thedrifter
12-27-06, 02:58 PM
Family Keepsakes Help Ease Iraq Deployment
by Cpl. Ray Lewis
Marines here say being away from their families for seven months can definitely make their life difficult.
Thankfully, some have family heirlooms to help smooth out those rough days without their relatives.
One Marine keeps a wristwatch to help him through hard times.
"My daddy had this watch," said Lance Cpl. Joseph F. Voellm, a rifleman with I Company. "Then my daddy gave me this watch right before I deployed. There's nothing really special about this watch. It's just a six-dollar Casio calculator stop watch."
The 19-year-old assistant gunner from Alexandria, Va., said it's not about what it's worth though; it's the thought.
"I feel honored that my dad gave me his watch," Voellm said. "He had it all throughout his 20-year officer career in the Navy."
However, Voellm can't figure out why his dad chose him to hold the timepiece.
"I have a brother who is a staff sergeant in the Army, a brother that's a chief and a sister that's a Navy corpsman, but my dad gave it to me," he said. "It might be favoritism."
Voellm doesn't know really.
"I think it's because I went Marine," he laughed.
He does know it's important to hold on to his heirloom.
"If I lost it, I would probably be pretty depressed," he said.
It is because he doesn't feel the watch is his.
"I don't see it as mine," he said. "I see it as my dad's and my son's watch. It was passed from my dad, and I keep it for my son. When my son gets ready to deploy, I'll give it to him and on and on it will go."
He knows how important heirlooms are.
"These things mean a lot to people," Voellm said.
He actually found a fellow Marine's chain necklace.
"I didn't realize I lost it until a couple of days," said Lance Cpl. Matthew J. Paesani, a team leader with I Company.
The 20-year-old rifleman from Vandalia, Ohio, said when he did realize he lost it, his world crumbled.
"He was distraught, heartbroken, it was bad," Voellm said. "He was 'tripping' all over the place."
The chain has great sentimental value.
His grandmother got the necklace during World War II for his grandfather. He served as a Marine lieutenant.
"My grandpa wore it during WWII," Paesani said.
When Paesani's grandmother went to Italy to visit family, she got the necklace blessed by the Pope. After his grandfather died some years ago his grandmother sat Paesani down.
"She gave me all his Marine Corps stuff," Paesani said. "She gave me his bars and the others stuff he had. She started crying and hugged me. It was one of those hugs; she told me she loved me. She made me promise to wear it around my neck at all times. She wanted me to give it back to her so we can say it kept me safe through Iraq."
Losing it sent Paesani into a panic. He searched everywhere around the observation post.
"Every personal moment he had he was looking for it," Voellm said.
He even asked a few guys if they saw the chain. Thoughts were racing through Paesani's head.
"Man, she wants this back," he explained. "I didn't know what I was going to tell her."
Voellm said he didn't want to go home and tell his grandma about it. Paesani felt like he let his grandmother down.
"What was he going to say? He lost it in Iraq?" Voellm said.
By chance, Voellm found the necklace outside their OP.
"I found it under some dirt under a humvee," Voellm said.
When Voellm was closing the gate to the base, he saw something glimmer.
"He kicked up some dirt, and it was a coincidence he happened to look down at that time," Paesani said.
There the necklace was.
"When I found it his mood totally changed," Voellm said. "And he was happy."
Paesani said Voellm made his day.
"I was relieved," Paesani said. "I was glad to have it back."
Paesani doesn't want to lose the heirloom again. He makes sure it's in a safe place.
"Now I keep it tied down," Paesani said.
Another Marine here keeps an heirloom to keep him humble.
"My grandfather was a chess player," said Lance Cpl. Josh P. Stevens, a military working dog handler assigned to I Company. "He would be in International Chess tournaments."
The 22 year old from Ft. Worth, Texas, carved his grandfather a knight chess piece out of wood for his birthday and winning the tournament.
It would turn out to be his grandfather's last birthday.
His grandfather died of a heart attack at 69 some time later. His grandma gave the chess piece back to Stevens.
"I made it into a chain," he said. "I keep it with me to remind me of him and to keep his memory alive."
