Phantom Blooper
06-22-05, 04:20 PM
By Jennifer Reeger
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Orlando Mike Valore Sr. wanted desperately to see his oldest son, his namesake, officially become a Marine Corps colonel.
He and his wife planned a trip from their Slickville home to Tampa, Fla., where his son's promotion ceremony would take place June 5.
Planning wasn't easy. Orlando Valore had been very sick. His heart was failing. He had undergone quadruple bypass surgery.
Janice Valore had to get special permission from the airline so her husband could bring the oxygen tanks he relied on aboard the plane.
As the date got closer, Orlando Valore, whom everybody knew by the nickname "Lundo," got more and more excited.
"My husband kept saying, 'Are we leaving tomorrow? Are we leaving tomorrow?'" Janice Valore recalled.
Tomorrow came on June 3. But Lundo Valore never got to see his son, Orlando Mike Valore Jr., receive his colonel pins.
He died on the flight to Tampa.
"He died on his way to see his son," Orlando Mike Valore Jr., who goes by Mike, said. "He loved his kids, and I feel fortunate that I was no exception."
On the day Mike Valore was to receive his colonel pins -- his eagles -- he was at a funeral home in Delmont.
He placed the two pins on his father's lapels.
"My dad was coming down, and I wanted to pin those eagles on him so bad, but he didn't make it," Mike Valore said. "At the funeral home, I was hell-bent on giving them to him. He earned them too."
Last week, Mike Valore, 45, officially became a Marine Corps colonel, receiving his own eagle pins in a ceremony. His wife, Pat, was there. His mother videotaped the ceremony.
And while nobody could see Lundo Valore there, his wife said she felt him.
"I kept patting my shoulders that he was here with us and so proud," Janice Valore said.
Lundo Valore was proud of what his son had accomplished in a military career that has spanned more than 20 years.
Mike Valore grew up in Slickville but graduated from The Kiski School in Saltsburg. He wrestled his way to the Naval Academy, graduating in 1982.
He chose the Marine Corps and started his military career as a second lieutenant.
Just as he was entering the Marines, his younger brother, Terence Valore, enlisted in the corps.
The two got to spend time together when both were based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Terry Valore was sent to Beirut in 1983. Mike's unit was on its way to replace his brother's unit there in October of that year.
But instead of going to Beirut, Mike Valore's ship made a turn and headed to Grenada to settle the unrest there.
Mike Valore found out while on ship that his brother had been badly injured in the car bombing of a Marine barracks in Beirut.
Terry Valore was burned over 90 percent of his body and had to retire from the Marine Corps because of the severity of his injuries.
Mike Valore ended up in Beirut, picking through the remnants of the building where his brother almost died.
After that, Mike Valore spent time at Camp Lejeune and Norfolk, Va. From 1988 to 1991, he worked on computer data systems at the Pentagon.
"The plane that went into the building on 9/11 ripped through my old room," Valore said.
In 1991, he left the Marine Corps, opting to work as a civilian software engineer.
But in 1993, he decided to rejoin -- this time as a Marine reservist. His posts included the Pentagon, a company command in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Marine Corps headquarters in Virginia.
For 10 years he served in reservist status. But in 2003, Valore was activated and sent to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa -- home of United States Central Command.
He is the Marines force deployment officer at Central Command and is responsible for deploying Marines to Iraq and bringing them home when their 6-month tours are over.
Valore has directed the movement of more than 250,000 personnel and 4 million tons of equipment -- including 1,250 planes and 35 ships -- during four rotations so far.
He is constantly planning for another rotation. The corps will bring 25,000 men and women out of Iraq starting in August and will send another 25,000 into the country.
Rotations take about two months. And while Valore plans for the upcoming rotation, he's looking ahead to the next rotation in January.
If all goes well, fewer Marines may be sent in that first 2006 rotation.
"Iraq is pretty much almost there, being able to walk on its own," Valore said, pointing out that a constitution is being drafted.
And the Iraqi military is getting ready to defend its own country.
"Whenever they graduate and they're ready to fight and they're ready to deploy, we're providing some adviser teams for them," Valore said. "So the adviser teams integrate with them, and they're fully ready when we're ready to pull our troops out."
While Valore expects a significant draw down in troop strength during the next year or two, he said he believes the United States will be in Iraq for the foreseeable future.
"Knowing that Syria and Iran are still very contentious areas, we will probably have people there for the next 15 to 20 years," he said. "Not just to help Iraq out, but to keep those two countries from getting any more belligerent."
