thedrifter
10-26-06, 07:13 AM
THE WAR: Ridgefield welcomes home four Marine veterans of Iraq
Oct 26, 2006
The guys are home. Safe.
After seven months in Iraq, four young Marines from Ridgefield arrived back in the U.S.A. last week. Their families said that the four — Corporal Anthony Ippoliti, Lance Corporal Frederick ‘Erick’ Lohse, Lance Corporal Juan Ocampos and Lance Corporal Jon Olbrych — were due back in Connecticut last night, Wednesday, Oct. 25.
The four Marines and their fellow-reservists with the First Battalion, 25th Marine Division, Company C, out of Plainville, were scheduled to fly in from Camp Pendleton in California and land at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Mass.
Plans were for their bus to have a grand police escort down Interstate 91 to Hartford, where they’d all get a handshake from the governor and be greeted by their families.
Governor M. Jodi Rell planned to be at the Hartford Armory with the families to greet the Marines. But any extended speaking she might do would be to families as they waited for Marines to arrive.
“The governor, she’s kind of sweet,” Kenn Olbrych, father of Lance Corporal Olbrych, said. “...She doesn’t want to take away any time from the homecoming — to get them to together with their loved ones. But she just asked if she could shake each Marine’s hand, and thank them.”
Ridgefield is also planning to put on its best for the Marines’ homecoming.
“We’re putting all the flags out,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said. “...They’ll be out along Main Street in anticipation of the arrival of the four young Marines, welcoming them home to Ridgefield. This would be in addition to the posters and yellow ribbons.”
The four will be invited to the town’s Veterans Day ceremony, in front of the Community Center at 11 on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 11 — though it’s not clear yet whether they’ll all be able to attend.
“All of Ridgefield is very proud of these four young men and their efforts in defending our country and promoting peace throughout the world,” Mr. Marconi said.
Social studies teacher Michael Settani said the four were expected to be among the guests — which will include perhaps 100 older veterans — at the Nov. 9 Veterans Day ceremonies at East Ridge Middle School, where Lance Corporal Lohse’s mother, Barbara, is a health teacher.
Posters and ribbons
The posters and yellow ribbons Mr. Marconi spoke of are part of a town-wide effort being organized by two Ridgefielders, Diane Johnson and Chris Murray.
“Let’s give these fellows a homecoming that reflects the kind of community spirit that makes Ridgefield a special place to call home,” Ms. Johnson said in a letter this week.
“On Thursday, fly your flags, put up a yellow ribbon, and keep those flags flying through Veteran’s Day as a way of saying thank you — not only to these fine Americans and those who continue to serve — but to all who have served our nation.”
The signs and ribbons haven’t gone unappreciated.
“We’re excited, the town looks great,” Kenn Olbrych said.
“I was just driving on Ivy Hill Road and there was a man making a big sign for the boys,” said Barbara Lohse. “I was so touched by his kindness and recognition of the boys.”
‘Our Marines’
One of the biggest signs is a banner in front of the tall Victorian a short way out of town on North Salem Road — the home Ed and Marcia Ippoliti, parents of Corporal Anthony Ippoliti.
“Anthony, Erick, Jon and Juan — Our Marines are coming home!!!” reads the banner in the front yard. Behind, hanging from the front porch beside an American flag is another that says, “Welcome home Anthony, we love you.”
For family members, it’s a huge relief to have the Marines back.
“Great news,” Marcia Ippoliti said.
Families closely followed when the Marines left Fallujah, when they got to Kuwait, and they’d known for a couple of weeks they’d be home soon. But Mrs. Ippoliti vividly remembered a phone call from her son very briefly early last week, when they first arrived back in the U.S.
“He called when they landed in Maine, that was last Tuesday, the 17th,” she said. “They had flown from Kuwait to Germany to Maine, where they just refueled and out to Camp Pendleton in San Diego.”
In California they had a week-long debriefing.
Veterans Day plans
American Legion commander Bob Tulipani said the organizers of Veterans Day ceremonies wanted to pay tribute to these combat veterans, fresh from a war zone, and hoped they could attend the Nov. 11 ceremony.
The town and veterans groups want to “honor them for their service to our country, to us,” he said.
Plans for the Veterans Day ceremony include patriotic songs from Sabrina Seidman, readings, the laying of a wreath on the Veterans monument, some words from Mr. Marconi, and a keynote address by veteran corpsman Jim Connelly.
Five years!
The families of the four Ridgefield Marines were all up in Plainville last Thursday, hearing about plans for the homecoming of Charlie Company, First Battalion, 25th Marines.
“They’ll be home for the weekend and then they have to report back to Plainville for three days on Monday, and I think they’re done after that,” Kenn Olbrych said.
The four Marines would then return to the traditional of duties of reservists — going for training one weekend a month.
Mr. Olbrych said the families got one very welcome bit of news.
“They also told us on Thursday that Company C as a company cannot be deployed for another five years,” Mr. Olbrych said. “That was the best news.”
The unit had been deployed to Iraq in 2003 — before the Ridgefielders were part of it — and then got shipped out again in 2005.
There are rules governing the frequency that reserve units may be deployed overseas. “The first one is a two-year increment, and the next one is a five-year increment,” Mr. Olbrych said.
“That brought the biggest cheers,” he said.
The First Battalion 25th Marines were replaced in Fallujah by the First Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, based in Detroit — also reservists, mostly from the midwest.
Sadness
The homecoming is a happy occasion for both families and members of Charlie Company, but it is not without sadness.
“The whole Battalion, which is about 1,000 guys, has had 11 killed,” Marcia Ippoliti said. “Four in Charlie Company.”
