thedrifter
12-09-06, 07:10 AM
In Florissant, the brotherhood of Marines
By Harry Levins
POST-DISPATCH SENIOR WRITER
Saturday, Dec. 09 2006
For the Garveys of Florissant, the war in Iraq is a family affair. The front
window of their home displays a service flag with three stars:
— One for Marine Cpl. Josh Garvey, 25. He rolled into Iraq when the war began
in March 2003 and kept rolling through Baghdad into Tikrit.
— One for Marine Cpl. Drew Garvey, 22. He spent seven months in 2004 in the
touchy province of Anbar, just west of Baghdad.
— One for Marine Lance Cpl. Matt Garvey, 27, who has been in restless Fallujah
since last fall.
If you're anything like me, you're assuming that the brothers followed a family
tradition by following their father into the Marine Corps.
Wrong. Their father — Rick Garvey, 54 — never spent a day in uniform.
"When I was 18, they had a draft lottery," says the senior Garvey. "I was born
in a leap year, 1952. And when they drew the number for my birthday, it was
No. 366," putting him beyond the reach of the draft.
Even so, son Josh Garvey joined the Marines in 2000. His mother, Vicky Garvey,
says that from boyhood, he'd had a bent toward military ways. "From the time he
was little," she says, "he was GI Joe for Halloween."
Next to go was Drew Garvey. He joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 2002 and
still drills on weekends at Lambert Field.
"I saw what the Marines had done for my brother," he says. "They gave him
self-confidence and poise." Now, Drew Garvey has no regrets. He says, "I'm glad
it led me to where it did — to maturity and to the experiences I've had."
Naturally, Matt Garvey followed suit, joining the Marine Corps Reserve early
last year.
He told his mother he was bringing someone home to meet her.
"I was sure it was the girl of his dreams," she says. "Instead, it was the
Marine recruiter."
Vicky Garvey had already held her breath through two Iraq tours. She snapped at
Matt, "You can't do this to me — I'm not going through this again."
But in the end, she says, she and her husband "decided we had to support Matt,
the way we did the other two."
Does her parental pride outweigh her maternal anxiety?
"The truth is," she says, "they carry equal weight and can't be separated.
"One day, I can be more proud because we've received an e-mail from Matt,
talking about he's doing in Iraq.
"Then, on another day, I'm more anxious because we haven't heard from him for a
while."
Still, she says: "Two have come home. I'm sure this one will, too."
Ellie
By Harry Levins
POST-DISPATCH SENIOR WRITER
Saturday, Dec. 09 2006
For the Garveys of Florissant, the war in Iraq is a family affair. The front
window of their home displays a service flag with three stars:
— One for Marine Cpl. Josh Garvey, 25. He rolled into Iraq when the war began
in March 2003 and kept rolling through Baghdad into Tikrit.
— One for Marine Cpl. Drew Garvey, 22. He spent seven months in 2004 in the
touchy province of Anbar, just west of Baghdad.
— One for Marine Lance Cpl. Matt Garvey, 27, who has been in restless Fallujah
since last fall.
If you're anything like me, you're assuming that the brothers followed a family
tradition by following their father into the Marine Corps.
Wrong. Their father — Rick Garvey, 54 — never spent a day in uniform.
"When I was 18, they had a draft lottery," says the senior Garvey. "I was born
in a leap year, 1952. And when they drew the number for my birthday, it was
No. 366," putting him beyond the reach of the draft.
Even so, son Josh Garvey joined the Marines in 2000. His mother, Vicky Garvey,
says that from boyhood, he'd had a bent toward military ways. "From the time he
was little," she says, "he was GI Joe for Halloween."
Next to go was Drew Garvey. He joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 2002 and
still drills on weekends at Lambert Field.
"I saw what the Marines had done for my brother," he says. "They gave him
self-confidence and poise." Now, Drew Garvey has no regrets. He says, "I'm glad
it led me to where it did — to maturity and to the experiences I've had."
Naturally, Matt Garvey followed suit, joining the Marine Corps Reserve early
last year.
He told his mother he was bringing someone home to meet her.
"I was sure it was the girl of his dreams," she says. "Instead, it was the
Marine recruiter."
Vicky Garvey had already held her breath through two Iraq tours. She snapped at
Matt, "You can't do this to me — I'm not going through this again."
But in the end, she says, she and her husband "decided we had to support Matt,
the way we did the other two."
Does her parental pride outweigh her maternal anxiety?
"The truth is," she says, "they carry equal weight and can't be separated.
"One day, I can be more proud because we've received an e-mail from Matt,
talking about he's doing in Iraq.
"Then, on another day, I'm more anxious because we haven't heard from him for a
while."
Still, she says: "Two have come home. I'm sure this one will, too."
Ellie