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thedrifter
04-15-07, 06:31 AM
Article published Apr 15, 2007
'A close family'
Marines gather with kin after change of command ceremony and Purple Heart presentation.

PABLO ROS
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Marines with South Bend's Company B relaxed on Saturday at the St. Joseph County 4-H Fairgrounds, during a "Family Day" event that followed a change of command ceremony and the award of a military decoration.

Cpl. Cory Shepherd received a Purple Heart, awarded to those wounded or killed while serving in the U.S. military.

Shepherd, of Albany, Ind., was wounded in both legs by enemy fire in late February, 20 days before his unit was scheduled to leave Iraq.

Company B returned home on March 24 after serving in Iraq for seven months. Saturday's event was to celebrate the Marines' return and spend time together with their families, said Maj. Celeste Ross, a spokeswoman for the unit.The Marine Corps itself is like a family, said Company B's Maj. Mark Boone. And the families of Marines share a special bond because their loved ones were away.

"The hard part is staying back here," said Boone, who is from Medford, Ore., and has an 8-year-old son.

Saturday's indoor activities included a meal, karaoke, a clown, two bands and the raffle of two Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Games of football and volleyball were canceled because of the cool weather.

During a change of command ceremony, Boone said goodbye to his troops.

"You have become the pinnacle of my career," Boone told the 100 or so Marines. "You did everything I asked you to. ... And you met every one of my expectations."Boone was going back home to his family on Saturday.

Maj. Jon Quehl, of Decatur, Ill., took over command of the unit, which has been to Iraq twice. Quehl said he will train with the unit here.

Master Sgt. Charles D. Daily, of Creston, Iowa, was promoted to Master Gunnery Sgt. during the ceremony. After another week with Company B, he is moving to North Carolina, where he'll continue to serve on active duty.

South Bend Mayor Stephen Luecke and U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-2nd, thanked the Marines for their service. Luecke awarded the Key to the City of South Bend to the parents of Cpl. Aaron Seal, of Elkhart, who was killed in Iraq in 2006.

"It's an honor," said Seal's mother, Lori Dunn. "We're really proud to be a part of this community."Samuel Alameda, a retired Marine who helped organize Saturday's event, said $15,000 of the proceeds from the event would go to the Cpl. Aaron Seal Scholarship Foundation. The details of the scholarship are still being worked out, he said.

While Company B may never return to Iraq, some Marines hope to.

"It just feels like I'm making a difference," Shepherd said. "A lot of guys are volunteering to go back."

Shepherd said he's mostly recovered from his injuries, the result of a bullet that pierced both his legs but missed bone and muscle.

"I felt it go through, but it didn't hurt. I wasn't bleeding," he said.Shepherd's parents said it was tough when they learned of their son's injuries.

"You never want to get a phone call like that," said his mother, Angela Shepherd. "He's healing and doing fine. We're very proud of him."

While a few said their goodbyes, most of Company B's members and their families will continue to stay in touch.

"We're a close family," Dunn said. "I'm sure we'll always stay in touch."

Staff writer Pablo Ros:
pros@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6357

Ellie