thedrifter
05-13-06, 03:39 PM
Farewells Made To Officer And Friend
By KEN BYRON
Courant Staff Writer
May 13 2006
WEST HARTFORD -- Some called him Brian, while others addressed him as sir. But for all who spoke at a memorial service on Friday for Marine Capt. Brian Letendre, he was a friend who led by example.
Letendre, 27, was killed in Iraq on May 3. The Virginia native lived in New Britain for about two years while he was the inspector-instructor for the Marine Reserve unit based in Plainville.
Letendre will be buried next week in Arlington National Cemetery, but those in Connecticut who knew Letendre wanted to say goodbye themselves. They organized Friday's service at the United Methodist Church, where Letendre and his wife were members. About 100 people attended, including church members, Marines and Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
"We needed to do this for ourselves," said Lt. Col. G.L. Larghe, who took over Letendre's position at the Reserve unit after Letendre was sent to Iraq.
People described a man who was eagerly embraced by those around him because he embraced them as well.
"From the moment [the Letendre family] stepped in here, they started reaching out to people and serving the church," said April Parsons, a parishioner at United Methodist, after the service. "You couldn't help but want to get to know them."
The Marines who worked under Letendre's command at the Reserve unit had a more formal relationship with him. But he still worked his way into their hearts.
"When Capt. Letendre died, the Marine Corps lost one of its best and brightest, Charlie Company lost its commanding officer and I lost a friend," Petty Officer Michael Mussett, the Reserve unit's medical corpsman, said at the service. Fighting back tears, Mussett described Letendre as an officer who set a good example.
"He had genuine concern and trust for the people in his command, and he made people bring their best to the table," Mussett said. "This was a commanding officer you wanted to follow."
Letendre is survived by his wife, Autumn Letendre, and their 3-year-old son, Dillon. They were not present at the service.
The service was a mix of eulogies, prayer and military ceremony. At the end, Larghe did a symbolic roll call, calling out the names of several Marines at the service who responded by shouting "Present." Then Larghe called Letendre's name several times, pausing for a response that did not come. Then Larghe stepped aside while taps was sounded.
Letendre joined the Marines in 2000 and was in his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed in combat in Al Anbar province. In Iraq, Letendre volunteered for a special unit that trained Iraqi soldiers.
In Plainville, Letendre oversaw the Reserve unit, called Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, and made sure it was ready for deployment. When the unit was sent to Iraq, he went also.
Speakers said on Friday that Letendre's work went well beyond the Reserve unit.
One of Letendre's tasks was working with the families of Marines from Connecticut who were killed. Leesa Philippon said she learned of Letendre's death only a few days before the one-year anniversary of when he had had to tell her that her son, Lance Cpl. Lawrence Philippon of West Hartford, had died. She said he did a difficult task with caring and compassion.
"Brian helped us carry the cross of our son's death and he left sunshine in all of our hearts," Philippon said.
An obituary provided by the family says memorial contributions can be made to the Dillon Letendre Trust Fund, c/o the Law Office of Michelle Jackson, 155 E. Market St., Suite 400, Indianapolis, IN 46204 or to the Brian S. Letendre Soccer Scholarship, Milligan College, P.O. Box 750, Milligan College, TN 37682.
Ellie
By KEN BYRON
Courant Staff Writer
May 13 2006
WEST HARTFORD -- Some called him Brian, while others addressed him as sir. But for all who spoke at a memorial service on Friday for Marine Capt. Brian Letendre, he was a friend who led by example.
Letendre, 27, was killed in Iraq on May 3. The Virginia native lived in New Britain for about two years while he was the inspector-instructor for the Marine Reserve unit based in Plainville.
Letendre will be buried next week in Arlington National Cemetery, but those in Connecticut who knew Letendre wanted to say goodbye themselves. They organized Friday's service at the United Methodist Church, where Letendre and his wife were members. About 100 people attended, including church members, Marines and Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
"We needed to do this for ourselves," said Lt. Col. G.L. Larghe, who took over Letendre's position at the Reserve unit after Letendre was sent to Iraq.
People described a man who was eagerly embraced by those around him because he embraced them as well.
"From the moment [the Letendre family] stepped in here, they started reaching out to people and serving the church," said April Parsons, a parishioner at United Methodist, after the service. "You couldn't help but want to get to know them."
The Marines who worked under Letendre's command at the Reserve unit had a more formal relationship with him. But he still worked his way into their hearts.
"When Capt. Letendre died, the Marine Corps lost one of its best and brightest, Charlie Company lost its commanding officer and I lost a friend," Petty Officer Michael Mussett, the Reserve unit's medical corpsman, said at the service. Fighting back tears, Mussett described Letendre as an officer who set a good example.
"He had genuine concern and trust for the people in his command, and he made people bring their best to the table," Mussett said. "This was a commanding officer you wanted to follow."
Letendre is survived by his wife, Autumn Letendre, and their 3-year-old son, Dillon. They were not present at the service.
The service was a mix of eulogies, prayer and military ceremony. At the end, Larghe did a symbolic roll call, calling out the names of several Marines at the service who responded by shouting "Present." Then Larghe called Letendre's name several times, pausing for a response that did not come. Then Larghe stepped aside while taps was sounded.
Letendre joined the Marines in 2000 and was in his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed in combat in Al Anbar province. In Iraq, Letendre volunteered for a special unit that trained Iraqi soldiers.
In Plainville, Letendre oversaw the Reserve unit, called Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, and made sure it was ready for deployment. When the unit was sent to Iraq, he went also.
Speakers said on Friday that Letendre's work went well beyond the Reserve unit.
One of Letendre's tasks was working with the families of Marines from Connecticut who were killed. Leesa Philippon said she learned of Letendre's death only a few days before the one-year anniversary of when he had had to tell her that her son, Lance Cpl. Lawrence Philippon of West Hartford, had died. She said he did a difficult task with caring and compassion.
"Brian helped us carry the cross of our son's death and he left sunshine in all of our hearts," Philippon said.
An obituary provided by the family says memorial contributions can be made to the Dillon Letendre Trust Fund, c/o the Law Office of Michelle Jackson, 155 E. Market St., Suite 400, Indianapolis, IN 46204 or to the Brian S. Letendre Soccer Scholarship, Milligan College, P.O. Box 750, Milligan College, TN 37682.
Ellie