Beans Returns Home With Brook Park Marines

[thedrifter]

Beans Returns Home With Brook Park Marines
NewsNet5

The loyal sidekick that helped the Brook Park Marines get through some tough times while in Iraq is on her way home to northeast Ohio.

Beans the dog spent the night in the barracks with her friends from the 3rd Battalion 25th Marines at Camp Lejeune Wednesday night.

Beans got her name because she was purchased with a quarter and three jelly beans.

3/25 Homecoming | Beans Comes Home

She nuzzled her way into the hearts of many Marines, including Jeffrey Boskovitch. He was one of more than a dozen Brook Park-based Marines who lost their lives serving our country in August.

Now Beans will be brought to Boskovitch's mother as a constant reminder of her son and his service. She wants to hug the last thing that her son hugged before he was killed in Iraq.

"I know it means so much to Mrs. Wright. I think it's an honor to pick up Beans and deliver Beans to her," Sgt. Derrick Moore said.

NewsChannel5 viewers helped raise the money to bring Beans back to Ohio.

5 On Your Side reporter Tracy Carloss is with Beans and will be traveling with Beans and her escort.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine mascot makes it home
October 07,2005
BY JOE MILLER View stories by reporter
DAILY NEWS STAFF

Beans the dog, an Iraqi-born mixed-breed, was a real bargain: 25 cents and three jellybeans.

Still, her trip stateside came at considerable expense to Kathy Wright, whose son Jeffery Boskovitch adopted the dog along with fellow Marine reservists serving in Iraq. He was killed there this past summer.

Members of the Ohio-based 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment spent seven months in Iraq's Al Anbar province. While there, Boskovitch, a 25-year-old corporal, along with other troops bought Beans from some villagers. She became the unit's mascot.

Before his death, Boskovitch told his mother how much he wanted to bring the dog home with him when his deployment ended. He never got that chance.

But Beans made it to Ohio. Sgt. Derrick Moore, a member of 3/25, made sure of that. He escorted Beans from Camp Lejeune to Ohio on Thursday, leaving from Albert Ellis Airport early in the morning.

"To have a dog â?¦ pretty much brings them closer to home," Moore said. "Being so far away from home, you want to have something as normal as you can."

Boskovitch, of Seven Hills, Ohio, died from enemy small arms fire outside Haditha, Iraq on Aug. 1. He was one of 48 Marines from the 900-member reserve unit who died in Iraq - 14 were killed just two days later.

Wright, however, never forgot her son's wish. She petitioned Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee to let her bring Beans to the United States.

He agreed, and the dog began its long voyage.

On Wednesday night, she arrived at Cherry Point Air Station and was taken to Lejeune where she spent the night with many of the 3/25 Marines who returned from Iraq just last week.

Despite the long journey, Beans looked excited as she stood outside of Ellis Airport early Thursday morning. She had been in military police custody at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq until her trip to the United States was approved last week.

U.S. Airways provided Moore free airfare to fetch Beans. She was delivered to Wright in Ohio as dozens of 3/25 troops also arrived home to a heroes welcome.

"We've used some money to get a dog carrier for Beans and also a leash and collar with the Marine Corps eagle, globe and anchor emblem on them," said 3/25 spokeswoman Maj. Jenny Potter.

Cleveland TV station WEWS organized efforts to raise the money to bring Beans to America. Because the military flew the dog home, the money will go to the troops.

Wright recently told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that she plans to share the dog with members of 3/25.

"If they want me to bring her to watch them march or train, I'd be glad to," Wright said. "Beans belonged to the whole company, not just my son."

Contact staff writer Joe Miller at jmiller@freedomenc.com or at 353-1171, Ext. 236

Ellie