thedrifter
04-10-08, 06:55 AM
Cape siblings brothers in arms
By ROBERT GOLD
STAFF WRITER
April 10, 2008 6:00 AM
Marianna Lynch issued a friendly but firm message to her two adult sons recently.
Call, and call often.
The Marstons Mills mom can't be blamed for being insistent.
Her two Barnstable-bred boys, her only children, are serving together in Afghanistan as Marines.
Ryan and Adam Lynch have been at the same military base overseas since early March.
"They have been told they have to stay in touch once a week," Marianna said. "If they don't keep in touch at least once a week, I need to know a reason why."
Lynch and her husband, Jim, have faced the uncertainty of their sons' military careers before. Last year, Adam Lynch, now 27, spent several months operating tanks in Iraq, including the hot spot of Fallujah. Ryan Lynch, now 29, has served two tours of duty in Djibouti, Africa.
But this is the first time their boys have served in the same area in a combat zone. Ryan is a captain, a helicopter pilot with a Marines aviation combat team. Adam is a mobile assault platoon commander. He is currently serving in an infantry because the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit didn't bring tanks for their Afghanistan mission.
"It's not a good thing," said Marianna, whose sons were assigned to Kandahar province.
"It's nice for them, I think, but it's not a good feeling here. But if you had to choose one to go and one not to go, how would you even pick one?"
Unlike Iraq, the Lynches have a harder time keeping up through the news. The e-mails and telephone calls from Adam and Ryan are like a lifeline.
"When I was in Fallujah there was constant coverage of the battle in the news," Adam recently wrote in an e-mail. "Anytime an attack was reported, my parents would have to wonder If I had been involved. Here my parents rely on us to tell them what's going on. My dad always asks a million and one questions."
Jim Lynch asks but knows he won't get the answer. He served in the Navy for four years, ending in 1973. He knows his sons have to stay mum on the details of what they are doing. But he loves the contact with them. He expects they can return late this year or early next year but knows time frames can change in the military.
When they are home, the sons toss friendly barbs at their dad's Navy service.
"My wife just ignores the three of us when we get going," he said.
Using an online program, he and his wife often call their sons at no cost.
Jim often comforts his wife. He keeps his message straightforward and positive. They are trained, he tells them. They know what they are doing. They are fine.
Ryan said in some ways, he prefers serving in Afghanistan.
"We can do our job the right way and not have to be focused on outside distractions that arise with a higher degree of focus on us," he said via e-mail.
Jim and Marianna never expected both sons would be fighting a war across the world.
They weren't surprised when Ryan said in high school he wanted to join the military. In Boy Scouts, he systematically earned his merit badges. He led an organized life in high school, played in the band and racked up high scores on military aptitude tests.
Jim told his son to wait until after college so he could enter the service as an officer.
Ryan graduated from Barnstable High School in 1997 and Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2001.
Soon after, he was in Marine basic training in Virginia.
While Ryan trained, Adam quietly started thinking about his own future. He was majoring in secondary education at Plymouth (N.H.) State College.
His parents thought there was no way would he follow in his brother's footsteps.
Adam was a free spirit who often hit the trails to snowboard. The regimented military lifestyle just didn't seem to fit.
"It would have been the last thing I ever imagined he would have done," Marianna said.
But there was a side to the Marines that fit Adam's personality. He was on student council at Barnstable High School. In college, he was student body president.
"I always loved the challenge of bringing people together to obtain a goal," he explained via e-mail.
Adam also loved sports. Seeing the physical regimen of his brother's training intrigued him.
"I loved the camaraderie of sports and the camaraderie is higher in the Marine Corps — it's a second family," he wrote.
So after graduating in 2003, Adam joined his brother in the military.
Now, they are together for the first time. On a large base with thousands of Marines, they rarely see each other.
But shortly after they arrived in March, big brother Ryan told his mom he'd look out for his brother. And for Marianna, it's something to hold on to.
"Adam is going to wish he wasn't on the same base as Ryan by the time they get home," she said.