Ellie
by Cpl. Ray Lewis
Marines here say being away from their families for seven months can definitely make their life difficult.
Thankfully, some have family heirlooms to help smooth out those rough days without their relatives.
One Marine keeps a wristwatch to help him through hard times.
"My daddy had this watch," said Lance Cpl. Joseph F. Voellm, a rifleman with I Company. "Then my daddy gave me this watch right before I deployed. There's nothing really special about this watch. It's just a six-dollar Casio calculator stop watch."
The 19-year-old assistant gunner from Alexandria, Va., said it's not about what it's worth though; it's the thought.
"I feel honored that my dad gave me his watch," Voellm said. "He had it all throughout his 20-year officer career in the Navy."
However, Voellm can't figure out why his dad chose him to hold the timepiece.
"I have a brother who is a staff sergeant in the Army, a brother that's a chief and a sister that's a Navy corpsman, but my dad gave it to me," he said. "It might be favoritism."
Voellm doesn't know really.
"I think it's because I went Marine," he laughed.
He does know it's important to hold on to his heirloom.
"If I lost it, I would probably be pretty depressed," he said.
It is because he doesn't feel the watch is his.
"I don't see it as mine," he said. "I see it as my dad's and my son's watch. It was passed from my dad, and I keep it for my son. When my son gets ready to deploy, I'll give it to him and on and on it will go."
He knows how important heirlooms are.
"These things mean a lot to people," Voellm said.
He actually found a fellow Marine's chain necklace.
"I didn't realize I lost it until a couple of days," said Lance Cpl. Matthew J. Paesani, a team leader with I Company.
The 20-year-old rifleman from Vandalia, Ohio, said when he did realize he lost it, his world crumbled.
"He was distraught, heartbroken, it was bad," Voellm said. "He was 'tripping' all over the place."
The chain has great sentimental value.
His grandmother got the necklace during World War II for his grandfather. He served as a Marine lieutenant.
"My grandpa wore it during WWII," Paesani said.
When Paesani's grandmother went to Italy to visit family, she got the necklace blessed by the Pope. After his grandfather died some years ago his grandmother sat Paesani down.
"She gave me all his Marine Corps stuff," Paesani said. "She gave me his bars and the others stuff he had. She started crying and hugged me. It was one of those hugs; she told me she loved me. She made me promise to wear it around my neck at all times. She wanted me to give it back to her so we can say it kept me safe through Iraq."
Losing it sent Paesani into a panic. He searched everywhere around the observation post.
"Every personal moment he had he was looking for it," Voellm said.
He even asked a few guys if they saw the chain. Thoughts were racing through Paesani's head.
"Man, she wants this back," he explained. "I didn't know what I was going to tell her."
Voellm said he didn't want to go home and tell his grandma about it. Paesani felt like he let his grandmother down.
"What was he going to say? He lost it in Iraq?" Voellm said.
By chance, Voellm found the necklace outside their OP.
"I found it under some dirt under a humvee," Voellm said.
When Voellm was closing the gate to the base, he saw something glimmer.
"He kicked up some dirt, and it was a coincidence he happened to look down at that time," Paesani said.
There the necklace was.
"When I found it his mood totally changed," Voellm said. "And he was happy."
Paesani said Voellm made his day.
"I was relieved," Paesani said. "I was glad to have it back."
Paesani doesn't want to lose the heirloom again. He makes sure it's in a safe place.
"Now I keep it tied down," Paesani said.
Another Marine here keeps an heirloom to keep him humble.
"My grandfather was a chess player," said Lance Cpl. Josh P. Stevens, a military working dog handler assigned to I Company. "He would be in International Chess tournaments."
The 22 year old from Ft. Worth, Texas, carved his grandfather a knight chess piece out of wood for his birthday and winning the tournament.
It would turn out to be his grandfather's last birthday.
His grandfather died of a heart attack at 69 some time later. His grandma gave the chess piece back to Stevens.
"I made it into a chain," he said. "I keep it with me to remind me of him and to keep his memory alive."
Ellie