thedrifter
03-15-06, 01:42 PM
Cousins in arms: Family awaits in pride and prayer as 3 cousins serve in Iraq
By Ed Baker/ ebaker@cnc.com
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - Updated: 08:43 AM EST
Joseph Pugsley had no delusions of military grandeur when he was persuaded to join the U.S. Marine Corps by his cousins, Ryan Pugsley and Ken Downey, in mid-2004.
Joseph, a 2003 Weymouth High School graduate, has always enjoyed close ties with his cousins, and these family bonds will be especially meaningful while they serve the Marines in Iraq during the year ahead.
“All of them thought long and hard before they joined the Marines,” Joseph’s Uncle Steve Pugsley said during an interview with the News on Tuesday. “They each talked with one another about it, and they all joined at different times.”
Joseph’s Aunt Cathy Pugsley said that her son Ryan, a 2004 Braintree High School graduate, and his cousins were aware of the dangers military service poses when they joined the Marines.
“All three of them knew that there was a war going on when they joined,” Cathy said. “They knew they had to look into all aspects of what it meant to be in the Marines. They knew the odds were great that they would be sent to Iraq, but they all said they wanted to serve their country.”
Each cousin joined the Marines within months of each other’s enlistment
“Joe joined about a year after he graduated from high school,” Pugsley said. “Kenny and Ryan both joined right after they graduated from Braintree High School.”
Joseph attended Massasoit Community College for a year after he graduated, but was uncertain about a career path.
“He did not know what he wanted to do,” Cathy said. “Ryan and Kenny talked to him about the Marines, and he joined. Joe thought that serving the Marines would be something he’d like to be involved with. He made his choice and joined.”
Pugsley said that the cousins’ decision to servethe Marines is not surprising because they are close friends .
“They are all close,” he said. “It’s not a distant type of relationship like where they only see each other during holidays. Kenny and Ryan grew up in Braintree and hung around with each other. Ken was a year older than his cousins, but he and Ryan pretty much had the same friends. Joe had his friends in Weymouth, but the cousins still remained close.”
“Kenny went into the Marines first,” Pugsley said. “He graduated in 2003. Ryan joined a year later after he graduated from high school.”
Cathy said that she was shocked when Ryan wanted to join the Marines.
“When Ryan first told Steve and I, we were shocked,” she said. “When he made a decision to join, I was scared. I tried to talk him out of it, but being a Marine was something he always wanted to do, and I’m proud of him for making that decision.”
Pugsley said he tried to make Ryan aware of all the dangers a Marine might encounter.
“Cathy did not want him to join at all,” he said. “We wanted him to be well aware of what he was getting into. I also talked with his recruiter so he would get both sides of the picture. The recruiter did his job and did not do anything deceptive, but, of course, when you are trying to sell a product, you put your best foot forward. We wanted Ryan to make sure that he understood the dangers he might face and when he made his decision to join, we supported him 100 percent.”
Ryan is now serving in Iraq, where he is looking forward to welcoming his cousins upon their arrival.
“Ryan is over there now, and the other two are preparing to leave any day now,” Pugsley said. “They are training in a desert in California right now.”
He saidthat Ryan and his cousins considered their grandfather’s example of military service before they joined the Marines.
“They looked up to my father, who was a Marine veteran,” Pugsley said. “They wanted to follow in his footsteps, so to speak.”
The elder, Arthur Pugsley, received a Purple Heart for wounds he incurred while battling Japanese soldiers in the Philippine Islands during World War II.
Joe will be serving the Marines as a radio operator during his deployment in Iraq.
“Kenny is a supply officer,” Pugsley said. “Ryan is an electro-optical-ordinance repairman.”
He said that the family is nervous about the youths’ deployment to Iraq.
“It’s interesting,” Pugsley said. “We do have a large family with a great support unit. There was nervousness when they all left for training at Fort Devens. There was a little emotional sendoff when that happened. The reality of them going to Iraq did not set in until it got closer, and now the danger seems real. We are concerned aboutthem, but they have received a tremendous amount of training, and the training is the best that they can receive in the world. They think they will be safe and well, and they are all looking forward to going over there.”
He said that the family is more nervous about their deployment to Iraq than the cousins.
“We have a lot of people who are praying for them,” Pugsley said. “People at church have told us they are praying for them and Masses are being said for them. There have been group prayers offered for them. They are all in God’s hands now.”
Cathy said that the family has its tough moments, but they are proud of the cousins.
“We are doing okay,” she said. “It’s more of a worry of not knowing day to day where our son is right now, but we are doing all right. This is something Ryan wanted to do. We are happy for him and proud of him. He gave up a scholarship to join the Marines. Joining the Marines is something he wanted to do for a number of years. “
Ryan’s deployment and the cousins’ service in the Marines are encouraging her father, Jack Muldoon, to discuss his Army service experiences during the Korean War.
“The nice thing about this is thatit encouraged my father to open up and talk about his experiences in Korea,” Cathy said. “He also talked to Ryan about his experiences, and it’s nice to hear his stories.”
The family is relying on their Catholic faith to sustain them while the cousins are serving in Iraq.
“Every week we go to church, we pray for our soldiers,” Pugsley said. “It was a little different for us this week. It was deeper than we anticipated. We always prayed for our son and nephews. We always prayed for them when they did training, and we know God is protecting them now.”