Robert Gold can be reached at rgold@capecodonline.com.
Ellie
By ROBERT GOLD
STAFF WRITER
April 10, 2008 6:00 AM
Marianna Lynch issued a friendly but firm message to her two adult sons recently.
Call, and call often.
The Marstons Mills mom can't be blamed for being insistent.
Her two Barnstable-bred boys, her only children, are serving together in Afghanistan as Marines.
Ryan and Adam Lynch have been at the same military base overseas since early March.
"They have been told they have to stay in touch once a week," Marianna said. "If they don't keep in touch at least once a week, I need to know a reason why."
Lynch and her husband, Jim, have faced the uncertainty of their sons' military careers before. Last year, Adam Lynch, now 27, spent several months operating tanks in Iraq, including the hot spot of Fallujah. Ryan Lynch, now 29, has served two tours of duty in Djibouti, Africa.
But this is the first time their boys have served in the same area in a combat zone. Ryan is a captain, a helicopter pilot with a Marines aviation combat team. Adam is a mobile assault platoon commander. He is currently serving in an infantry because the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit didn't bring tanks for their Afghanistan mission.
"It's not a good thing," said Marianna, whose sons were assigned to Kandahar province.
"It's nice for them, I think, but it's not a good feeling here. But if you had to choose one to go and one not to go, how would you even pick one?"
Unlike Iraq, the Lynches have a harder time keeping up through the news. The e-mails and telephone calls from Adam and Ryan are like a lifeline.
"When I was in Fallujah there was constant coverage of the battle in the news," Adam recently wrote in an e-mail. "Anytime an attack was reported, my parents would have to wonder If I had been involved. Here my parents rely on us to tell them what's going on. My dad always asks a million and one questions."
Jim Lynch asks but knows he won't get the answer. He served in the Navy for four years, ending in 1973. He knows his sons have to stay mum on the details of what they are doing. But he loves the contact with them. He expects they can return late this year or early next year but knows time frames can change in the military.
When they are home, the sons toss friendly barbs at their dad's Navy service.
"My wife just ignores the three of us when we get going," he said.
Using an online program, he and his wife often call their sons at no cost.
Jim often comforts his wife. He keeps his message straightforward and positive. They are trained, he tells them. They know what they are doing. They are fine.
Ryan said in some ways, he prefers serving in Afghanistan.
"We can do our job the right way and not have to be focused on outside distractions that arise with a higher degree of focus on us," he said via e-mail.
Jim and Marianna never expected both sons would be fighting a war across the world.
They weren't surprised when Ryan said in high school he wanted to join the military. In Boy Scouts, he systematically earned his merit badges. He led an organized life in high school, played in the band and racked up high scores on military aptitude tests.
Jim told his son to wait until after college so he could enter the service as an officer.
Ryan graduated from Barnstable High School in 1997 and Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2001.
Soon after, he was in Marine basic training in Virginia.
While Ryan trained, Adam quietly started thinking about his own future. He was majoring in secondary education at Plymouth (N.H.) State College.
His parents thought there was no way would he follow in his brother's footsteps.
Adam was a free spirit who often hit the trails to snowboard. The regimented military lifestyle just didn't seem to fit.
"It would have been the last thing I ever imagined he would have done," Marianna said.
But there was a side to the Marines that fit Adam's personality. He was on student council at Barnstable High School. In college, he was student body president.
"I always loved the challenge of bringing people together to obtain a goal," he explained via e-mail.
Adam also loved sports. Seeing the physical regimen of his brother's training intrigued him.
"I loved the camaraderie of sports and the camaraderie is higher in the Marine Corps — it's a second family," he wrote.
So after graduating in 2003, Adam joined his brother in the military.
Now, they are together for the first time. On a large base with thousands of Marines, they rarely see each other.
But shortly after they arrived in March, big brother Ryan told his mom he'd look out for his brother. And for Marianna, it's something to hold on to.
"Adam is going to wish he wasn't on the same base as Ryan by the time they get home," she said.
Robert Gold can be reached at rgold@capecodonline.com.
Ellie