your orders; they don't have to go to your funeral.

The men knew firsthand how Zembiec, who lived outside Annapolis, had come to be known as the Lion of Fallujah. The story is one of their favorites. It was 2004, in the Jolan district of Fallujah, and Zembiec was a captain. They were on a rooftop, taking fire from AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades. They tried to radio an Abrams tank below to open fire in the direction of the enemy. No good. Zembiec raced down the stairs and out to the street and climbed onto the tank. Gunnery Sergeant Pedro Marrufo, 29, who watched from the rooftop, remembers Zembiec getting a Marine inside the tank to open the hatch. Insurgents shot at Zembiec as he instructed the men in the tank where to fire.

Corporal Chad Borgmann, 28, who went to Zembiec's funeral from Camp Pendleton, California, said yesterday that boarding tanks during firefights and similar actions is typically the work of enlisted men. If a Lance Corporal falls, there are 40 to take his place. But there are fewer Captains, Borgmann said, and fewer still who always seemed to be out in front. "He let us know it was his privilege to lead us," Borgmann said, walking back to a car through the graves of Arlington before heading out to meet up with his Marine buddies at the Clarendon Grill.

It's worth noting that it was his guys, the men of Echo Company 2/1, who Doug Zembiec considered the real lions of Fallujah. He says as much in a battlefield interview with an embed reporter that appears in an NBC Nightly News tribute to the Major.

The other element worth noting in the NBC News tribute is the emotion Defense Secretary Gates displays in front of the Marine Corps Association during his remarks about Major Zembiec. It's a hopeful sign when those entrusted with the well-being of our troops are as overwhelmed as we by their selfless service and trust in our nation.

"Where'd you go ?"

The Iraq Memorial Portal had its genesis between the fourth anniversary of President Bush's "major hostilities" carrier touchdown and Memorial Day '07. Our founders found themselves grumbling that with some 3,600 fatalities -- a straight-up average of 10 per calendar day -- any day could be Memorial Day but hardly any mention of fallen individuals could be heard in the media.

A study released last month (03/12/08) by Pew Research for the People and the Press confirms -- sure enough -- a decline in media coverage of Iraq from January '07 to the present. Not surprisingly, by March of this year, only 28% of respondents knew the number of fatalities in the war.

In our research last summer, the Portal came across this tribute posted at YouTube by "someguy076" during that slump in coverage [ note: lyrics contain profanity, no gore in visuals ]. We took it as encouragement to continue trying to capture attention for the men and women who sacrifice so much for our country.





One of the marines commemorated is Captain Brian S. Letendre. Brian fell two years ago today (5/3/06) in Ramadi.

The three other "fallen brothers" someguy asks us to remember in his video are Lcpl. Kurt Dechen, Lcpl. Chris Cosgrove, and Cpl. Jordan Pierson.

God bless the fallen and their families, and God bless you, someguy.

_______________
UPDATE: Fort Minor's "Where'd You Go" unblocked. Please join the Portal in lobbying the band and their publishers to allow its use in someguy076's memorial at YouTube: his location audio and the video combines brilliantly with a song that was soundtrack to a singular time.

"Veterans Court" in Buffalo

National Public Radio reported yesterday on the intervention Judge Robert Russel of Buffalo, NY exercises on vets whose downard spiral resulting from undiagnosed PTSD leads to the criminal justice system. It bookends with another NPR report last week about Fort Drum's efforts to stem rising DWI offenses by 10th Mountain Division personnel. It's begun publishinig names and photos of offenders in the pages of the base newspaper, the Blizzard.

Just how many of the 10th Mountain offenders are combat vets is unclear. In a New York Times article, Maj. Gen. Michael L. Oates of the Division acknowledges the stresses of extended and multiple deployments the 10th has endured, but expresses his belief that "Soldiers are making a voluntary choice to abuse drugs and alcohol." Based on that view he greenlighted the outing of offenders for its deterrent effect.

From what a layman can learn of PTSD, it seems to share with alchoholism and addiction the dynamic of denial. The host of the condition is either unaware of it or, suspecting it, defensively refuses to acknowledge it, often constructing elaborate schemes of self and public deception. Mirving the two would surely seem a double whammy that could feed on itself endlessly. Add to that a sense of youthful invincibility -- "It won't happen to me" -- and the hope of a deterrent effect seems dim.

While the shame of exposure might deter future offenders, it's a good bet that the offender will react in unealthy ways. Internalizing the shame keeps the game of self-punishment substance abusers engage spinning. Whipping up community condemnation and promoting social shunning is likely to increase the sense of isolation that an early stage addict/alchoholic or PTSD victim is likely already to be experiencing.

