thedrifter
10-11-07, 06:30 AM
Local Marine surprises family
The Herald News
October 11, 2007
Marine Corps Sgt. Joseph Wilder and his wife, Kelly, paid a surprise visit to their families and friends in Minooka and Channahon this summer.
He is the son of proud parents Lavern and Deborah Wilder, of Minooka, and brother of Kathy Stricklin.
Believe it or not, Joseph and Kelly drove all the way here in early August from Camp Pendleton, Calif., where he has been stationed since June. No one knew they were coming. They stayed for a week before returning.
At age 17, Joseph decided he wanted to join the Marine Corps. He had spoken to a recruiter and wanted to enlist under the delayed-entry program since he hadn't yet graduated from high school. Although he had been accepted for admission to Western University, his mind was pretty much made up on joining the Marine Corps. So he spoke to his parents and told them what his plans were and that he needed their signatures to enlist.
"His dad and I sat down with him and asked him if this was what he wanted to do and he said yes, so we signed his papers for the delayed-entry program," his mom Deborah said. "A month after graduation, in June of 2002, he was on his way to boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego."
"After 9/11 happened, my recruiter contacted me and said I could back out if I wanted to, but I told him I'd decided that I would still go," Joseph said.
His first assignment was at Marine Cryptology Support Battalion, Company I, in Kunia, Hawaii. He was stationed there for three years.
While stationed in Kunia, he married his wife on May 14, and on June 1 he was deployed to Iraq. Kelly returned to Channahon to stay with her parents until Joseph returned from his deployment.
The sergeant's military occupation specialty is signals intelligence analyst. His duty assignment is working with intelligence. He was promoted to sergeant Jan. 1 and has re-enlisted for four more years.
During his deployment, he was attached to the 3rd Radio Battalion in Kaneohe, Hawaii, and was deployed to Iraq from June 1 to Oct. 17, 2005.
"While on our missions, we always had to keep stopping our vehicles to check boxes that were left on roadsides, making sure that there were no IED's to explode while vehicles passed by them. This made even our short convoys longer," Joseph said. "Everyone came back from Iraq."
"We communicated once every two weeks, and sometimes I didn't hear from him in months," Kelly said.
The communication difficulties can be terrifying.
"The scariest moment for me is when Joseph had been in Iraq for at least three to four months, when I received a call from some embassy early one morning and I couldn't understand what that person was saying on the other end. I then contacted the key volunteer in Hawaii and she was able to contact my son's first sergeant in Hawaii, and then he contacted Joseph's platoon sergeant in Iraq and had my son phone me to let us know he was all right," Deborah said.
Joseph will be leaving for his second deployment to Iraq in February. He will be a team leader while on this deployment.
"I've always wanted to join the Marines since I was a kid, and I've always wanted to be a part of the best. That's why I joined the Marines," Joseph said.
Joseph has several family members who have served in the armed forces. His mom, Deborah Wilder, served in the Army; grandfather Durwood Wilabay served in the Air Force during the Korean War, and his grandfather, Paul Edward Wilder, served in the Army during WWII.
During his career, Joseph has received several medals and awards, including the Iraq Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Joint Service Achievement Medal and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
His training includes Signals Intelligence Course 450 in Pensacola, Fla., and Basic Substance Abuse Control officers course and corporals course, both in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Joseph has no plans on making a career in the Marine Corps. After fulfilling his contract, he plans to enter the civilian world to pursue a career with a police department. He is a 2002 graduate of Minooka High School.
Ellie
The Herald News
October 11, 2007
Marine Corps Sgt. Joseph Wilder and his wife, Kelly, paid a surprise visit to their families and friends in Minooka and Channahon this summer.
He is the son of proud parents Lavern and Deborah Wilder, of Minooka, and brother of Kathy Stricklin.
Believe it or not, Joseph and Kelly drove all the way here in early August from Camp Pendleton, Calif., where he has been stationed since June. No one knew they were coming. They stayed for a week before returning.
At age 17, Joseph decided he wanted to join the Marine Corps. He had spoken to a recruiter and wanted to enlist under the delayed-entry program since he hadn't yet graduated from high school. Although he had been accepted for admission to Western University, his mind was pretty much made up on joining the Marine Corps. So he spoke to his parents and told them what his plans were and that he needed their signatures to enlist.
"His dad and I sat down with him and asked him if this was what he wanted to do and he said yes, so we signed his papers for the delayed-entry program," his mom Deborah said. "A month after graduation, in June of 2002, he was on his way to boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego."
"After 9/11 happened, my recruiter contacted me and said I could back out if I wanted to, but I told him I'd decided that I would still go," Joseph said.
His first assignment was at Marine Cryptology Support Battalion, Company I, in Kunia, Hawaii. He was stationed there for three years.
While stationed in Kunia, he married his wife on May 14, and on June 1 he was deployed to Iraq. Kelly returned to Channahon to stay with her parents until Joseph returned from his deployment.
The sergeant's military occupation specialty is signals intelligence analyst. His duty assignment is working with intelligence. He was promoted to sergeant Jan. 1 and has re-enlisted for four more years.
During his deployment, he was attached to the 3rd Radio Battalion in Kaneohe, Hawaii, and was deployed to Iraq from June 1 to Oct. 17, 2005.
"While on our missions, we always had to keep stopping our vehicles to check boxes that were left on roadsides, making sure that there were no IED's to explode while vehicles passed by them. This made even our short convoys longer," Joseph said. "Everyone came back from Iraq."
"We communicated once every two weeks, and sometimes I didn't hear from him in months," Kelly said.
The communication difficulties can be terrifying.
"The scariest moment for me is when Joseph had been in Iraq for at least three to four months, when I received a call from some embassy early one morning and I couldn't understand what that person was saying on the other end. I then contacted the key volunteer in Hawaii and she was able to contact my son's first sergeant in Hawaii, and then he contacted Joseph's platoon sergeant in Iraq and had my son phone me to let us know he was all right," Deborah said.
Joseph will be leaving for his second deployment to Iraq in February. He will be a team leader while on this deployment.
"I've always wanted to join the Marines since I was a kid, and I've always wanted to be a part of the best. That's why I joined the Marines," Joseph said.
Joseph has several family members who have served in the armed forces. His mom, Deborah Wilder, served in the Army; grandfather Durwood Wilabay served in the Air Force during the Korean War, and his grandfather, Paul Edward Wilder, served in the Army during WWII.
During his career, Joseph has received several medals and awards, including the Iraq Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Joint Service Achievement Medal and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
His training includes Signals Intelligence Course 450 in Pensacola, Fla., and Basic Substance Abuse Control officers course and corporals course, both in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Joseph has no plans on making a career in the Marine Corps. After fulfilling his contract, he plans to enter the civilian world to pursue a career with a police department. He is a 2002 graduate of Minooka High School.
Ellie