thedrifter
10-08-05, 07:16 AM
Saturday, October 8, 2005
Marines' return is jubilant
But celebrants also remember those killed
By Janice Morse
Enquirer staff writer
COLUMBUS - After fighting for 143 of their 185 days in Iraq, Marine reservists who returned Friday to Ohio faced one more onslaught - and it made them happier than they could say.
As soon as an officer yelled, "Dismissed," the jubilant but rain-soaked crowd of 1,000 of the Marines' relatives burst through a yellow tape barrier to reunite with 140 reservists from Lima Company, including about 20 from Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
The unit, part of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, is proud of its accomplishments but is hurting from a high combat toll. Sixteen of its original 160 members were killed, along with seven attached from other units.
Six of the fallen Marines hailed from Southwest Ohio.
Holding a sign that read, "My Hero, My Dad," Brittany Rye, 12, of Hamilton, jumped and laughed and cried all at once, as soon as the Marines marched in front of her.
She had trouble spotting her father, Cpl. Frank Rye, amid all the tan camouflage uniforms.
Brittany and other family members rushed into the throng anyhow. Once they spotted Rye from the side, he wasn't safe.
"We attacked him!" Brittany said.
"I got blindsided. I almost got knocked over," said Rye, an arm around his daughter's shoulder.
Minutes later, Rye was overwhelmed all over again: meeting his 3-month-old son for the first time.
His wife, Edith, handed the infant to Rye in a sheltered area, away from the crowd.
Rye pressed Benjamin's little face against his. He rocked the child; the baby looked up and smiled. "That was just so awesome, I can't even tell you," Rye said.
The celebration often took on the air of a pep rally.
The crowd burst into cheers and chants of "U.S.A.," waved flags and sounded air horns at every report that the Marines were nearing the reunion site.
An undercurrent of sadness flowed through the homecoming for the unit's losses.
"We honor our fallen Marines," one sign said. Another, on the fence surrounding the reserve center read, "The Derga Family Welcomes Home Legendary Lima Co. - Semper Fi (Always Faithful)." Cpl. Dustin Derga, 24, of Columbus, became the unit's first combat casualty on May 8.
Marilyn Cole, of Florence, said she was excited to see her son, Lance Cpl. Robert Cole Jr., 28.
"It's a shame the other ones aren't coming home," she said.
Her husband said, "It's a real relief for him to get out of Iraq. He wasn't able to tell us much. But he did say that there is no place there where it's not dangerous."
Peggy Logue, 63, of Lebanon, described her feelings about the homecoming: "It's exhilarating. Outside of giving birth, I don't know of any moment that's more exciting than this. It's like being reborn. I was getting his room ready yesterday for him to come home now, and I had gotten his room ready for him when he came home after being born."
Logue's son, Lance Cpl. Michael Logue, is 19, and she knows that there is going to be a readjustment period for everyone. But she's glad months of anxiety are over.
"The waiting, the anguish, the fear, the terror - really, it brought us to the edge of terror, not knowing what was happening to him over there," Logue said.
On their way to the reunion celebration at the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center here, Lima Company's Marines boarded four chartered buses at Port Columbus International Airport.
The buses made the six-mile trip to the reserve center slowly because the route was clogged with supporters waving flags. Officials estimated the turnout at 15,000 to 20,000 people despite the rainy weather.
"To see the thousands of people all the way here from the airport was beyond what we could have ever expected," said the unit's commander, Maj. Stephen Lawson of Middletown.
Lawson said the casualties have been tough to deal with. He said he is frustrated that news accounts ignore the unit's accomplishments.
"We did so much over there that you don't even hear about," he said.
Lima Company, consisting of Marines and sailors ages 18 to 58, was the only unit in the 2nd Marine Division to clear and liberate an Iraqi city in an area of operations, he said. The unit also conducted 11 combat team operations, cordoned off and searched 14 major cities, patrolled 150,000 miles of territory and helped the Iraqi army become more involved.