He's been to Kuwait four times this year working to execute the rotation plans. He'll go back in August.
"I'll be over there to help deal with the issues that arise: if a plane arrives late or if a unit is not ready to deploy or the tactical operation on the ground has changed a little and we have to adjust," Valore said. "I have to admit -- it's a rush. There are some tense moments. It's a 24 -hour job."
Mike Valore was in Kuwait in January when he got word of his promotion to colonel.
"To be honest with you, I never thought I'd make it this far," he said.
Right away, he called his wife and his parents.
"It was the news we had been waiting for," he said.
Plans were made for his promotion ceremony.
"My husband and I looked forward to this," Janice Valore said. "At times there's only so many slots they give out for this recognition and for him to get it -- it's great."
Mike Valore looked forward to his dad being a part of his big day.
Lundo Valore had been a cook and a truck driver in the Army during the Korean War.
"He was my dad. He was my mentor. I wanted so much for him to share the joy," Mike Valore said.
"My dad saw (what the military could offer) and in so many ways instilled that there's a lot of honor in doing that," he said. "He had served in the military as well, and he didn't turn out too bad either."
Mike Valore was on his way home from Kuwait on the day his parents were flying to Tampa.
Lundo Valore started having breathing problems an hour into the flight. The crew diverted to Savannah, but it was too late.
Mike Valore found out in a text message to his cell phone.
"My heart sank," he said.
His ceremony was cancelled. And he and his wife, Pat, headed home to Slickville to bury his father.
He presented the flag to his mom in honor of his dad's service. Lundo Valore was buried with the colonel pins his son gave him.
Last week, during a small ceremony, Mike Valore got his own set of pins to wear.
His mom and wife were there at his side.
"It was a little bittersweet. Dad wasn't there, but you have to move on," Mike Valore said.
Janice Valore said she knows her husband was there at the ceremony.
"I just felt a shield around me that my husband was there with me and enjoyed the moment," she said.
And she got pins of her own.
"My son came up and pinned me with eagles (at his home), thanking me," she said. "I said, 'Dad and I got you started, but you did the rest.'"
Jennifer Reeger can be reached at jreeger@tribweb.com or (724) 836-6155.
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Orlando Mike Valore Sr. wanted desperately to see his oldest son, his namesake, officially become a Marine Corps colonel.
He and his wife planned a trip from their Slickville home to Tampa, Fla., where his son's promotion ceremony would take place June 5.
Planning wasn't easy. Orlando Valore had been very sick. His heart was failing. He had undergone quadruple bypass surgery.
Janice Valore had to get special permission from the airline so her husband could bring the oxygen tanks he relied on aboard the plane.
As the date got closer, Orlando Valore, whom everybody knew by the nickname "Lundo," got more and more excited.
"My husband kept saying, 'Are we leaving tomorrow? Are we leaving tomorrow?'" Janice Valore recalled.
Tomorrow came on June 3. But Lundo Valore never got to see his son, Orlando Mike Valore Jr., receive his colonel pins.
He died on the flight to Tampa.
"He died on his way to see his son," Orlando Mike Valore Jr., who goes by Mike, said. "He loved his kids, and I feel fortunate that I was no exception."
On the day Mike Valore was to receive his colonel pins -- his eagles -- he was at a funeral home in Delmont.
He placed the two pins on his father's lapels.
"My dad was coming down, and I wanted to pin those eagles on him so bad, but he didn't make it," Mike Valore said. "At the funeral home, I was hell-bent on giving them to him. He earned them too."
Last week, Mike Valore, 45, officially became a Marine Corps colonel, receiving his own eagle pins in a ceremony. His wife, Pat, was there. His mother videotaped the ceremony.
And while nobody could see Lundo Valore there, his wife said she felt him.
"I kept patting my shoulders that he was here with us and so proud," Janice Valore said.
Lundo Valore was proud of what his son had accomplished in a military career that has spanned more than 20 years.
Mike Valore grew up in Slickville but graduated from The Kiski School in Saltsburg. He wrestled his way to the Naval Academy, graduating in 1982.
He chose the Marine Corps and started his military career as a second lieutenant.
Just as he was entering the Marines, his younger brother, Terence Valore, enlisted in the corps.
The two got to spend time together when both were based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Terry Valore was sent to Beirut in 1983. Mike's unit was on its way to replace his brother's unit there in October of that year.
