thedrifter
11-15-05, 10:04 AM
Former Terre Haute resident receives silver star
By Peter Ciancone/Tribune-Star
For Nick Popaditch, it's about team.
The 38-year old retired Marine celebrated the birthday of his beloved Marine Corps at its annual birthday ball as its guest speaker. At it, he was awarded the nation's third-highest award for heroism in combat, the Silver Star.
He knew what he wanted to tell the group.
"It's not the time to talk about yourself," he said in a telephone interview while en route from his home in San Diego to Las Vegas, where the ball was staged Wednesday evening. "The Marine Corps birthday is the day to talk about the team."
The former Terre Haute resident got international attention as the subject of a photograph taken in April 2003, when coalition armed forces entered Baghdad.
Perched atop his tank, then-Staff Sgt. Popaditch sported a broad smile, and smoked one of the cigars he bought for his crew to celebrate the victory.
Two days shy of a year later, during fighting in Iraq, a grenade thrown through the hatch of his M1A1 Abrams tank took his right eye, damaged his left eye and permanently impaired his hearing. He left the Corps with a medical retirement.
The 1985 graduate from Terre Haute North Vigo High School is back in school at San Diego City College, working toward a degree in social sciences and a teaching certificate.
The Silver Star is the nation's third-highest military medal, designated exclusively for heroism in combat. Established in 1918 as the Citation Star, it was redesigned in 1932 and redesignated as a medal with a provision to make it available for presentation as far back as the Spanish-American War (1898). It is awarded by all the nation's armed services. Source: http://www.homeofheros.com/medals
"On that sort of subject, you can add a little more of your personality," he said. In a subject like English, he said, a period goes where it goes. In social studies, there's more room for interpretation and discussion.
He still visits the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot in San Diego, and still feels the same way about the team to which he devoted so much of his life. He said he likes to watch the ranks of new Marines, just entering boot camp.
"These guys went down to the recruiter even though we're at war," Popaditch said. "I've got a great deal of respect for any 18- or 19-year-old who'll do that."
Once a member of the team, Popaditch said, always a member.
"There's a saying, there's only one ex-Marine: Lee Harvey Oswald," he said with a laugh.
Asked if he had seen the recent film "Jarhead," about the Marines in the desert during Desert Storm, a campaign in which Popaditch also served, Popaditch said he had, and limited his review to a couple words.
"Disgrace. Sickening," he said. He then doubled his list of ex-Marines by adding the name of the film script's writer.
About his 18 years on active duty, he said he gets asked a lot if he has any regrets.
"Not a one," he says quickly. He lost an eye and is legally blind in the other, but he doesn't ask for consideration as a result. Since he demonstrated his willingness by re-enlisting for four or five tours, he said, he has no reason to claim that he didn't understand the dangers involved.
"Given a choice, I'd rather that not have happened," he said of his combat injury on an April day in Fallujah.
Pondering the thought for a moment, he voiced at least one regret.
"I wish I could still be doing it," he said.
The Marines were formed by an act of the Continental Congress on Nov. 10, 1775. The event is celebrated annually throughout the Marine Corps.
Peter Ciancone can be reached at (812) 231-4253 or pete.ciancone@tribstar.com.
Ellie
By Peter Ciancone/Tribune-Star
For Nick Popaditch, it's about team.
The 38-year old retired Marine celebrated the birthday of his beloved Marine Corps at its annual birthday ball as its guest speaker. At it, he was awarded the nation's third-highest award for heroism in combat, the Silver Star.
He knew what he wanted to tell the group.
"It's not the time to talk about yourself," he said in a telephone interview while en route from his home in San Diego to Las Vegas, where the ball was staged Wednesday evening. "The Marine Corps birthday is the day to talk about the team."
The former Terre Haute resident got international attention as the subject of a photograph taken in April 2003, when coalition armed forces entered Baghdad.
Perched atop his tank, then-Staff Sgt. Popaditch sported a broad smile, and smoked one of the cigars he bought for his crew to celebrate the victory.
Two days shy of a year later, during fighting in Iraq, a grenade thrown through the hatch of his M1A1 Abrams tank took his right eye, damaged his left eye and permanently impaired his hearing. He left the Corps with a medical retirement.
The 1985 graduate from Terre Haute North Vigo High School is back in school at San Diego City College, working toward a degree in social sciences and a teaching certificate.
The Silver Star is the nation's third-highest military medal, designated exclusively for heroism in combat. Established in 1918 as the Citation Star, it was redesigned in 1932 and redesignated as a medal with a provision to make it available for presentation as far back as the Spanish-American War (1898). It is awarded by all the nation's armed services. Source: http://www.homeofheros.com/medals
"On that sort of subject, you can add a little more of your personality," he said. In a subject like English, he said, a period goes where it goes. In social studies, there's more room for interpretation and discussion.
He still visits the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot in San Diego, and still feels the same way about the team to which he devoted so much of his life. He said he likes to watch the ranks of new Marines, just entering boot camp.
"These guys went down to the recruiter even though we're at war," Popaditch said. "I've got a great deal of respect for any 18- or 19-year-old who'll do that."
Once a member of the team, Popaditch said, always a member.
"There's a saying, there's only one ex-Marine: Lee Harvey Oswald," he said with a laugh.
Asked if he had seen the recent film "Jarhead," about the Marines in the desert during Desert Storm, a campaign in which Popaditch also served, Popaditch said he had, and limited his review to a couple words.
"Disgrace. Sickening," he said. He then doubled his list of ex-Marines by adding the name of the film script's writer.
About his 18 years on active duty, he said he gets asked a lot if he has any regrets.
"Not a one," he says quickly. He lost an eye and is legally blind in the other, but he doesn't ask for consideration as a result. Since he demonstrated his willingness by re-enlisting for four or five tours, he said, he has no reason to claim that he didn't understand the dangers involved.
"Given a choice, I'd rather that not have happened," he said of his combat injury on an April day in Fallujah.
Pondering the thought for a moment, he voiced at least one regret.
"I wish I could still be doing it," he said.
The Marines were formed by an act of the Continental Congress on Nov. 10, 1775. The event is celebrated annually throughout the Marine Corps.
Peter Ciancone can be reached at (812) 231-4253 or pete.ciancone@tribstar.com.
Ellie