Ellie
By Ed Baker/ ebaker@cnc.com
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - Updated: 08:43 AM EST
Joseph Pugsley had no delusions of military grandeur when he was persuaded to join the U.S. Marine Corps by his cousins, Ryan Pugsley and Ken Downey, in mid-2004.
Joseph, a 2003 Weymouth High School graduate, has always enjoyed close ties with his cousins, and these family bonds will be especially meaningful while they serve the Marines in Iraq during the year ahead.
“All of them thought long and hard before they joined the Marines,” Joseph’s Uncle Steve Pugsley said during an interview with the News on Tuesday. “They each talked with one another about it, and they all joined at different times.”
Joseph’s Aunt Cathy Pugsley said that her son Ryan, a 2004 Braintree High School graduate, and his cousins were aware of the dangers military service poses when they joined the Marines.
“All three of them knew that there was a war going on when they joined,” Cathy said. “They knew they had to look into all aspects of what it meant to be in the Marines. They knew the odds were great that they would be sent to Iraq, but they all said they wanted to serve their country.”
Each cousin joined the Marines within months of each other’s enlistment
“Joe joined about a year after he graduated from high school,” Pugsley said. “Kenny and Ryan both joined right after they graduated from Braintree High School.”
Joseph attended Massasoit Community College for a year after he graduated, but was uncertain about a career path.
“He did not know what he wanted to do,” Cathy said. “Ryan and Kenny talked to him about the Marines, and he joined. Joe thought that serving the Marines would be something he’d like to be involved with. He made his choice and joined.”
Pugsley said that the cousins’ decision to servethe Marines is not surprising because they are close friends .
“They are all close,” he said. “It’s not a distant type of relationship like where they only see each other during holidays. Kenny and Ryan grew up in Braintree and hung around with each other. Ken was a year older than his cousins, but he and Ryan pretty much had the same friends. Joe had his friends in Weymouth, but the cousins still remained close.”
“Kenny went into the Marines first,” Pugsley said. “He graduated in 2003. Ryan joined a year later after he graduated from high school.”
Cathy said that she was shocked when Ryan wanted to join the Marines.
“When Ryan first told Steve and I, we were shocked,” she said. “When he made a decision to join, I was scared. I tried to talk him out of it, but being a Marine was something he always wanted to do, and I’m proud of him for making that decision.”
Pugsley said he tried to make Ryan aware of all the dangers a Marine might encounter.
“Cathy did not want him to join at all,” he said. “We wanted him to be well aware of what he was getting into. I also talked with his recruiter so he would get both sides of the picture. The recruiter did his job and did not do anything deceptive, but, of course, when you are trying to sell a product, you put your best foot forward. We wanted Ryan to make sure that he understood the dangers he might face and when he made his decision to join, we supported him 100 percent.”
Ryan is now serving in Iraq, where he is looking forward to welcoming his cousins upon their arrival.
“Ryan is over there now, and the other two are preparing to leave any day now,” Pugsley said. “They are training in a desert in California right now.”
He saidthat Ryan and his cousins considered their grandfather’s example of military service before they joined the Marines.
“They looked up to my father, who was a Marine veteran,” Pugsley said. “They wanted to follow in his footsteps, so to speak.”
The elder, Arthur Pugsley, received a Purple Heart for wounds he incurred while battling Japanese soldiers in the Philippine Islands during World War II.
Joe will be serving the Marines as a radio operator during his deployment in Iraq.
“Kenny is a supply officer,” Pugsley said. “Ryan is an electro-optical-ordinance repairman.”
He said that the family is nervous about the youths’ deployment to Iraq.
“It’s interesting,” Pugsley said. “We do have a large family with a great support unit. There was nervousness when they all left for training at Fort Devens. There was a little emotional sendoff when that happened. The reality of them going to Iraq did not set in until it got closer, and now the danger seems real. We are concerned aboutthem, but they have received a tremendous amount of training, and the training is the best that they can receive in the world. They think they will be safe and well, and they are all looking forward to going over there.”
He said that the family is more nervous about their deployment to Iraq than the cousins.
“We have a lot of people who are praying for them,” Pugsley said. “People at church have told us they are praying for them and Masses are being said for them. There have been group prayers offered for them. They are all in God’s hands now.”
Cathy said that the family has its tough moments, but they are proud of the cousins.
“We are doing okay,” she said. “It’s more of a worry of not knowing day to day where our son is right now, but we are doing all right. This is something Ryan wanted to do. We are happy for him and proud of him. He gave up a scholarship to join the Marines. Joining the Marines is something he wanted to do for a number of years. “
Ryan’s deployment and the cousins’ service in the Marines are encouraging her father, Jack Muldoon, to discuss his Army service experiences during the Korean War.
“The nice thing about this is thatit encouraged my father to open up and talk about his experiences in Korea,” Cathy said. “He also talked to Ryan about his experiences, and it’s nice to hear his stories.”
The family is relying on their Catholic faith to sustain them while the cousins are serving in Iraq.
“Every week we go to church, we pray for our soldiers,” Pugsley said. “It was a little different for us this week. It was deeper than we anticipated. We always prayed for our son and nephews. We always prayed for them when they did training, and we know God is protecting them now.”
Ellie