It's clear from all three reports that Fort Drum adopted the DWI outing campaign as an extreme and desperate resort after earlier efforts faild to yield results. Designated driver programs and p.r. efforts at raising awareness of substance abuse had been ongoing at Drum, but DWI arrests continued their climb.

Here's hoping the 10th gets wind of Judge Russell's activist approach over in Buffalo and recognizes an opportunity to intervene for the better health of our troops.

Live Streaming -- Maupin Funeral

Four Cincinnatti television stations will stream their coverage Sunday of Ssg. Matt Maupin's funeral. Slated for 1:00 P.M. Eastern Time, at least one station begins coverage at noon.

Click a link below to take part.

WCPO-TV (Ch. 9)

WKRC-TV (Ch. 12)

WLWT-TV (Ch. 5)

WXIX Fox 19

The shifting of Sunday sports programming is not without loss of advertising revenue to the broadcasters. If you do take in the streaming, maybe leave a thank-you e-mail or comment. When a media business supports patriotism over profits and public service over entertainment, it's worth encouraging.

Logistics on Maupin Commemorations

Weekend memorials for Ssg. Matt Maupin culminate in public services 1.00 p.m. Sunday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinatti. Parking accomodations for the event and for Saturday's visitation at Union Township Civic Center (22 hours beginning 11:00 a.m.) are published at Cincinatti.com.

Funeral services graveside are family only, according to the Patriot Guard at their forum. Matt will be interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 11000 Montgomery Road should you wish to acknowledge the cortege enroute.

Ssg. Maupin, then 20 and a PFC, was listed missing-captured in action April 16, 2004 when a videotape aired on Al Jezeera television of Matt hunkered before a group of masked insurgents. He had been reported missing the prior week following an attack on a convoy south of Baghdad in which his unit, the Army Reserve's 724th Transportation Company, participated.

For nearly two years the sole MIA in the war, Matt and his fate commanded the concern of many around the nation. From time to time the national media checked in with his family and friends. From such reports, a fuller picture emerges of just who the young man from Batavia, Ohio was and how a family and a community copes with the anguish of separation, the fear of loss and, now, the knowledge of loss.

For Matt's parents, Keith and Carolyn, coping meant doing something tangible for Matt's comrades. They set up the Yellow Ribbon Support Center to gather and send care packages to the troops and to marshal material support for military families. For Matt's brother Micah, it meant re-upping in the Marines. For Cincinnatti native and funk-fusion legend Bootsy Collins it meant composing a cautionary community hymn.

According to the updated entry at the Military Times "Honor the Fallen" site, a tip from a Sunni
Awakening group Northeast of Baghdad led to recovery of Ssg. Maupin's remains by Schofield Barracks boys attached to 2nd Stryker Brigade.

If you're in proximity to Cincinnatti and can attend Sunday, carry our hearts with yours.

A Salute to ANZAC Day

The Australian Light Horse Regiment invited dawn to outshine their candlelight ceremony this morning at Talil Airbase, Iraq. Across the globe, Aussies and their Kiwi cousins gathered to mark the 93rd anniversary of the landings that launched the Gallipoli Campaign.

Military history and popular culture alike view Gallipoli as a disaster of poor planning aggravated and needlessly prolonged by institutional and bureaucratic egotism. The debacle is mitigated only by the ingenuity displayed during the Allies' withdrawel.

The Australian New Zealand Army Corp lost over 10,000 those hellish nine months in 1915, with near 25,000 wounded. The goal of the campaign, to open a third front on the Southern flank of the Central Powers, failed utterly.

Over the years, ANZAC Day has become for Aussies a sort July 4th / Memorial Day / Veteran's Day all rolled into one. It is a signature date that anchors their national identity. Australians unite not to celebrate a triumphant victory nor to mourn and ruminate on a hurtful defeat. They join together to remember and honor the sacrifice of their mates who fell in common purpose.

While Gallipoli was fought in vain, those who fell there did not die in vain so long as their selflessness is celebrated and their example honored.

That's why we're pleased at the Iraq Memorial Portal to launch this blog on ANZAC Day, 2008.

And, after pausing for Eric Bogle's iconic tune, we plan on cracking a Foster's and gettin' rowdy -- as is (we're reliably informed) Australian custom.




Footnote: Evacuated from Gallipoli, the 4th Light Horse regrouped in Egypt and remounted for history's last successful cavalry charge. Galloping through the Ottoman lines at Beersheba Wells, the Aussies opened up the third front the Allies were seeking at Gallipoli.