thedrifter
12-07-06, 08:46 AM
Infantry Marines Immortalize Two Fallen 'Brothers' with Mural
by Cpl. Ray Lewis
First Sgt. Scott D. Reeves had enough.
After two of his Marines were killed in combat, he was set on preserving the memory of his Marines.
"I just didn't want their presence and image to fade from our memories," said Reeves, first sergeant for Weapons Company.
The 43 year old from Petersburg, Va., wanted to do something; he just didn't know what.
Then one morning Reeves saw an old duty, rusty sign behind his hooch. The three-by-six-foot steel sign commanded attention from the six-foot, 248-pound barrel-chested Marine who is usually the one with the "awesome command presence," he said.
Reeves looked at the sign and said, "We need to do something."
He then ordered his police sergeant, Sgt. Christopher Ellison, to bring the sign close to the company office.
Reeves then busted through his company office hatch and said to his two Marines on duty, "Here's a sign, and this is what we're going to do!"
Reeves wanted his troops, then-Lance Cpl. Ryan A. Parker and Cpl. Cole B. Dalton, to paint something to represent their fallen Marines and their company on the old sign.
"I said, 'Roger that, first sergeant,'" said Parker with Weapons Company.
The 20 year old was eager because he already had a thought in his head.
"I was pretty excited," said Parker, or "Sticky P," as his fellow Marines call him. "I don't usually get to do my art and display it for this big of a crowd."
Parker had lots of classes in high school, and it was his biggest hobby until he joined the Marine Corps.
However, Parker didn't completely drop his sketchpad.
"I would sketch all the time in 2005 during last deployment," Parker said.
Dalton was thrilled too. He was in involved in art in high school but hasn't painted something this big scale.
"I've never really painted on something this big before," said Dalton, who is known as "King Cole" by the Marines in his company.
Regardless, they were up for the challenge.
"I got some pictures," Parker told Dalton. "We just need to arrange them in a way that they're going to fit in the best way possible."
Then the two got to work "Whenever we had some free time on post," said Dalton, a radio operator with Weapons Company.
However, the two spent most of their time waiting for more paint to come in from Parker's mom in the states to paint the rest of the massive mural.
Then after two months of waiting and painting, the mural was completed. The Marines were satisfied.
Parker said when his Marines first staked the sign in their company area people said nothing but good things.
"The mural depicts the Marines well," said Lance Cpl. Micah Siani, a mortarman with Weapons Company. "It keeps their memory alive in the battalion forever."
The 21 year old from Charlestown, N.H., believes when Marines walk past the portraits they'll see what the two Marines sacrificed.
"It hit me hard," said Lance Cpl. Jeffrey D. Morgan, a mortarman from Weapons Company and best friend of Lance Cpl. Wolfe.
The 19 year old from Ellington, Conn., said seeing the painting made him realize what Wolfe meant to him, Weapons Company and 3/2."
"It was amazing," said Lance Cpl. Tony Wan, a TOW gunner with Weapons Company.
"I actually thought that I was seeing them again."
The 19 year old from Flushing, N.Y., said the mural captured the two fallen Marines exactly.
"Wolfe always was smiling," Wan said. "Weimortz had that look, dedicated, determined. It reminds me they'll always be with us."
The sign is so special to the Marines Reeves wants to put it in front of the company area in Camp Lejuene, N.C., said Sgt. Richard D. Vergara, a 24-year-old vehicle commander with Weapons Company, who is from Smithtown, N.Y.
"First sergeant is set about taking it back to the states," Vergara said. "He said, 'It's going back to the states even if we have to cut the legs off.'"
It's just Reeves' way of showing all of his Marines in his company that he's not going to forget the Marines' two fallen brothers.
Although the Marines were different, they were similar in their courage while they served with the company's Combined Anti-Armor Team, Reeves said.
