thedrifter
05-16-07, 06:43 AM
Marine gets big welcome home
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
By SUZANNE McLAUGHLIN
smclaughlin@repub.com
WILBRAHAM - Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin P. Gobeille Jr., 20, was welcomed home from Iraq by his parents, grandparents and four brothers.
Gobeille, who just completed a seven-month tour of duty in Iraq, was greeted at Bradley International Airport on Saturday by his family and a stretch limousine.
He was taken to Co-ed Billiards on Boston Road where the owner, Frank N. Bongiorni and his wife, Laurie, hosted a party for Gobeille. Frank Bongiorni is Gobeille's father's lifelong friend. The two grew up in Wilbraham.
Gobeille's parents are Kevin P. Sr. and Maureen T. Gobeille of 16 Brandlind Ave. The father said his son was "overwhelmed" by the party.
Gobeille joined the Marines after graduating from Minnechaug Regional High School in 2005. He is the family's fourth son and the first one to join the military. His younger brother, Kristopher R. Gobeille, 15, is a freshman at Minnechaug Regional High School.
Gobeille said he decided to join the Marines because "they're the best."
His father said he is "extraordinarily proud" of his son, although he tried to steer him to the Air Force or Navy with the hope that he would avoid direct combat.
"He was determined to be a Marine, so I had to support him 100 percent," his father said. "I am thankful that he has made it through."
Gobeille is home for three weeks before he returns to Palms, Calif., where he is stationed. He is halfway through his four-year hitch in the Marines. He said he could be redeployed to Iraq. For the past seven months, he has done foot patrols in the Al Anbar province along the Euphrates River.
He said he has no regrets about joining the Marines.
His father said his son may have been inspired to join the military by his maternal grandfather, Robert D. Bateson, an Air Force B17 bomber pilot in World War II who was a German prisoner of war.
"I'm pretty proud of him, for sure," Bateson said.
Kevin Gobeille Sr. is an Army Green Beret Vietnam-era veteran.
Maureen Gobeille said she is grateful that it was possible to keep in touch with her son by telephone and e-mail and that he would tell her ahead of time if he would not be able to call for two to three weeks.
In prior wars, it was only possible to keep in touch by letter, she said.
The Marine's brother, Matthew, 23, said he was not too worried about his brother.
"He's always been a strong guy," he said.
Gobeille said he made an 18-hour trip home from Kuwait to Germany to Maine to California before returning to Bradley Airport.
"It was a relief when he was on American soil," said his grandmother, Madeline F. Bateson.
"If you write about me, I want to acknowledge everybody in the military," Gobeille said. "People come home from Iraq everyday. I'm nothing special," he said.
His mother said, "I don't know what the future holds for my five sons. I'm just happy to have them all together right now."
Ellie
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
By SUZANNE McLAUGHLIN
smclaughlin@repub.com
WILBRAHAM - Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin P. Gobeille Jr., 20, was welcomed home from Iraq by his parents, grandparents and four brothers.
Gobeille, who just completed a seven-month tour of duty in Iraq, was greeted at Bradley International Airport on Saturday by his family and a stretch limousine.
He was taken to Co-ed Billiards on Boston Road where the owner, Frank N. Bongiorni and his wife, Laurie, hosted a party for Gobeille. Frank Bongiorni is Gobeille's father's lifelong friend. The two grew up in Wilbraham.
Gobeille's parents are Kevin P. Sr. and Maureen T. Gobeille of 16 Brandlind Ave. The father said his son was "overwhelmed" by the party.
Gobeille joined the Marines after graduating from Minnechaug Regional High School in 2005. He is the family's fourth son and the first one to join the military. His younger brother, Kristopher R. Gobeille, 15, is a freshman at Minnechaug Regional High School.
Gobeille said he decided to join the Marines because "they're the best."
His father said he is "extraordinarily proud" of his son, although he tried to steer him to the Air Force or Navy with the hope that he would avoid direct combat.
"He was determined to be a Marine, so I had to support him 100 percent," his father said. "I am thankful that he has made it through."
Gobeille is home for three weeks before he returns to Palms, Calif., where he is stationed. He is halfway through his four-year hitch in the Marines. He said he could be redeployed to Iraq. For the past seven months, he has done foot patrols in the Al Anbar province along the Euphrates River.
He said he has no regrets about joining the Marines.
His father said his son may have been inspired to join the military by his maternal grandfather, Robert D. Bateson, an Air Force B17 bomber pilot in World War II who was a German prisoner of war.
"I'm pretty proud of him, for sure," Bateson said.
Kevin Gobeille Sr. is an Army Green Beret Vietnam-era veteran.
Maureen Gobeille said she is grateful that it was possible to keep in touch with her son by telephone and e-mail and that he would tell her ahead of time if he would not be able to call for two to three weeks.
In prior wars, it was only possible to keep in touch by letter, she said.
The Marine's brother, Matthew, 23, said he was not too worried about his brother.
"He's always been a strong guy," he said.
Gobeille said he made an 18-hour trip home from Kuwait to Germany to Maine to California before returning to Bradley Airport.
"It was a relief when he was on American soil," said his grandmother, Madeline F. Bateson.
"If you write about me, I want to acknowledge everybody in the military," Gobeille said. "People come home from Iraq everyday. I'm nothing special," he said.
His mother said, "I don't know what the future holds for my five sons. I'm just happy to have them all together right now."
Ellie