thedrifter
01-23-06, 07:22 AM
Tracy Marine killed by suicide bomber
Phil Hayworth
Tracy Press
A suicide bomber in a car laden with explosives Friday claimed the life of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Brandon Christopher Dewey, 20, of Tracy.
Dewey, who was on his second tour in Iraq, was reportedly part of a combat operation in Haqlaniyah, about 150 miles northwest of Baghdad in the Anbar province of Iraq, when the bombing occurred.
“He was a real Marine,” his mother, Julia Conover, said Sunday. “He was a good son.”
Another Marine was also killed in the bombing. At least 2,224 U.S. military personnel have died since the war began in March 2003, according to The Associated Press.
Dewey is the fifth Tracy serviceman to die since the war began in Iraq. U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa, 33, was killed by enemy fire March 27, 2003; U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Steven H. Bridges, 33, died Dec. 8, 2003, in a Stryker vehicle accident; National Guard Sgt. Patrick McCaffrey Sr., 34, was gunned down in an ambush June 22, 2004; and U.S. Army Pfc. Jesse J. Martinez died in a Stryker accident June 14, 2004.
Dewey was with the Third Battalion, First Marines stationed out of Camp Pendleton, which is about a half-hour north of San Diego. During his first tour, he was injured in Fallujah in 2004 in some of the fiercest fighting of the war, for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. He left for his second tour in September and was expected to come home in April.
“We thought that being wounded already was his saving grace, that nothing else would happen,” his stepfather, Scott Conover said over the weekend. “We figured that the hard stuff was over.”
The news of Brandon’s death came Friday night when the Conovers, who had just returned from dinner, saw two U.S. Marines in dress uniform step out of a waiting van.
“I knew when I saw them,” Julia said. “I just wanted to know how bad.”
“You never think it’s going to happen to your kid,” Scott said. “He was a Marine even before he was a Marine. It’s what he wanted to do.”
The Deweys moved to Tracy from Livermore in 1980. Brandon’s father, Mark Dewey, was a police officer with the Union City Police Department, where Julia Conover has worked 26 years.
Brandon grew up in Tracy, taking karate lessons and later becoming a Boy Scout with Troop 505. He graduated from West High School in 2003.
Mike Pulliam, committee chairman for Troop 505, said he knew Brandon well.
“We at Troop 505 will miss Brandon,” Pulliam wrote in an e-mail to the Press. “We are proud of him for his service. We honor him for his heroism.”
West High English teacher Michael Fonash also remembers Brandon fondly.
“He was a respectful, responsible student and a pleasure to have in class,” Fonash said. “It’s nothing less than tragic to have this community lose this young man.”
Brandon’s sister, Elyse Dewey, 18, is a seaman recruit in the U.S. Navy and was in cryptology training at Pensacola, Fla., when she got the news of her brother’s death. She is home on emergency leave.
What she’ll remember about Brandon is his protectiveness and how he used to play-fight with her.
“He used to practice his Marine moves on me,” she said.
Brandon once went up to a boy and jokingly asked the young man why he didn’t first ask his permission to date his sister, Julia Conover joked.
Brandon and Cpl. Chris Huckaby, 21, a 2003 graduate of Tracy High School, joined the Corps on the delayed-entry program about the same time. In a phone interview from his apartment near Camp Pendleton, Huckaby recalled training with Brandon and seeing him around boot camp and, again, at Camp Pendleton.
Both served their first tours in Iraq together.
“He and I grew up in the Corps together,” he said. “He was in my wedding.”
“I felt awkward with him going on a second tour and me being here,” he said. “You know, even though our quality of life there was tough, he always looked on the bright side.”
Brandon’s father, Mark Dewey, lives in Arizona and is traveling to California for the services, which are pending. Brandon is also survived by a brother, Jason Norrish, 35, of Clayton.
Fry Memorial Chape is handling arrangements.
The Marine’s body is expected to arrive in San Francisco late this week and will be escorted to Tracy by Union City Police Department motorcycle officers. A U.S. Marine Corps Honor Guard is expected to offer up a 21-gun salute at the funeral.
The family has created a memorial Web site, brandondewey.remembering-you.org, for people to post their condolences and memories of Brandon. As of press time, a handful of people had already posted messages, including Troop 505’s Pulliam.
“I remember going on hiking trips and the 50-miler with Brandon and the other Scouts and Scout dads,” Pulliam posted on the site. “I remember the snow trips and the winter survival training we did. It seems that Brandon was training for the Marines all along.”
• To contact reporter Phil Hayworth, call 830-4221 or e-mail phayworth@tracypress.com.
