thedrifter
05-28-07, 09:21 AM
Monday, May 28, 2007
Marine: Recall troops' sacrifices
Holiday clichés belie acts of heroism
By Anthony Licari
For the Poughkeepsie Journal
I grew up with a healthy respect for veterans. My grandfather, Roy Licari, and father, Roy Jr., were combat veterans of World War II and Vietnam respectively - two very different wars, as we all know. No matter which war you served in, its experiences will never leave you.
This weekend you probably heard a lot of speeches peppered with some of the most tired clichés imaginable.
Don't pay them much mind, but reflect on the sacrifices of those who are no longer with us. Read about Cpl. Jason Dunham (born in 1981), the Medal of Honor Marine who jumped on a grenade to save his fellow Marines' lives in Iraq. Remember him.
When I was a kid, I remember my father talking about his Vietnam War friends. He didn't talk much about the war itself. He had pictures of his buddies on the wall downstairs, both the living and the dead.
A time of chaos
Since I was born in 1976, I have no recollection of the war or the chaos that consumed America at the time. From what I hear, I didn't miss much.
But as I grew older, I wanted to know more about war and what it entailed. The first thing my father told me was "don't watch war movies, they're all nonsense," or words to that effect.
He was right until 1998 when Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan'' became the first movie to somewhat accurately portray combat. "Saving Private Ryan'' revealed the graphic nature of battle and the fundamental truth about war - good young men and women die well before their time has come.
I'm pretty sure you've never heard of these two soldiers - Warrant Officer Roy Y. Shinkawa of Honolulu and Spc. 4th Class Gregory S. Morgan of Atlanta. They died in Vietnam 36 years ago and they would have turned 60 this month. My father served with these men and they were his friends. He would talk about them every once in awhile, but I only knew them by their surnames.
A few years back, I did some digging and found out a little more about them. Their names are inscribed on Panel 4W of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington. We lost nearly 59,000 Americans in Vietnam, and I didn't want these soldiers to be forgotten as we roll into another Memorial Day weekend. When I get home from Iraq, I'll visit the "Wall" to say hello and remember their sacrifices.
This month, the Marine Corps lost a legend. Maj. Doug Zembiec was killed in action while executing a raid in Baghdad.
Zembiec was a few years ahead of me at the Naval Academy, where he was a nationally ranked wrestler. Even before the global war on terror, he was a legendary leader of Marines.
any
I've only met a handful of officers atrank who could fill Major Zembiec's boots. He was that good. We couldn't afford to lose him, but we did - nd he wasn't replaceable.
The same goes for Capt. James C. Edge, who was killed by small arms fire in Ramadi in April 2005. Jamie and I were lieutenants together in Camp Le-jeune, N.C. He had a bright future ahead of him and a wonderful family. Although Zembiec and Edge are no longer with us, I will remember them this weekend.
Like my grandfather and father, I have a sharp appreciation for America's greatness and the acute understanding that war takes a lot more than it gives.
So from all of us in this war to all the veterans who came before us, we too know the sound of the guns and the medical helicopters overhead, and what it feels like to lose our friends. More importantly, we remember your sacrifices and we couldn't forget even if we tried.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Anthony Licari, who grew up in Fishkill, writes from Fallujah, Iraq, where he works for the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned. He is on his second tour of duty in Iraq. You can read his blog at www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/blogs
Ellie
Marine: Recall troops' sacrifices
Holiday clichés belie acts of heroism
By Anthony Licari
For the Poughkeepsie Journal
I grew up with a healthy respect for veterans. My grandfather, Roy Licari, and father, Roy Jr., were combat veterans of World War II and Vietnam respectively - two very different wars, as we all know. No matter which war you served in, its experiences will never leave you.
This weekend you probably heard a lot of speeches peppered with some of the most tired clichés imaginable.
Don't pay them much mind, but reflect on the sacrifices of those who are no longer with us. Read about Cpl. Jason Dunham (born in 1981), the Medal of Honor Marine who jumped on a grenade to save his fellow Marines' lives in Iraq. Remember him.
When I was a kid, I remember my father talking about his Vietnam War friends. He didn't talk much about the war itself. He had pictures of his buddies on the wall downstairs, both the living and the dead.
A time of chaos
Since I was born in 1976, I have no recollection of the war or the chaos that consumed America at the time. From what I hear, I didn't miss much.
But as I grew older, I wanted to know more about war and what it entailed. The first thing my father told me was "don't watch war movies, they're all nonsense," or words to that effect.
He was right until 1998 when Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan'' became the first movie to somewhat accurately portray combat. "Saving Private Ryan'' revealed the graphic nature of battle and the fundamental truth about war - good young men and women die well before their time has come.
I'm pretty sure you've never heard of these two soldiers - Warrant Officer Roy Y. Shinkawa of Honolulu and Spc. 4th Class Gregory S. Morgan of Atlanta. They died in Vietnam 36 years ago and they would have turned 60 this month. My father served with these men and they were his friends. He would talk about them every once in awhile, but I only knew them by their surnames.
A few years back, I did some digging and found out a little more about them. Their names are inscribed on Panel 4W of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington. We lost nearly 59,000 Americans in Vietnam, and I didn't want these soldiers to be forgotten as we roll into another Memorial Day weekend. When I get home from Iraq, I'll visit the "Wall" to say hello and remember their sacrifices.
This month, the Marine Corps lost a legend. Maj. Doug Zembiec was killed in action while executing a raid in Baghdad.
Zembiec was a few years ahead of me at the Naval Academy, where he was a nationally ranked wrestler. Even before the global war on terror, he was a legendary leader of Marines.
any
I've only met a handful of officers atrank who could fill Major Zembiec's boots. He was that good. We couldn't afford to lose him, but we did - nd he wasn't replaceable.
The same goes for Capt. James C. Edge, who was killed by small arms fire in Ramadi in April 2005. Jamie and I were lieutenants together in Camp Le-jeune, N.C. He had a bright future ahead of him and a wonderful family. Although Zembiec and Edge are no longer with us, I will remember them this weekend.
Like my grandfather and father, I have a sharp appreciation for America's greatness and the acute understanding that war takes a lot more than it gives.
So from all of us in this war to all the veterans who came before us, we too know the sound of the guns and the medical helicopters overhead, and what it feels like to lose our friends. More importantly, we remember your sacrifices and we couldn't forget even if we tried.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Anthony Licari, who grew up in Fishkill, writes from Fallujah, Iraq, where he works for the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned. He is on his second tour of duty in Iraq. You can read his blog at www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/blogs
Ellie