thedrifter
04-24-07, 08:37 AM
BACK FROM IRAQ
STACY MILLBERG
Star Beacon
— JEFFERSON - - A simple black band engraved with the names of two men from U.S. Marine Corps Fox Company adorns the wrist of Lance Cpl. Dale Dunford II.
The two men, who were in the same company as Dunford, lost their lives in Iraq while Dunford was home recovering from nearly losing his own life. Just 10 days after Dunford was deployed, he was shot through his left shoulder by a sniper's bullet while providing security for another wounded Marine.
Dunford was given three months leave to recover, but after two months, opted to return to Iraq and rejoin his company in completing their mission. Now, seven months later, Dunford has completed his first tour and is glad to be home.
"I went back (early) for the Marines in my company," he said. "It didn't feel right for them to be there and I'm sure it didn't feel right for them to be fighting without me there."
During his recovery time, Dunford called Hawaii every week to check on the men in his company. Throughout the seven months, Dunford said 22 Marines and one sailor in his battalion were killed, some he knew very well.
Dunford, who is with the Second Battalion, Third Marine Division, Fox Company based in Kaneohe, Hawaii, said a lot has changed in Iraq from the time his company first got there.
When they first got to Iraq, Dunford said there were no children in the streets and there was no talk of civil affairs. All the police had been executed by insurgents. The lone police officer who had escaped execution was the one who fired the shot at Dunford.
His company's mission was to train Iraqi soldiers and keep the city peaceful. While Dunford was home for two months, he kept in touch with members of his company and could not believe the difference in stability when he returned to Iraq.
"My friend told me there were kids playing and I didn't believe him," he said. "When I got back, there were hundreds of kids playing soccer and volleyball. Kids weren't going to school when I left and now they are going."
Iraqi women no longer cover their faces, except for some of the older women who still abide by the custom, he said. The town Dunford's company was deployed to is Barwanah. It is now more structured and recently elected a mayor, he said.
"It went from a fire-fight every day when I first got there to only one incident of shooting within the last couple months we were there," Dunford said. "The people loved us there.
They loved us more than the Iraqi soldiers. They definitely trusted us by the end of our seven months there."
Dunford is home for about a month, spending his days working in the recruiting office. He is looking to get promoted to corporal as soon as possible and recruiting will help him in doing so, he said. After his leave, Dunford will return to Hawaii and begin training Marines fresh out of the School of Infantry (SOI) for their next deployment to Iraq.
Although he doesn't know when exactly he will return to Iraq, he does know a second tour is inevitable. Dunford joined the Marines as infantry and even after being shot, has no regrets.
"I knew when I signed up for infantry (getting wounded) was a possibility," he said. "It was my job. Personally, if you are going to join the Marines, (infantry) is the best way to serve your country."
- - STACY MILLBERG - Staff Writer
Ellie
STACY MILLBERG
Star Beacon
— JEFFERSON - - A simple black band engraved with the names of two men from U.S. Marine Corps Fox Company adorns the wrist of Lance Cpl. Dale Dunford II.
The two men, who were in the same company as Dunford, lost their lives in Iraq while Dunford was home recovering from nearly losing his own life. Just 10 days after Dunford was deployed, he was shot through his left shoulder by a sniper's bullet while providing security for another wounded Marine.
Dunford was given three months leave to recover, but after two months, opted to return to Iraq and rejoin his company in completing their mission. Now, seven months later, Dunford has completed his first tour and is glad to be home.
"I went back (early) for the Marines in my company," he said. "It didn't feel right for them to be there and I'm sure it didn't feel right for them to be fighting without me there."
During his recovery time, Dunford called Hawaii every week to check on the men in his company. Throughout the seven months, Dunford said 22 Marines and one sailor in his battalion were killed, some he knew very well.
Dunford, who is with the Second Battalion, Third Marine Division, Fox Company based in Kaneohe, Hawaii, said a lot has changed in Iraq from the time his company first got there.
When they first got to Iraq, Dunford said there were no children in the streets and there was no talk of civil affairs. All the police had been executed by insurgents. The lone police officer who had escaped execution was the one who fired the shot at Dunford.
His company's mission was to train Iraqi soldiers and keep the city peaceful. While Dunford was home for two months, he kept in touch with members of his company and could not believe the difference in stability when he returned to Iraq.
"My friend told me there were kids playing and I didn't believe him," he said. "When I got back, there were hundreds of kids playing soccer and volleyball. Kids weren't going to school when I left and now they are going."
Iraqi women no longer cover their faces, except for some of the older women who still abide by the custom, he said. The town Dunford's company was deployed to is Barwanah. It is now more structured and recently elected a mayor, he said.
"It went from a fire-fight every day when I first got there to only one incident of shooting within the last couple months we were there," Dunford said. "The people loved us there.
They loved us more than the Iraqi soldiers. They definitely trusted us by the end of our seven months there."
Dunford is home for about a month, spending his days working in the recruiting office. He is looking to get promoted to corporal as soon as possible and recruiting will help him in doing so, he said. After his leave, Dunford will return to Hawaii and begin training Marines fresh out of the School of Infantry (SOI) for their next deployment to Iraq.
Although he doesn't know when exactly he will return to Iraq, he does know a second tour is inevitable. Dunford joined the Marines as infantry and even after being shot, has no regrets.
"I knew when I signed up for infantry (getting wounded) was a possibility," he said. "It was my job. Personally, if you are going to join the Marines, (infantry) is the best way to serve your country."
- - STACY MILLBERG - Staff Writer
Ellie