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thedrifter
03-18-07, 08:31 AM
Posted on Sun, Mar. 18, 2007
Marines have drive to attend funeral
Storm cancels flight in N.C., but they travel through night to be in Pa. to honor Dennis Veater.

EDWARD LEWIS elewis@timesleader.com

“God bless them. These Marines were determined to come home to see their brother.”
Ann Marie Roberts Volunteer

WYOMING – A canceled flight because of Friday’s snowstorm didn’t stop seven U.S. Marines from attending the funeral of Lance Cpl. Dennis J. Veater on Saturday.

The Marines were due to arrive at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport at 10 p.m. Friday, and shortly thereafter for a welcoming-home ceremony at the Marine Forces Reserve’s Wing Support Squadron 472, Wing Support Group 47, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing in Wyoming. The Marines were serving with Veater in Iraq and were supposed to return to their home base this week, but came home earlier.

But the snowstorm canceled their flight in North Carolina, and postponed the ceremony set up by Ann Marie Roberts, a volunteer who has been active in the Marines’ Toys for Tots campaign at Christmastime.

Determined to attend the funeral for Veater, the Marines – Joshua Bluch, Richard Deleon, Anthony Farraj, Thomas Howl, Timothy Wirth, Mathew Yingst, and John Zaginaylo – rented a car and drove 600 miles from Camp Lejeune overnight, arriving in Wyoming at 6:45 a.m. Saturday.

Yingst is from Forty Fort and Zaginaylo is from Berwick. The other Marines are from outside the area. All have the rank of lance corporal.

“Our Marines weren’t able to fly out of North Carolina so they rented a car and drove straight through in order to attend Veater’s funeral this morning,” Roberts said. “God bless them. These Marines were determined to come home to see their brother.”

Veater, 20, a Jessup native and a 2004 graduate of Abington Heights, was buried at the Valley View Cemetery in Montdale. He died March 9 in a military hospital in Fallujah, Iraq, from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar province, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Veater was set to marry his fiancée Angalene Snipes, 21, on May 26. Veater’s son, Dominick, is 14 months old.

“We did some research as far back as the Korean War, and found out that this young boy was the first Marine lost from the (Wyoming) reserve center,” Roberts said.

Veater and his unit were scheduled to return to the United States later this month. He was stationed in Iraq for seven months.

“He was a super kid; always had a kind word to say and a smile,” Roberts said of Veater.

Roberts and others spent much of Friday setting up the welcoming home ceremony by preparing food and decorating the reserve center’s gymnasium.

As the storm became more intense, Roberts said family members of the seven Marines were unable to make it to the ceremony.

Early Saturday morning, the seven Marines arrived at the reserve center and were joined by their parents. Roberts said the ceremony will include a parade in the borough sometime later this week.

“When they arrived, we had a little memorial inside. When we have the parade, I’ll be waving my flag,” Roberts said.
Edward Lewis, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7196.

Ellie