Happy Birthday!

Happy 232nd Birthday to the U.S. Marine Corp.! OohRah!

SEMPER FI!!!!!!

CNP Presents Bronze Star to Reserve Sailor

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Sheehan, Navy Office of Community Outreach CLEVELAND (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Adm. John C. Harvey Jr., presented the Bronze Star to Capt. Matthew C. Gratton, a Navy Reserve Medical Corps officer, during a ceremony here Aug. 28.

Although Gratton lives and works in Kansas City, Kas., he regularly drills as the commanding officer of a medical unit at Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Cleveland. He received the medal for actions performed as Battalion Surgeon with the 3rd Battalion 25th Marines in the Al Anbar province of Iraq while deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Read more.

Area soldiers lost in Afghanistan and Iraq

By Margo Rutledge Kissell
Staff Writer
Sunday, September 10, 2006

Eight men in uniform with ties to this area have died during the war on terrorism that began after the 9/11 attacks. Most were killed in Iraq; others died in Afghanistan and Qatar.

Those who paid the ultimate sacrifice are:

Marine Lance Cpl. Michael J. Cifuentes, 25, of Oxford was one of 14 Marine reservists killed Aug. 3, 2005, when their armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb in western Iraq. The Miami University graduate and substitute teacher at Talawanda Middle School was assigned to Lima Company 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines based in Columbus.

Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy Michael Bell Jr., 22, a Lakota East High School graduate, was among 14 Marines killed Aug. 3, 2005, in a roadside bombing in western Iraq. He was assigned to the Lima Company 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines based in Columbus.

Army Pfc. Tim Hines Jr., 21, of Fairfield died July 14, 2005, at a Washington hospital of injuries from a bomb detonated while he was in a convoy traveling in Baghdad, Iraq. Hines, whose wife was pregnant with their second child when he was killed, was assigned to the 720th Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, 64th Military Police Unit.

Marine Lance Cpl. Taylor Prazynski, 20, of Fairfield died May 9, 2005, after suffering shrapnel wounds in an explosion during combat in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Army Pfc. James H. Miller IV, 22, of West Chester Twp. died Jan. 30, 2005, in an explosion while he was guarding a polling place in Ramadi for Iraq's elections.

Army Sgt. Charles "Chuck" J. Webb, 22, of Hamilton died Nov. 3, 2004, when he was struck in the face by shrapnel from a bomb in Iraq. He was assigned to the 82nd Engineering Battalion.

Army Sgt. Jonathan N. Hartman, 27, was one of three soldiers killed April 17, 2004, when his convoy came under fire near the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniyah. Hartman's mother, Judy, grew up in Warren County and wanted her son buried in Waynesville.

Army Pfc. Marlin Rockhold, 23, of Hamilton, with the 3rd Infantry Division, died May 8, 2003, after he was shot by a sniper while directing traffic at a bridge in Baghdad.

Thank you!

THIS IS HOW OUR SOLDIERS SHOULD BE TREATED!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR US!

Mainer honored for Iraq heroism

A Marine reservist who grew up in Maine was honored Sunday for heroism while serving in Iraq.

Cpl. Mark Camp, 25, received the Silver Star, the military's third-highest award for gallantry in battle, during a ceremony in Columbus, Ohio.

Camp was wounded in early May during an intense campaign with Lima Company of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines. The company, fighting insurgents in western Iraq as part of Operation Matador, lost 23 soldiers.

The former Maine resident and son of a Westbrook car dealer told The Columbus Dispatch newspaper that he was positioned at the top hatch of an amphibious assault vehicle while on patrol when a roadside bomb launched the vehicle into the air and sent shrapnel flying.

The explosion burned Camp's hands and face, but he still attempted to rescue one of his comrades trapped inside the vehicle after the blast, the newspaper reported. He continued his rescue effort despite another explosion that knocked him out of the vehicle and set his hands on fire again.

Camp was taken from the battlefield in a helicopter and flown to a hospital in Germany with shrapnel in his legs and abdomen, according to his family. He was later transferred to Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio and has since returned to Ohio.

Camp, who went back into the vehicle in an effort to rescue another Marine who died in the attack, told the Dispatch that the blast scorched his hands.

Camp won the medal for his rescue attempts and for repeatedly attacking the enemy during a firefight inside a home on May 8, the Dispatch reported.

Camp is the second Marine with Maine ties to receive the medal this year.

In February, former Auburn resident Todd Desgrosseilliers received a Silver Star for his bravery during intense urban fighting in Iraq. Desgrosseilliers, a Marine officer, is stationed in North Carolina with his family.

Desgrosseilliers graduated from Edward Little High School and was a University of Maine student when he decided to become a Marine.

Camp was born Oct. 13, 1980, in Portland and grew up in the area. He moved to Ohio in 1998 and graduated from high school there in 2000.

Camp's father is Wally Camp Jr., who owns the Rowe Westbrook automobile dealerships. He said in an interview last week that he would attend Sunday's ceremony.

Wally Camp said his son has progressed well in his recovery, both physically and emotionally. He said his son plans to begin his senior year as a history major at Ohio State University this fall.

"I'm proud of my son," he said. "I'm sad for a lot of families of a lot of Marines who were injured and didn't come home."

