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thedrifter
10-03-07, 06:20 PM
Marine Corps brothers home on leave honored by Blackfeet Tribe

By John McGill
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 11:28 AM MDT

Brothers Riley and Ivan Smith stood at attention Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Student Commons area at Blackfeet Community College. The pair, aged 21 and 23 respectively, are both U.S. Marines, Riley being a lance corporal and Ivan a corporal. The pair were home on leave, Ivan having done two tours of duty in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, and Riley having just completed his first tour in Al Anbar.

The brothers graduated from high school in Joplin and they both enlisted immediately afterward, Riley in 2005 and Ivan in 2003. In Iraq, they exchanged places as one was shipped in and the other shipped out.

"It's always good to come back and see the family," said Ivan. "I miss friends and family the most by far although communication with home is better so, actually, I hear from people quite a bit."

"People, we're not having it rough," said Chairman Earl Old Person at the honoring. "Every day we should be shaking hands with each other, but that doesn't happen. If it does, people say they must be running for Council. The elders used to sit on a bench out in front of Buttrey's, and they'd start each day with shaking each other's hands because they were glad to see each other. We need to go back to that way."

Ellie