thedrifter
09-29-07, 01:06 PM
Pvt. Philip Gagnon will march past the Iwo Jima Memorial here at Parris Island this morning. His attachment to that special sculpture is a little more than most Marines. Looking up, he sees more than Marine history. He sees family.
On Feb. 23, 1945, Pfc. Rene Gagnon and five young men overcame exhaustion and risked their lives to raise the Stars and Stripes over the hotly-contested island of Iwo Jima.
More than 60 years later, Gagnon's great-nephew is following in his footsteps.
Gagnon of Lowell, Mass., learned about his great-uncle's actions when he was 10 years old. Ever since then, he wanted to honor his family's name.
"It's something I always wanted to do," said Recruit Philip Gagnon, a recruit in Hotel Company's Platoon 2081, just one wek before graduating. "I found out about my great-uncle years ago and wanted to follow in his footsteps."
Gagnon enlisted in June of 2007 and quickly shared the news with his mother.
"He told me he wanted to serve his country like his great-uncle did," said Robin Tourville, Gagnon's mother, in a phone interview. "I was extremely proud of him."
Gagnon smiled when he recalled sharing his decision with his mother.
"She knew it was coming," Gagnon said. "She told me, 'You wouldn't fit into the Army or the Navy. The Marines are for you.'"
Gagnon quickly realized he joined the hardest branch of service. He confessed there was a moment of doubt when the physical demands of being a Marine were thrust upon him.
"I lost all thought and motivation when I got here," Gagnon confessed. "I thought I would let everyone down because of physical training, but that same day I got all my motivation back."
Gagnon did not arrive at Parris Island in top physical condition.
"I had a hard time during our first exercise," Gagnon said. "Everything was building up and then I went to the obstacle course, and I just wanted to quit."
Quitting wasn't really an option though.
"In the beginning he wanted to quit," said Staff Sgt. Steven Ellison, the senior drill instructor for Hotel Company's Platoon 2081. "I told him, look at your great-uncle and what he has done. Do you want to let him down?"
Ellison learned about Gagnon's family during introduction.
"I asked all the recruits where they came from," Ellison said. "Gagnon told me about his great-uncle and what he did."
Ellison chalked it up as a tall tale at first.
"I didn't believe him," Ellison admitted. "We did some research and it was true. I was surprised. I had a living piece of history in my platoon."
Ellison used Gagnon's family to motivate him in training.
"I kept reminding him about his uncle," Ellison said. "It kept him in the fight."
Gagnon used his newfound motivation to help the recruits around him, too.
"I helped the other recruits get through tough time," Gagnon said with a smile. "I kept them up and tried to help them get through recruit training. I would encourage them to go on."
Gagnon said more than anything, it was his great-uncle's legacy that kept him fighting.
"His actions kept me going," Gagnon said. "Thinking of all he had done for the Marine Corps was great motivation," he said. "I realized how important my great uncle's name and his actions are. What my uncle did was a great inspiration and I hope I can do something like it some day."
Gagnon's memory of his uncle served him well and helped push him through recruit training.
"It was because of my great uncle's actions I was able to keep going," Gagnon explained. "It was important that I didn't let him down."
Gagnon graduated today with the rest of his platoon. He overcame his biggest obstacle, physical training, and conquered the Crucible. He marched past the image of his uncle, along with four other Marines and a Navy corpsman, cast in bronze. They are now, more than ever, his family.
On Feb. 23, 1945, Pfc. Rene Gagnon and five young men overcame exhaustion and risked their lives to raise the Stars and Stripes over the hotly-contested island of Iwo Jima.
More than 60 years later, Gagnon's great-nephew is following in his footsteps.
Gagnon of Lowell, Mass., learned about his great-uncle's actions when he was 10 years old. Ever since then, he wanted to honor his family's name.
"It's something I always wanted to do," said Recruit Philip Gagnon, a recruit in Hotel Company's Platoon 2081, just one wek before graduating. "I found out about my great-uncle years ago and wanted to follow in his footsteps."
Gagnon enlisted in June of 2007 and quickly shared the news with his mother.
"He told me he wanted to serve his country like his great-uncle did," said Robin Tourville, Gagnon's mother, in a phone interview. "I was extremely proud of him."
Gagnon smiled when he recalled sharing his decision with his mother.
"She knew it was coming," Gagnon said. "She told me, 'You wouldn't fit into the Army or the Navy. The Marines are for you.'"
Gagnon quickly realized he joined the hardest branch of service. He confessed there was a moment of doubt when the physical demands of being a Marine were thrust upon him.
"I lost all thought and motivation when I got here," Gagnon confessed. "I thought I would let everyone down because of physical training, but that same day I got all my motivation back."
Gagnon did not arrive at Parris Island in top physical condition.
"I had a hard time during our first exercise," Gagnon said. "Everything was building up and then I went to the obstacle course, and I just wanted to quit."
Quitting wasn't really an option though.
"In the beginning he wanted to quit," said Staff Sgt. Steven Ellison, the senior drill instructor for Hotel Company's Platoon 2081. "I told him, look at your great-uncle and what he has done. Do you want to let him down?"
Ellison learned about Gagnon's family during introduction.
"I asked all the recruits where they came from," Ellison said. "Gagnon told me about his great-uncle and what he did."
Ellison chalked it up as a tall tale at first.
"I didn't believe him," Ellison admitted. "We did some research and it was true. I was surprised. I had a living piece of history in my platoon."
Ellison used Gagnon's family to motivate him in training.
"I kept reminding him about his uncle," Ellison said. "It kept him in the fight."
Gagnon used his newfound motivation to help the recruits around him, too.
"I helped the other recruits get through tough time," Gagnon said with a smile. "I kept them up and tried to help them get through recruit training. I would encourage them to go on."
Gagnon said more than anything, it was his great-uncle's legacy that kept him fighting.
"His actions kept me going," Gagnon said. "Thinking of all he had done for the Marine Corps was great motivation," he said. "I realized how important my great uncle's name and his actions are. What my uncle did was a great inspiration and I hope I can do something like it some day."
Gagnon's memory of his uncle served him well and helped push him through recruit training.
"It was because of my great uncle's actions I was able to keep going," Gagnon explained. "It was important that I didn't let him down."
Gagnon graduated today with the rest of his platoon. He overcame his biggest obstacle, physical training, and conquered the Crucible. He marched past the image of his uncle, along with four other Marines and a Navy corpsman, cast in bronze. They are now, more than ever, his family.