Fallen Marine pursued life at full speed

[TexasLawyer]

Fallen Marine pursued life at full speed
Mourners remember Capt. Christopher Pate as an adventurous man full of grit and promise
Saturday, July 29, 2006
DAVID R. ANDERSON


<snip>

Friday was for mourning and saying goodbye to the 29-year-old Marine who was raised in Beaverton and died a week ago in Iraq. But the previous evening, friends and family gathered at Skyline Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home to share stories and celebrate a life full of exploits. <U.S. Marine Capt. Christopher> Pate received his first speeding ticket two days after his 16th birthday, loved jalapeno potato chips and didn't tell friends that his culinary specialty -- scrambled eggs and squid -- was a joke until after they ate it.

Pate, who graduated from Oregon Episcopal School, was killed July 21 in Iraq's Anbar province when an improvised explosive device ripped through his patrol. Marine officers told Pate's family that he might have saved the lives of two injured sergeants when he radioed for help before dying. Pate joined the Marines in December 1999 after graduating from the University of Puget Sound with a business degree. He volunteered for two tours in Iraq. He was engaged to Margaret A. Stearns. On Thursday, Leslie Patton told how her son, Alex Sutton, and Pate, as 10-year-olds, built crossbows from scratch and made metal-tipped arrows. But Pate was just as intent trying to roll a perfect pie crust, she said.

<snip>

Friday's memorial service reflected the complexities Chris Pate lived his whole life. He spoke Spanish, German and was learning Arabic. He studied Eastern religions, but was not religious. And he joined the Marines when everyone expected him to have a lucrative career in business.
<snip>

A spit-and-polish Marine honor guard fired three volleys. A Marine presented Jerry Pate with the flag from his son's casket and his son's Purple Heart medal. Three leather-clad bikers from a group that honors fallen soldiers, led by a man who calls himself Bubz, also knelt to address Jerry Pate during the ceremony. Gov. Ted Kulongoski told mourners that he would have liked to know someone as interesting, with such a life force, as Chris Pate.

<snip>

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1154141743159250.xml&coll=7

[TexasLawyer]

1. Delhi combat veteran never held infant daughter

Marine: 'It is our job'
Delhi combat veteran never held infant daughter
BY EILEEN KELLEY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

DELHI TWP. - At the age of 21, Cpl. Timothy Roos had experienced more in life than many twice his age as a member of the Marine Corps: four major attacks in his three combat tours.

And just when it seemed that fate might treat him kindly as he neared the end of his latest tour, the native of Delhi Township came under fire again this week and was killed.

As a new Marine in 2004, Roos went to Haiti as part of an American deployment during political unrest there. The following year he went to Iraq, where twice he came under fire. In March, he was back in Iraq after a mere seven months of boots on the ground in the United States.

In late May, Roos stared death in the face again when the Humvee he was in ran over an improvised explosive device.

<snip>

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006607290354

[Breeze54]

2. First Cape Cod, MA. Soldier Killed in Action in Iraq, Laid to Rest

http://www2.townonline.com/brewster/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=546208

Eastham soldier laid to rest

By Marilyn Miller/ [e-mail]
Friday, July 28, 2006 - Updated: 07:03 PM EST

The war in far off Iraq darkened the sunny shores of Cape Cod last week
with the news of the death of Army Sgt. Mark Richard Veccione, 25, who
was killed in action July 18 in Ramadi after a roadside bomb hit his tank.

Vecchione, the only son of Eastham postal worker Cynthia Deslauriers,
had just turned 25 on Jan. 11.
He was the first Cape Cod soldier to be killed in action in Iraq.

Friday, hundreds of friends and family gathered to remember the young soldier
at a funeral at St. Joan of Arc Church in Orleans. Also attending were
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Gov. Mitt Romney, who sat in a special section with
uniformed Eastham police and fire officials, and several servicemen. Monsignor
John Perry of the Archdiocese of Fall River attended on behalf of Bishop George
Coleman, who was in Italy.

He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
While serving in the military, Vecchione was awarded an
Army Commendation with one Oak Leaf Cluster, an Army Achievement Medal,
an Army Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal,
a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal,
and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.


Cynthia DesLauriers is led into St. Joan of Arc for the
funeral of her only son, Army Sgt. Mark Vecchione.
(Staff photo by Merrily Lunsford)

More at Link....

[TexasLawyer]

3. Thanks-- I wish we had these nice write-ups

in our big newspaper here in Houston. Fallen soldiers get one paragraph-- basically just saying that they died.

Here is another nice write-up, from the Boston area. What a an enormous, mind-numbing loss each of these deaths is!

Fallen Marine Remembered In Service
Cayer Killed Last Week In Iraq



POSTED: 5:43 pm EDT July 26, 2006

FITCHBURG, Mass. -- Family and friends gathered in Fitchburg Wednesday to honor a fallen Marine. Lance Cpl. Geofrey Cayer was killed last week in Iraq. NewsCenter 5's Pam Cross reported that many of the mourners knew Cayer as a classmate and friend. The 20-year-old graduated from Fitchburg High School in 2004, and joined the Marines a short time later.

<snip>

Cayer was killed last week while on duty in Iraq. So far, the Marines have only said he died of a gunshot wound during a non-hostile event. Cayer's death remains under investigation.

The family friend and others described Cayer as quiet, but quick with a laugh. "You always knew when Geofrey was around that there was a smile pending, it was coming and it was going to be great. We are going to remember that smile forever," LeBlanc said.

Cayer's mother is a teacher and his father is a former Marine. At the service, Cayer's brother, Chas, carried the Marine's dress hat, brother Alex gave the eulogy and sister Abby accepted condolences from the bishop. Cayer will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/9581180/detail.html

[TexasLawyer]

5. Just read this thread from kpete in another thread

When you read that a soldier "died of a gunshot wound during a non-hostile event" you've got to wonder if he didn't take his own life.

Disturbing Letter from Afghanistan
Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2006-07-29
By Lawanda Boddie

My name is Specialist Lawanda Boddie-Slack, i am currently deployed to Afghanistan in support of operation enduring freedom. I understand your opinions and your feelings and have some of my own. one of my comrades just blew his brains out two days ago, and he is the first one in my battalion to actually suceed with killing himself. we have only been here since march of this year and already we have had about 4-7 soldiers attempt to commit suicide.

i was deployed here against medical advise becuase my company commander wanted to make a name for herself. she is not even with us anymore she is now back in the states teaching. i suffer from rape trauma syndrome and when i had a flashback my first sergeant all but said everything was my fault. before it was known that i was having a flashback i was told that unless i made a formal complaint against the person who allegedly assaulted me that there "was nothing that could be done for me" i took that to include no medical care either...and basically that is what happened. until i decided to make a formal complaint i was not given medical care...even then i was flown to another location with my alleged attacker on the same plane with me, we were staying only feet away from each other....i spent five days without any resources,no support, and my chain of command refused to talk to me about anything...they(my chain of command)failed to warn the females that there had already been 2 rapes and five sexual assualts before me...that is a damn shame...i am writing to you because i know that my story is not the only one...
thanx for listening

more at:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/lawanda

[Breeze54]

6. I wonder if that's because

there are many, many military in the Houston area, compared to MA?

Your Welcome.

I found others but the one I posted was the most recent.
I was glad to read that Senator Kennedy and Gov. Romney
took the time to attend the services, as well.
It's the least "Mitt the Shit" could do.... :grr:

[pooja]

4. just a number

:sarcasm: