thedrifter
02-27-06, 07:02 AM
Enjoying his time back home
By Lisa Gentes/ Daily News Staff
Monday, February 27, 2006 - Updated: 02:31 AM EST
FRAMINGHAM -- Cooking rigatoni in his Fairbrook Road kitchen yesterday had a different feel than the meals he cooked up for fellow Marines in Fallujah.
"The produce was phenomenal over there," Capt. David Martino, a Marine Corps reservist, said of the fresh cucumbers and tomatoes in Iraq. He dined on Iraqi food for six months, eating kabobs, chicken and bean gravy, and rice pilaf with raisins. "But I missed good home cooking," Martino said, as he prepared Sunday dinner for his family.
The 43-year-old Framingham native and married father of three flew into Boston’s Logan International Airport on Wednesday, greeted by family and friends, after serving a six-month tour of duty in Iraq.
"He’s been cooking nonstop since he’s been back," daughter Melissa, 21, said of her dad. "That’s been nice."
Family and friends celebrated his safe return with a welcome home party Saturday night at the family’s Framingham home, which is decorated with a Marine Corps flag, yellow ribbons and colorful "Welcome Home Daddy" sign hanging out front.
Martino had served with the Marine Corps for six years, and had been out for 15 years, until he re-enlisted as a Marine Corps reservist last year.
In the past year, he was deployed to Norway and served the six-month tour in Iraq. He’s a builder in his civilian life for D.J. Martino Building and Remodeling.
In Iraq, Martino was a logistics adviser to Iraqi army officers, as part of the U.S. Marine Corps Transition Team 7, a 10-member unit of senior sergeants and officers.
"We did combat patrols throughout the city of Fallujah and the surrounding countryside, and civil affairs," he said. "We helped rebuild a hospital and a school."
In between handing out school supplies and candy to Iraqi children and helping wounded locals get to hospitals, he helped train Iraqi officers "to be a better army."
The Iraqi soldiers spoke English, are intelligent, and know how to deal with insurgents very well, he said.
"They’re good soldiers, they fight well and they’re fearless," he said.
The Framingham father recalled seeing Iraqi children playing everywhere, all throughout the streets, especially soccer games.
"It wasn’t just combat, it was also civil," Martino said of the deployment.
He saw a "fair amount of action" while overseas, and has been recommended for a Bronze Star and the Combat Action Ribbon. He said he and his fellow Marines were "under constant threat of snipers, rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire."
However, Martino said Iraq is not "nearly as bad as the news portrays it to be. The (Iraqi) people want to move forward. They want to get back to normal as soon as possible," which he believes will be a "death blow to the insurgency."
With the help of the Marines and U.S. troops, "the hostile spots are shrinking every day, and the country is getting pacified," he said.
While away, he missed birthdays, Christmas and Thanksgiving with his family, he said. "I’m happy to be back."
Now home, he’s readjusting to civilian life, and missing the comradery of the Corps. "I miss the action, I guess," Martino said. "Every day, you don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s gunfire from somewhere, and you react to that. You’re always on guard for something."
His family is relieved and happy to have him home safely.
"It was definitely hard while he was there," daughter Melissa, a junior at Worcester State College, said. "We’re relieved, very relieved."
Daughters, Melissa and Regina, 11, son, Justin, 18, and wife Deborah, sent him care packages and talked to him via satellite phone while he was in Iraq.
"We’re just happy to have him home and extremely proud of him," his wife said.
The family plans to take a Caribbean vacation, she said. "We’re looking forward to family time."
(Lisa Gentes can be reached at 508-490-7461 or lgentes@cnc.com.)
Ellie
By Lisa Gentes/ Daily News Staff
Monday, February 27, 2006 - Updated: 02:31 AM EST
FRAMINGHAM -- Cooking rigatoni in his Fairbrook Road kitchen yesterday had a different feel than the meals he cooked up for fellow Marines in Fallujah.
"The produce was phenomenal over there," Capt. David Martino, a Marine Corps reservist, said of the fresh cucumbers and tomatoes in Iraq. He dined on Iraqi food for six months, eating kabobs, chicken and bean gravy, and rice pilaf with raisins. "But I missed good home cooking," Martino said, as he prepared Sunday dinner for his family.
The 43-year-old Framingham native and married father of three flew into Boston’s Logan International Airport on Wednesday, greeted by family and friends, after serving a six-month tour of duty in Iraq.
"He’s been cooking nonstop since he’s been back," daughter Melissa, 21, said of her dad. "That’s been nice."
Family and friends celebrated his safe return with a welcome home party Saturday night at the family’s Framingham home, which is decorated with a Marine Corps flag, yellow ribbons and colorful "Welcome Home Daddy" sign hanging out front.
Martino had served with the Marine Corps for six years, and had been out for 15 years, until he re-enlisted as a Marine Corps reservist last year.
In the past year, he was deployed to Norway and served the six-month tour in Iraq. He’s a builder in his civilian life for D.J. Martino Building and Remodeling.
In Iraq, Martino was a logistics adviser to Iraqi army officers, as part of the U.S. Marine Corps Transition Team 7, a 10-member unit of senior sergeants and officers.
"We did combat patrols throughout the city of Fallujah and the surrounding countryside, and civil affairs," he said. "We helped rebuild a hospital and a school."
In between handing out school supplies and candy to Iraqi children and helping wounded locals get to hospitals, he helped train Iraqi officers "to be a better army."
The Iraqi soldiers spoke English, are intelligent, and know how to deal with insurgents very well, he said.
"They’re good soldiers, they fight well and they’re fearless," he said.
The Framingham father recalled seeing Iraqi children playing everywhere, all throughout the streets, especially soccer games.
"It wasn’t just combat, it was also civil," Martino said of the deployment.
He saw a "fair amount of action" while overseas, and has been recommended for a Bronze Star and the Combat Action Ribbon. He said he and his fellow Marines were "under constant threat of snipers, rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire."
However, Martino said Iraq is not "nearly as bad as the news portrays it to be. The (Iraqi) people want to move forward. They want to get back to normal as soon as possible," which he believes will be a "death blow to the insurgency."
With the help of the Marines and U.S. troops, "the hostile spots are shrinking every day, and the country is getting pacified," he said.
While away, he missed birthdays, Christmas and Thanksgiving with his family, he said. "I’m happy to be back."
Now home, he’s readjusting to civilian life, and missing the comradery of the Corps. "I miss the action, I guess," Martino said. "Every day, you don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s gunfire from somewhere, and you react to that. You’re always on guard for something."
His family is relieved and happy to have him home safely.
"It was definitely hard while he was there," daughter Melissa, a junior at Worcester State College, said. "We’re relieved, very relieved."
Daughters, Melissa and Regina, 11, son, Justin, 18, and wife Deborah, sent him care packages and talked to him via satellite phone while he was in Iraq.
"We’re just happy to have him home and extremely proud of him," his wife said.
The family plans to take a Caribbean vacation, she said. "We’re looking forward to family time."
(Lisa Gentes can be reached at 508-490-7461 or lgentes@cnc.com.)
Ellie