"What I'm trying to say is a Marine's courage is immeasurable," Reeves said. "There's no way anyone can see a man's courage unless you come out to Iraq and ride with that CAAT section."
judythpiazza@gmail.com
Ellie
by Cpl. Ray Lewis
First Sgt. Scott D. Reeves had enough.
After two of his Marines were killed in combat, he was set on preserving the memory of his Marines.
"I just didn't want their presence and image to fade from our memories," said Reeves, first sergeant for Weapons Company.
The 43 year old from Petersburg, Va., wanted to do something; he just didn't know what.
Then one morning Reeves saw an old duty, rusty sign behind his hooch. The three-by-six-foot steel sign commanded attention from the six-foot, 248-pound barrel-chested Marine who is usually the one with the "awesome command presence," he said.
Reeves looked at the sign and said, "We need to do something."
He then ordered his police sergeant, Sgt. Christopher Ellison, to bring the sign close to the company office.
Reeves then busted through his company office hatch and said to his two Marines on duty, "Here's a sign, and this is what we're going to do!"
Reeves wanted his troops, then-Lance Cpl. Ryan A. Parker and Cpl. Cole B. Dalton, to paint something to represent their fallen Marines and their company on the old sign.
"I said, 'Roger that, first sergeant,'" said Parker with Weapons Company.
The 20 year old was eager because he already had a thought in his head.
"I was pretty excited," said Parker, or "Sticky P," as his fellow Marines call him. "I don't usually get to do my art and display it for this big of a crowd."
Parker had lots of classes in high school, and it was his biggest hobby until he joined the Marine Corps.
However, Parker didn't completely drop his sketchpad.
"I would sketch all the time in 2005 during last deployment," Parker said.
Dalton was thrilled too. He was in involved in art in high school but hasn't painted something this big scale.
"I've never really painted on something this big before," said Dalton, who is known as "King Cole" by the Marines in his company.
Regardless, they were up for the challenge.
"I got some pictures," Parker told Dalton. "We just need to arrange them in a way that they're going to fit in the best way possible."
Then the two got to work "Whenever we had some free time on post," said Dalton, a radio operator with Weapons Company.
However, the two spent most of their time waiting for more paint to come in from Parker's mom in the states to paint the rest of the massive mural.
Then after two months of waiting and painting, the mural was completed. The Marines were satisfied.
Parker said when his Marines first staked the sign in their company area people said nothing but good things.
"The mural depicts the Marines well," said Lance Cpl. Micah Siani, a mortarman with Weapons Company. "It keeps their memory alive in the battalion forever."
The 21 year old from Charlestown, N.H., believes when Marines walk past the portraits they'll see what the two Marines sacrificed.
"It hit me hard," said Lance Cpl. Jeffrey D. Morgan, a mortarman from Weapons Company and best friend of Lance Cpl. Wolfe.
The 19 year old from Ellington, Conn., said seeing the painting made him realize what Wolfe meant to him, Weapons Company and 3/2."
"It was amazing," said Lance Cpl. Tony Wan, a TOW gunner with Weapons Company.
"I actually thought that I was seeing them again."
The 19 year old from Flushing, N.Y., said the mural captured the two fallen Marines exactly.
"Wolfe always was smiling," Wan said. "Weimortz had that look, dedicated, determined. It reminds me they'll always be with us."
The sign is so special to the Marines Reeves wants to put it in front of the company area in Camp Lejuene, N.C., said Sgt. Richard D. Vergara, a 24-year-old vehicle commander with Weapons Company, who is from Smithtown, N.Y.
"First sergeant is set about taking it back to the states," Vergara said. "He said, 'It's going back to the states even if we have to cut the legs off.'"
It's just Reeves' way of showing all of his Marines in his company that he's not going to forget the Marines' two fallen brothers.
Although the Marines were different, they were similar in their courage while they served with the company's Combined Anti-Armor Team, Reeves said.
"What I'm trying to say is a Marine's courage is immeasurable," Reeves said. "There's no way anyone can see a man's courage unless you come out to Iraq and ride with that CAAT section."
judythpiazza@gmail.com
Ellie