But instead of going to Beirut, Mike Valore's ship made a turn and headed to Grenada to settle the unrest there.
Mike Valore found out while on ship that his brother had been badly injured in the car bombing of a Marine barracks in Beirut.
Terry Valore was burned over 90 percent of his body and had to retire from the Marine Corps because of the severity of his injuries.
Mike Valore ended up in Beirut, picking through the remnants of the building where his brother almost died.
After that, Mike Valore spent time at Camp Lejeune and Norfolk, Va. From 1988 to 1991, he worked on computer data systems at the Pentagon.
"The plane that went into the building on 9/11 ripped through my old room," Valore said.
In 1991, he left the Marine Corps, opting to work as a civilian software engineer.
But in 1993, he decided to rejoin -- this time as a Marine reservist. His posts included the Pentagon, a company command in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Marine Corps headquarters in Virginia.
For 10 years he served in reservist status. But in 2003, Valore was activated and sent to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa -- home of United States Central Command.
He is the Marines force deployment officer at Central Command and is responsible for deploying Marines to Iraq and bringing them home when their 6-month tours are over.
Valore has directed the movement of more than 250,000 personnel and 4 million tons of equipment -- including 1,250 planes and 35 ships -- during four rotations so far.
He is constantly planning for another rotation. The corps will bring 25,000 men and women out of Iraq starting in August and will send another 25,000 into the country.
Rotations take about two months. And while Valore plans for the upcoming rotation, he's looking ahead to the next rotation in January.
If all goes well, fewer Marines may be sent in that first 2006 rotation.
"Iraq is pretty much almost there, being able to walk on its own," Valore said, pointing out that a constitution is being drafted.
And the Iraqi military is getting ready to defend its own country.
"Whenever they graduate and they're ready to fight and they're ready to deploy, we're providing some adviser teams for them," Valore said. "So the adviser teams integrate with them, and they're fully ready when we're ready to pull our troops out."
While Valore expects a significant draw down in troop strength during the next year or two, he said he believes the United States will be in Iraq for the foreseeable future.
"Knowing that Syria and Iran are still very contentious areas, we will probably have people there for the next 15 to 20 years," he said. "Not just to help Iraq out, but to keep those two countries from getting any more belligerent."
He's been to Kuwait four times this year working to execute the rotation plans. He'll go back in August.
"I'll be over there to help deal with the issues that arise: if a plane arrives late or if a unit is not ready to deploy or the tactical operation on the ground has changed a little and we have to adjust," Valore said. "I have to admit -- it's a rush. There are some tense moments. It's a 24 -hour job."
Mike Valore was in Kuwait in January when he got word of his promotion to colonel.
"To be honest with you, I never thought I'd make it this far," he said.
Right away, he called his wife and his parents.
"It was the news we had been waiting for," he said.
Plans were made for his promotion ceremony.
"My husband and I looked forward to this," Janice Valore said. "At times there's only so many slots they give out for this recognition and for him to get it -- it's great."
Mike Valore looked forward to his dad being a part of his big day.
Lundo Valore had been a cook and a truck driver in the Army during the Korean War.
"He was my dad. He was my mentor. I wanted so much for him to share the joy," Mike Valore said.
"My dad saw (what the military could offer) and in so many ways instilled that there's a lot of honor in doing that," he said. "He had served in the military as well, and he didn't turn out too bad either."
Mike Valore was on his way home from Kuwait on the day his parents were flying to Tampa.
Lundo Valore started having breathing problems an hour into the flight. The crew diverted to Savannah, but it was too late.
Mike Valore found out in a text message to his cell phone.
"My heart sank," he said.
His ceremony was cancelled. And he and his wife, Pat, headed home to Slickville to bury his father.
He presented the flag to his mom in honor of his dad's service. Lundo Valore was buried with the colonel pins his son gave him.
Last week, during a small ceremony, Mike Valore got his own set of pins to wear.
His mom and wife were there at his side.
"It was a little bittersweet. Dad wasn't there, but you have to move on," Mike Valore said.
Janice Valore said she knows her husband was there at the ceremony.
"I just felt a shield around me that my husband was there with me and enjoyed the moment," she said.
And she got pins of her own.
"My son came up and pinned me with eagles (at his home), thanking me," she said. "I said, 'Dad and I got you started, but you did the rest.'"
Jennifer Reeger can be reached at jreeger@tribweb.com or (724) 836-6155.