thedrifter
03-18-08, 09:15 AM
Displays of respect leave Marines grateful
By Andrew Lightman
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Mar 18, 2008 @ 06:58 AM
Last update Mar 18, 2008 @ 07:01 AM
ROCKLAND —
The last time Lance Cpl. Dario Duckworth visited Boston, it was with his friend, Walter “Gator” O’Haire, two weeks before their Marine unit headed to Iraq.
Lance Cpl. O’Haire never made it home. He was killed by a roadside bomb last April and laid to rest on what would have been his 21st birthday.
So this past weekend, Duckworth and 24 other Marines from their platoon paid a visit to Rockland and South Boston to honor O’Haire in his two hometowns on his favorite holiday.
“I wish he was here,” Duckworth said
The group arrived in Boston on Friday and spent time sightseeing, visiting with O’Haire’s family and marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in South Boston.
O’Haire’s mother, Maureen O’Haire, paid for hotel accommodations and airfare for 22 Marines, using the money she got from the government after her son was killed in action.
Three more came on their own dime, just so they could take part, she said.
Maureen O’Haire said the weekend was worth the expense, just to honor the Marines who fought beside her son.
“It’s all worth it, if even one person gets the message and appreciates the men and women who serve our country,” she said.
The Marines’ weekend also included a potluck buffet on Friday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Rockland, a memorial Mass on Saturday at St. Vincent’s Church on E Street in South Boston, and a trip on Monday to visit the USS Constitution in Charlestown.
The group got together with Maureen O’Haire on Monday for a final luncheon at the China Plaza in Rockland before returning to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
As they prepared to leave Boston, the Marines said they definitely felt appreciated.
Many said the St. Patrick’s Day parade in South Boston was a thrill of a lifetime. Locals posed for pictures with them along the route.
“On that parade, marching, I’ve never felt that much respect and appreciation, ever,” said Pfc. Chris Wymer, who served in the same squad as O’Haire. “I never felt anything like it.”
Staff Sgt. Brian Mullen said: “In our line of work, we thrive in the worst possible conditions. We don’t get to see this every day. But it does make us feel appreciated.”
The visit also gave the family a lift, seeing in the Marines the same joy they so often saw in O’Haire.
“Wally is gone, but there is a part of him that will always live on with them,” said O’Haire’s cousin PattiAnn King. “They will always be connected to Wally, and it’s like they are now part of the family.”
Andrew Lightman may be reached at alightman@ledger.com.
Ellie
By Andrew Lightman
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Mar 18, 2008 @ 06:58 AM
Last update Mar 18, 2008 @ 07:01 AM
ROCKLAND —
The last time Lance Cpl. Dario Duckworth visited Boston, it was with his friend, Walter “Gator” O’Haire, two weeks before their Marine unit headed to Iraq.
Lance Cpl. O’Haire never made it home. He was killed by a roadside bomb last April and laid to rest on what would have been his 21st birthday.
So this past weekend, Duckworth and 24 other Marines from their platoon paid a visit to Rockland and South Boston to honor O’Haire in his two hometowns on his favorite holiday.
“I wish he was here,” Duckworth said
The group arrived in Boston on Friday and spent time sightseeing, visiting with O’Haire’s family and marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in South Boston.
O’Haire’s mother, Maureen O’Haire, paid for hotel accommodations and airfare for 22 Marines, using the money she got from the government after her son was killed in action.
Three more came on their own dime, just so they could take part, she said.
Maureen O’Haire said the weekend was worth the expense, just to honor the Marines who fought beside her son.
“It’s all worth it, if even one person gets the message and appreciates the men and women who serve our country,” she said.
The Marines’ weekend also included a potluck buffet on Friday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Rockland, a memorial Mass on Saturday at St. Vincent’s Church on E Street in South Boston, and a trip on Monday to visit the USS Constitution in Charlestown.
The group got together with Maureen O’Haire on Monday for a final luncheon at the China Plaza in Rockland before returning to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
As they prepared to leave Boston, the Marines said they definitely felt appreciated.
Many said the St. Patrick’s Day parade in South Boston was a thrill of a lifetime. Locals posed for pictures with them along the route.
“On that parade, marching, I’ve never felt that much respect and appreciation, ever,” said Pfc. Chris Wymer, who served in the same squad as O’Haire. “I never felt anything like it.”
Staff Sgt. Brian Mullen said: “In our line of work, we thrive in the worst possible conditions. We don’t get to see this every day. But it does make us feel appreciated.”
The visit also gave the family a lift, seeing in the Marines the same joy they so often saw in O’Haire.
“Wally is gone, but there is a part of him that will always live on with them,” said O’Haire’s cousin PattiAnn King. “They will always be connected to Wally, and it’s like they are now part of the family.”
Andrew Lightman may be reached at alightman@ledger.com.
Ellie