thedrifter
09-13-06, 06:03 PM
Double duty
Cedar Vale twins in Iraq for second tour
By RHONDA ROSS
Traveler Staff Writer
On Sept. 9, Cpl Christopher and LCpl Chad McGathy of Cedar Vale were deployed to Iraq for their second tour. The 22-year-old identical twins served their first tour separately; this time they went together.
The twins' mother, Nellie McGathy, said yesterday, "We've already been through it once, but at least we had one of them home. Now that both are there at the same time, we've got two of them to worry about."
Someone else will be worrying as well.
Chad was married to LaTonya Ozbun, of Arkansas City, in July of this year. They have been together for three years, so they were apart during his first tour, Nellie McGathy said.
Chad and Christopher graduated from Cedar Vale High School in May 2003, and less than a week later they both joined the Marines, receiving 16 weeks of basic training at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, Calif. From there they were sent to Camp Lejeune in N. Carolina and then on to Iraq.
"Chad went over first," she said. Chad left for Iraq in Sept. 2004 and stayed until April 2005. While he was there, he was involved in the "overtake of Al Fallujah," she said.
Christopher was deployed in March 2005 and returned in Sept. 2005. His mother said he saw his share of heavy combat in Ar Rutba.
Their mother says she takes some comfort that the two are over there together. "They get along real well," she said. "They're typical brothers; they have their little arguments, but nobody picks on the other one."
Chad was born one minute before Christopher, and their mother said he lets his brother know it often.
"Chad pulls that all the time. He tells Christopher, 'I'm oldest,'" she said.
The twins share the kind of connection where they finish each other's sentences, Nellie said. She said that's not all they've shared, though.
"It's always been that when one of them got sick, the other would get sick with the same thing. It's ridiculous," she said.
The twins were born in Rose Hill and spent their first year and a half there before the family moved to California.
She added, in California, when one of the boys got sick and she took him to the doctor, he would automatically give her two prescriptions, because he knew the other one was coming down with it. "It's weird," she said.
After 10 years in California, the McGathys had several reasons to return to Kansas. Nellie said her husband Tommy was ready to retire and things were getting kind of rough in California anyway. And her mother, who still lived in Nellie's hometown of Cedar Vale, was in failing health, so here they are.
Nellie received an e-mail from the twins recently.
"They told me their phone service sucked, but they were both well and doing okay," she said. Chad is Senior Driver for his platoon, while Christopher is a Vehicle Commander.
She doesn't know exactly where they will be, and they don't either. They will not be stationed on a base, she said.
"They have phone cards, but they really can't utilize them. They're out in the middle of nowhere land. No electricity, no water; very rustic," Nellie said.
"It was that way when they were over there before," she said. "It was weeks before they could even come back to base to get a shower or anything." She said it was rough, but they managed to make it.
Since they're in the middle of nowhere, the only thing they have to look forward to each day is their mail. "They would welcome mail from anyone who wishes to write," she said.
For the next seven months, Nellie said she will stay close to her computer, hoping to hear from her boys. "They should be back in April," she said. "Their time's up in May."
She said the twins haven't quite decided if they're going to re-up or not. "They don't think they're going to," she said. "But who knows?"
Ellie
Cedar Vale twins in Iraq for second tour
By RHONDA ROSS
Traveler Staff Writer
On Sept. 9, Cpl Christopher and LCpl Chad McGathy of Cedar Vale were deployed to Iraq for their second tour. The 22-year-old identical twins served their first tour separately; this time they went together.
The twins' mother, Nellie McGathy, said yesterday, "We've already been through it once, but at least we had one of them home. Now that both are there at the same time, we've got two of them to worry about."
Someone else will be worrying as well.
Chad was married to LaTonya Ozbun, of Arkansas City, in July of this year. They have been together for three years, so they were apart during his first tour, Nellie McGathy said.
Chad and Christopher graduated from Cedar Vale High School in May 2003, and less than a week later they both joined the Marines, receiving 16 weeks of basic training at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, Calif. From there they were sent to Camp Lejeune in N. Carolina and then on to Iraq.
"Chad went over first," she said. Chad left for Iraq in Sept. 2004 and stayed until April 2005. While he was there, he was involved in the "overtake of Al Fallujah," she said.
Christopher was deployed in March 2005 and returned in Sept. 2005. His mother said he saw his share of heavy combat in Ar Rutba.
Their mother says she takes some comfort that the two are over there together. "They get along real well," she said. "They're typical brothers; they have their little arguments, but nobody picks on the other one."
Chad was born one minute before Christopher, and their mother said he lets his brother know it often.
"Chad pulls that all the time. He tells Christopher, 'I'm oldest,'" she said.
The twins share the kind of connection where they finish each other's sentences, Nellie said. She said that's not all they've shared, though.
"It's always been that when one of them got sick, the other would get sick with the same thing. It's ridiculous," she said.
The twins were born in Rose Hill and spent their first year and a half there before the family moved to California.
She added, in California, when one of the boys got sick and she took him to the doctor, he would automatically give her two prescriptions, because he knew the other one was coming down with it. "It's weird," she said.
After 10 years in California, the McGathys had several reasons to return to Kansas. Nellie said her husband Tommy was ready to retire and things were getting kind of rough in California anyway. And her mother, who still lived in Nellie's hometown of Cedar Vale, was in failing health, so here they are.
Nellie received an e-mail from the twins recently.
"They told me their phone service sucked, but they were both well and doing okay," she said. Chad is Senior Driver for his platoon, while Christopher is a Vehicle Commander.
She doesn't know exactly where they will be, and they don't either. They will not be stationed on a base, she said.
"They have phone cards, but they really can't utilize them. They're out in the middle of nowhere land. No electricity, no water; very rustic," Nellie said.
"It was that way when they were over there before," she said. "It was weeks before they could even come back to base to get a shower or anything." She said it was rough, but they managed to make it.
Since they're in the middle of nowhere, the only thing they have to look forward to each day is their mail. "They would welcome mail from anyone who wishes to write," she said.
For the next seven months, Nellie said she will stay close to her computer, hoping to hear from her boys. "They should be back in April," she said. "Their time's up in May."
She said the twins haven't quite decided if they're going to re-up or not. "They don't think they're going to," she said. "But who knows?"
Ellie