3/25 Homecoming pictures and closing.

Hello everybody!

It has been an honor if I was able to provide any support, comfort, updates or anything of the like to even one person who was directly or for that matter indirectly involved with the 3/25 (Corpsman included).

They are a fantastic group of men of whom I am so very proud. This blog will probably be dormant for a while unless news directly related to the 3/25 and their Corpsman arises again. In which case it will probably also be posted on one or both of the following blogs:
http://usacourage.com/
http://usacouragearticles.blogspot.com/

I'd like to share with you some pictures I have taken or were shared with me by others all in relation to the 3/25. At the Geauga County Fair this summer there was an area where they had taken a small portion of the items showing support at the Brookpark headquarters to share with everyone at the Fair. I guarantee you many hearts swelled and eyes filled with tears when they read the pride and love these people showed for their loved ones serving in Iraq. There is also a handful of pictures from the Brookpark Homecoming parade, the night we met downtown (Oct 7th), the Oct 7th Akron Homecoming, and also some pictures from the Oct 14th Homecoming at the IX Center.

I'm still waiting for some pictures and will add them to the site when they become available.

Enjoy!
http://www.uberdesigns.com/325/index.html

"Thank you" to every member of the 3/25 and welcome home!

PS: If you would like some of the photos you've seen, just let me know which one's and I'll be happy to email them to you!

A tribute page for Lcpl. Brian "Monty" Montgomery

A tribute page has been set up for Lcpl. Brian "Monty" Montgomery. Please stop by and sign the guest book. Share with everyone how Brian has touched your life either with a story, photos or both! I know the family and friends of Brian would appreciate it.

Sigh of relief greets returning Marines

Edith Rye, of Hamilton, smiled Friday, as her husband, Cpl. Frank Rye met his 3-month-old son, Benjamin, for the first time, as he arrived home from Iraq.

Letters to the editor

Reading the latest story ("Cheers, crowds for Marines," Oct. 7) about the returning members of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines as they finally reached Ohio, I felt myself sigh with relief.

Who doesn't shed a tear looking at the picture of these brave young men embracing their loved ones? For their service alone they deserve the hero's welcome they received. A homecoming made even more heartfelt and profound given the loss of 48 fellow Marines. Home at last. Now the question remains. When are the rest of our troops coming home?

- Jeff Sinnard, Anderson Township

Nothing wrong with 'English' sign

In response to the editorial " 'Speak English' a sign of bigotry" (Oct. 8), that's the problem with America today. We have cowed to so many for so long that it is now expected of everyone, especially of those who are born and bred here, and it needs to stop.

British Columbia has the right policy, in its requirements for entrepreneurs and investors wishing to immigrate or do business in their province.

For entrepreneurs, the applicant must have sufficient proven experience in owning or managing a business. The applicant must have sufficient funds to establish and operate a business (at least $500,000 Canadian dollars for those intending to settle in Vancouver or Victoria, and $350,000 for other parts of the province). The applicant must have the ability to communicate effectively in English.

I don't know about you, but it sure makes me wanna move to British Columbia, where they don't suck up to everyone else's ethnic background. If you want to be here, then speak like you want to be here.

- Jimmy Combs, Newport

USA doesn't have official language

John A. Michael's comment that "immigrants should be required to learn English" flies directly in the face of American freedoms and the heritage of this country ("Non-English speech undermines nation," Oct. 9). While it's certainly a good idea to learn English - requiring it would be unnecessary government intervention.

Michael also mustn't look further than the history of Cincinnati for a city with a multi-lingual heritage. Most of the immigrants spoke German that helped build this city. If such bureaucratic English-only rules were in place in the 19th century, then Cincinnati might be about an eighth of the size today.

The USA has no official language. It should stay that way out of deference to the immigrant nature of our country.

- Jeremy Collins, Deer Park

Communication one one-way street

The editorial states: "Communication will never occur if one side refuses to participate in the conversation."

So it's OK if non-English speaking refuse to learn the few English words required for service at Pleasure Inn, but every public entity in America should hire multilingual employees to meet the needs of the Spanish and whoever else might come along?

My grandparents were German immigrants who rapidly learned English to get by. Just who is refusing to participate here?

- Virginia Pitzer, Sharonville

Bush misled country from Cincinnati

Thank you for refreshing my memory regarding the un-true statements made by George W., here in our very city ("The case for war," Oct. 6). Given his lower approval rating, it seems millions of people are realizing what a mistake they made by voting for him. Some people think we did Iraq a big favor by "liberating" them from their dictator. Their whole country has been like one big Hurricane Katrina for three years now, with many more broken families and people killed.

- Eric Schneider, Madeira

Stand up against the PC 'bullies'

Peter Bronson, with whom I generally disagree, courageously stood up against the politically correct bullies, including the Enquirer editorialist who called Bill Bennett a racist. While I am no fan of Bennett or Bronson, they both speak for free speech, of which I am a fan. Bennett's remarks about aborting black babies was a response to an abominable suggestion that such abortion would reduce crime (so would aborting more white babies). Bennett made it clear that the suggestion, however true, was reprehensible.

- William Hanks, Covington