Ellie
Rest In Peace
Phil Hayworth
Tracy Press
A suicide bomber in a car laden with explosives Friday claimed the life of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Brandon Christopher Dewey, 20, of Tracy.
Dewey, who was on his second tour in Iraq, was reportedly part of a combat operation in Haqlaniyah, about 150 miles northwest of Baghdad in the Anbar province of Iraq, when the bombing occurred.
“He was a real Marine,” his mother, Julia Conover, said Sunday. “He was a good son.”
Another Marine was also killed in the bombing. At least 2,224 U.S. military personnel have died since the war began in March 2003, according to The Associated Press.
Dewey is the fifth Tracy serviceman to die since the war began in Iraq. U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa, 33, was killed by enemy fire March 27, 2003; U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Steven H. Bridges, 33, died Dec. 8, 2003, in a Stryker vehicle accident; National Guard Sgt. Patrick McCaffrey Sr., 34, was gunned down in an ambush June 22, 2004; and U.S. Army Pfc. Jesse J. Martinez died in a Stryker accident June 14, 2004.
Dewey was with the Third Battalion, First Marines stationed out of Camp Pendleton, which is about a half-hour north of San Diego. During his first tour, he was injured in Fallujah in 2004 in some of the fiercest fighting of the war, for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. He left for his second tour in September and was expected to come home in April.
“We thought that being wounded already was his saving grace, that nothing else would happen,” his stepfather, Scott Conover said over the weekend. “We figured that the hard stuff was over.”
The news of Brandon’s death came Friday night when the Conovers, who had just returned from dinner, saw two U.S. Marines in dress uniform step out of a waiting van.
“I knew when I saw them,” Julia said. “I just wanted to know how bad.”
“You never think it’s going to happen to your kid,” Scott said. “He was a Marine even before he was a Marine. It’s what he wanted to do.”
The Deweys moved to Tracy from Livermore in 1980. Brandon’s father, Mark Dewey, was a police officer with the Union City Police Department, where Julia Conover has worked 26 years.
Brandon grew up in Tracy, taking karate lessons and later becoming a Boy Scout with Troop 505. He graduated from West High School in 2003.
Mike Pulliam, committee chairman for Troop 505, said he knew Brandon well.
“We at Troop 505 will miss Brandon,” Pulliam wrote in an e-mail to the Press. “We are proud of him for his service. We honor him for his heroism.”
West High English teacher Michael Fonash also remembers Brandon fondly.
“He was a respectful, responsible student and a pleasure to have in class,” Fonash said. “It’s nothing less than tragic to have this community lose this young man.”
Brandon’s sister, Elyse Dewey, 18, is a seaman recruit in the U.S. Navy and was in cryptology training at Pensacola, Fla., when she got the news of her brother’s death. She is home on emergency leave.
What she’ll remember about Brandon is his protectiveness and how he used to play-fight with her.
“He used to practice his Marine moves on me,” she said.
Brandon once went up to a boy and jokingly asked the young man why he didn’t first ask his permission to date his sister, Julia Conover joked.
Brandon and Cpl. Chris Huckaby, 21, a 2003 graduate of Tracy High School, joined the Corps on the delayed-entry program about the same time. In a phone interview from his apartment near Camp Pendleton, Huckaby recalled training with Brandon and seeing him around boot camp and, again, at Camp Pendleton.
Both served their first tours in Iraq together.
“He and I grew up in the Corps together,” he said. “He was in my wedding.”
“I felt awkward with him going on a second tour and me being here,” he said. “You know, even though our quality of life there was tough, he always looked on the bright side.”
Brandon’s father, Mark Dewey, lives in Arizona and is traveling to California for the services, which are pending. Brandon is also survived by a brother, Jason Norrish, 35, of Clayton.
Fry Memorial Chape is handling arrangements.
The Marine’s body is expected to arrive in San Francisco late this week and will be escorted to Tracy by Union City Police Department motorcycle officers. A U.S. Marine Corps Honor Guard is expected to offer up a 21-gun salute at the funeral.
The family has created a memorial Web site, brandondewey.remembering-you.org, for people to post their condolences and memories of Brandon. As of press time, a handful of people had already posted messages, including Troop 505’s Pulliam.
“I remember going on hiking trips and the 50-miler with Brandon and the other Scouts and Scout dads,” Pulliam posted on the site. “I remember the snow trips and the winter survival training we did. It seems that Brandon was training for the Marines all along.”
• To contact reporter Phil Hayworth, call 830-4221 or e-mail phayworth@tracypress.com.
Ellie
Rest In Peace