thedrifter
04-26-06, 08:20 AM
My Book of Month: McCoy's Marines: Darkside to Baghdad
By Robert Montgomery Thomas/ Commentary
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Last year I wrote about attending the Annapolis wedding of the son of friends of mine here in Weymouth. Their son, Matt (call sign Viking), is a captain in the Marine Corps who did two tours of duty in Iraq with the Third Battalion, Fourth Regiment, Three-Four, of the First Marine Division.
I said that I had met the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Bryan McCoy, call sign Darkside, and many of his cadre at the ceremony and ensuing celebration after. It is something I will never forget and I am honored to have been in attendance.
My friends invite me over for dinner from time to time and did so again this Easter. They are like a second family to me, sometimes like my only family, and I enjoy their company immensely. Their dog Duchess loves me too. She sometimes gives me my only exercise as we wrestle with one of her pull rings. Boy is she strong, big too; but then again she's part of a Marine family.
Knowing that my friends had a copy of John Koopman's, call sign Paperboy, book "McCoy's Marines ... Darkside to Baghdad" that they had promised to let me read, I made sure to request it again and there it was in the bag with my take home goodies. I had read about the book in Leatherneck Magazine and intended to get a copy but it was unavailable for a time.
I'm not a voracious reader but I read the 360 plus pages in two days. Maybe the incentive was that I had met some of the people...real life Marines who risk their lives for us on a daily basis. Men and women trained to protect us...and well they do.
I just love Marines anyway because my Dad was a WWII Marine who was killed on the last day of the battle for Okinawa on 21 June 1945. Just six weeks earlier he had earned the Silver Star Medal but never got to see or touch it as he did with his Bronze Star with Combat "V" earned at Peleliu.
Back to the book, Koopman was an imbedded reporter who was assigned to be with Three-Four on their journey to Baghdad. It starts out a little slowly because Koopman gives some autobiographical information in order to set the table a bit. It's not a blood, guts and glory chronicle; it's a real-life account of one battalion's two involvements in Iraq. There is some salty language hither and yon but none of it is anything I haven't heard or used myself.
I was very surprised to see a whole section devoted to Viking, a young man who went to Weymouth schools and grew to be a Marine just like his Dad. Only he grew a lot taller. His Dad never mentioned that his son was prominently featured in the book but then again he's not a braggart. He knew I'd love reading about Viking and most likely didn't want to spoil the surprise.
McCoy dubbed Viking "Lawrence of Haditha" when Viking became the interim Chief of Police for the village. Viking also became a member of the tribe and was offered some of the local women to marry.
He respectfully declined because he knew his then-fiancée would have no part of that. She's a Marine officer herself who teaches at Annapolis and as slight as she is, she could probably flatten Viking with ease. He'd probably enjoy that coming from her. She is really beautiful.
Based on his effectiveness, McCoy will probably go on to become a general one day with perhaps a star or three. Who knows: Commandant? At 6'0" he may be too tall for that because the Marines seem to like guys 5'8" or thereabouts.
One thing about McCoy jumped out at me from the book. He was born on 21 June 1962, seventeen years to the day that my Dad was KIA at Okinawa. I would love to believe that he is my Dad reincarnate but I am satisfied that he is a US Marine who takes his job of defending America very seriously.
Darkside is not someone to mess with...and neither are his Marines. If I could somehow shed quite a few years and a few pounds too, I would do all that I could to serve with this band of brothers whose motto is Semper Fidelis and the lesser known Frater Aeternae. Always Faithful...Brothers Forever.
Ellie
By Robert Montgomery Thomas/ Commentary
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Last year I wrote about attending the Annapolis wedding of the son of friends of mine here in Weymouth. Their son, Matt (call sign Viking), is a captain in the Marine Corps who did two tours of duty in Iraq with the Third Battalion, Fourth Regiment, Three-Four, of the First Marine Division.
I said that I had met the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Bryan McCoy, call sign Darkside, and many of his cadre at the ceremony and ensuing celebration after. It is something I will never forget and I am honored to have been in attendance.
My friends invite me over for dinner from time to time and did so again this Easter. They are like a second family to me, sometimes like my only family, and I enjoy their company immensely. Their dog Duchess loves me too. She sometimes gives me my only exercise as we wrestle with one of her pull rings. Boy is she strong, big too; but then again she's part of a Marine family.
Knowing that my friends had a copy of John Koopman's, call sign Paperboy, book "McCoy's Marines ... Darkside to Baghdad" that they had promised to let me read, I made sure to request it again and there it was in the bag with my take home goodies. I had read about the book in Leatherneck Magazine and intended to get a copy but it was unavailable for a time.
I'm not a voracious reader but I read the 360 plus pages in two days. Maybe the incentive was that I had met some of the people...real life Marines who risk their lives for us on a daily basis. Men and women trained to protect us...and well they do.
I just love Marines anyway because my Dad was a WWII Marine who was killed on the last day of the battle for Okinawa on 21 June 1945. Just six weeks earlier he had earned the Silver Star Medal but never got to see or touch it as he did with his Bronze Star with Combat "V" earned at Peleliu.
Back to the book, Koopman was an imbedded reporter who was assigned to be with Three-Four on their journey to Baghdad. It starts out a little slowly because Koopman gives some autobiographical information in order to set the table a bit. It's not a blood, guts and glory chronicle; it's a real-life account of one battalion's two involvements in Iraq. There is some salty language hither and yon but none of it is anything I haven't heard or used myself.
I was very surprised to see a whole section devoted to Viking, a young man who went to Weymouth schools and grew to be a Marine just like his Dad. Only he grew a lot taller. His Dad never mentioned that his son was prominently featured in the book but then again he's not a braggart. He knew I'd love reading about Viking and most likely didn't want to spoil the surprise.
McCoy dubbed Viking "Lawrence of Haditha" when Viking became the interim Chief of Police for the village. Viking also became a member of the tribe and was offered some of the local women to marry.
He respectfully declined because he knew his then-fiancée would have no part of that. She's a Marine officer herself who teaches at Annapolis and as slight as she is, she could probably flatten Viking with ease. He'd probably enjoy that coming from her. She is really beautiful.
Based on his effectiveness, McCoy will probably go on to become a general one day with perhaps a star or three. Who knows: Commandant? At 6'0" he may be too tall for that because the Marines seem to like guys 5'8" or thereabouts.
One thing about McCoy jumped out at me from the book. He was born on 21 June 1962, seventeen years to the day that my Dad was KIA at Okinawa. I would love to believe that he is my Dad reincarnate but I am satisfied that he is a US Marine who takes his job of defending America very seriously.
Darkside is not someone to mess with...and neither are his Marines. If I could somehow shed quite a few years and a few pounds too, I would do all that I could to serve with this band of brothers whose motto is Semper Fidelis and the lesser known Frater Aeternae. Always Faithful...Brothers Forever.
Ellie