E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com
Ellie
Marines' return is jubilant
But celebrants also remember those killed
By Janice Morse
Enquirer staff writer
COLUMBUS - After fighting for 143 of their 185 days in Iraq, Marine reservists who returned Friday to Ohio faced one more onslaught - and it made them happier than they could say.
As soon as an officer yelled, "Dismissed," the jubilant but rain-soaked crowd of 1,000 of the Marines' relatives burst through a yellow tape barrier to reunite with 140 reservists from Lima Company, including about 20 from Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
The unit, part of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, is proud of its accomplishments but is hurting from a high combat toll. Sixteen of its original 160 members were killed, along with seven attached from other units.
Six of the fallen Marines hailed from Southwest Ohio.
Holding a sign that read, "My Hero, My Dad," Brittany Rye, 12, of Hamilton, jumped and laughed and cried all at once, as soon as the Marines marched in front of her.
She had trouble spotting her father, Cpl. Frank Rye, amid all the tan camouflage uniforms.
Brittany and other family members rushed into the throng anyhow. Once they spotted Rye from the side, he wasn't safe.
"We attacked him!" Brittany said.
"I got blindsided. I almost got knocked over," said Rye, an arm around his daughter's shoulder.
Minutes later, Rye was overwhelmed all over again: meeting his 3-month-old son for the first time.
His wife, Edith, handed the infant to Rye in a sheltered area, away from the crowd.
Rye pressed Benjamin's little face against his. He rocked the child; the baby looked up and smiled. "That was just so awesome, I can't even tell you," Rye said.
The celebration often took on the air of a pep rally.
The crowd burst into cheers and chants of "U.S.A.," waved flags and sounded air horns at every report that the Marines were nearing the reunion site.
An undercurrent of sadness flowed through the homecoming for the unit's losses.
"We honor our fallen Marines," one sign said. Another, on the fence surrounding the reserve center read, "The Derga Family Welcomes Home Legendary Lima Co. - Semper Fi (Always Faithful)." Cpl. Dustin Derga, 24, of Columbus, became the unit's first combat casualty on May 8.
Marilyn Cole, of Florence, said she was excited to see her son, Lance Cpl. Robert Cole Jr., 28.
"It's a shame the other ones aren't coming home," she said.
Her husband said, "It's a real relief for him to get out of Iraq. He wasn't able to tell us much. But he did say that there is no place there where it's not dangerous."
Peggy Logue, 63, of Lebanon, described her feelings about the homecoming: "It's exhilarating. Outside of giving birth, I don't know of any moment that's more exciting than this. It's like being reborn. I was getting his room ready yesterday for him to come home now, and I had gotten his room ready for him when he came home after being born."
Logue's son, Lance Cpl. Michael Logue, is 19, and she knows that there is going to be a readjustment period for everyone. But she's glad months of anxiety are over.
"The waiting, the anguish, the fear, the terror - really, it brought us to the edge of terror, not knowing what was happening to him over there," Logue said.
On their way to the reunion celebration at the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center here, Lima Company's Marines boarded four chartered buses at Port Columbus International Airport.
The buses made the six-mile trip to the reserve center slowly because the route was clogged with supporters waving flags. Officials estimated the turnout at 15,000 to 20,000 people despite the rainy weather.
"To see the thousands of people all the way here from the airport was beyond what we could have ever expected," said the unit's commander, Maj. Stephen Lawson of Middletown.
Lawson said the casualties have been tough to deal with. He said he is frustrated that news accounts ignore the unit's accomplishments.
"We did so much over there that you don't even hear about," he said.
Lima Company, consisting of Marines and sailors ages 18 to 58, was the only unit in the 2nd Marine Division to clear and liberate an Iraqi city in an area of operations, he said. The unit also conducted 11 combat team operations, cordoned off and searched 14 major cities, patrolled 150,000 miles of territory and helped the Iraqi army become more involved.
E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com
Ellie