“It’s been a rough seven months,” Ed Ippoliti said.
Ellie
Oct 26, 2006
The guys are home. Safe.
After seven months in Iraq, four young Marines from Ridgefield arrived back in the U.S.A. last week. Their families said that the four — Corporal Anthony Ippoliti, Lance Corporal Frederick ‘Erick’ Lohse, Lance Corporal Juan Ocampos and Lance Corporal Jon Olbrych — were due back in Connecticut last night, Wednesday, Oct. 25.
The four Marines and their fellow-reservists with the First Battalion, 25th Marine Division, Company C, out of Plainville, were scheduled to fly in from Camp Pendleton in California and land at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Mass.
Plans were for their bus to have a grand police escort down Interstate 91 to Hartford, where they’d all get a handshake from the governor and be greeted by their families.
Governor M. Jodi Rell planned to be at the Hartford Armory with the families to greet the Marines. But any extended speaking she might do would be to families as they waited for Marines to arrive.
“The governor, she’s kind of sweet,” Kenn Olbrych, father of Lance Corporal Olbrych, said. “...She doesn’t want to take away any time from the homecoming — to get them to together with their loved ones. But she just asked if she could shake each Marine’s hand, and thank them.”
Ridgefield is also planning to put on its best for the Marines’ homecoming.
“We’re putting all the flags out,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said. “...They’ll be out along Main Street in anticipation of the arrival of the four young Marines, welcoming them home to Ridgefield. This would be in addition to the posters and yellow ribbons.”
The four will be invited to the town’s Veterans Day ceremony, in front of the Community Center at 11 on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 11 — though it’s not clear yet whether they’ll all be able to attend.
“All of Ridgefield is very proud of these four young men and their efforts in defending our country and promoting peace throughout the world,” Mr. Marconi said.
Social studies teacher Michael Settani said the four were expected to be among the guests — which will include perhaps 100 older veterans — at the Nov. 9 Veterans Day ceremonies at East Ridge Middle School, where Lance Corporal Lohse’s mother, Barbara, is a health teacher.
Posters and ribbons
The posters and yellow ribbons Mr. Marconi spoke of are part of a town-wide effort being organized by two Ridgefielders, Diane Johnson and Chris Murray.
“Let’s give these fellows a homecoming that reflects the kind of community spirit that makes Ridgefield a special place to call home,” Ms. Johnson said in a letter this week.
“On Thursday, fly your flags, put up a yellow ribbon, and keep those flags flying through Veteran’s Day as a way of saying thank you — not only to these fine Americans and those who continue to serve — but to all who have served our nation.”
The signs and ribbons haven’t gone unappreciated.
“We’re excited, the town looks great,” Kenn Olbrych said.
“I was just driving on Ivy Hill Road and there was a man making a big sign for the boys,” said Barbara Lohse. “I was so touched by his kindness and recognition of the boys.”
‘Our Marines’
One of the biggest signs is a banner in front of the tall Victorian a short way out of town on North Salem Road — the home Ed and Marcia Ippoliti, parents of Corporal Anthony Ippoliti.
“Anthony, Erick, Jon and Juan — Our Marines are coming home!!!” reads the banner in the front yard. Behind, hanging from the front porch beside an American flag is another that says, “Welcome home Anthony, we love you.”
For family members, it’s a huge relief to have the Marines back.
“Great news,” Marcia Ippoliti said.
Families closely followed when the Marines left Fallujah, when they got to Kuwait, and they’d known for a couple of weeks they’d be home soon. But Mrs. Ippoliti vividly remembered a phone call from her son very briefly early last week, when they first arrived back in the U.S.
“He called when they landed in Maine, that was last Tuesday, the 17th,” she said. “They had flown from Kuwait to Germany to Maine, where they just refueled and out to Camp Pendleton in San Diego.”
In California they had a week-long debriefing.
Veterans Day plans
American Legion commander Bob Tulipani said the organizers of Veterans Day ceremonies wanted to pay tribute to these combat veterans, fresh from a war zone, and hoped they could attend the Nov. 11 ceremony.
The town and veterans groups want to “honor them for their service to our country, to us,” he said.
Plans for the Veterans Day ceremony include patriotic songs from Sabrina Seidman, readings, the laying of a wreath on the Veterans monument, some words from Mr. Marconi, and a keynote address by veteran corpsman Jim Connelly.
Five years!
The families of the four Ridgefield Marines were all up in Plainville last Thursday, hearing about plans for the homecoming of Charlie Company, First Battalion, 25th Marines.
“They’ll be home for the weekend and then they have to report back to Plainville for three days on Monday, and I think they’re done after that,” Kenn Olbrych said.
The four Marines would then return to the traditional of duties of reservists — going for training one weekend a month.
Mr. Olbrych said the families got one very welcome bit of news.
“They also told us on Thursday that Company C as a company cannot be deployed for another five years,” Mr. Olbrych said. “That was the best news.”
The unit had been deployed to Iraq in 2003 — before the Ridgefielders were part of it — and then got shipped out again in 2005.
There are rules governing the frequency that reserve units may be deployed overseas. “The first one is a two-year increment, and the next one is a five-year increment,” Mr. Olbrych said.
“That brought the biggest cheers,” he said.
The First Battalion 25th Marines were replaced in Fallujah by the First Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, based in Detroit — also reservists, mostly from the midwest.
Sadness
The homecoming is a happy occasion for both families and members of Charlie Company, but it is not without sadness.
“The whole Battalion, which is about 1,000 guys, has had 11 killed,” Marcia Ippoliti said. “Four in Charlie Company.”
“It’s been a rough seven months,” Ed Ippoliti said.
Ellie