thedrifter
04-13-08, 09:53 AM
These moral men honor 'living spirit' of Marines
Sunday, April 13th 2008, 4:00 AM
The whole world was rightly repulsed by the photos of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib.
Too bad the world did not also see the condition of an Iraqi sniper nicknamed Big Ears, who was captured in Fallujah after he killed two New York Marines.
The actual grab was made by the roommate of Big Ears' first victim that day, but the sniper was still brought in alive and unharmed.
"He came in without a scratch," recalled a Marine corporal assigned as an intelligence liaison at the base. "I was shocked."
The liaison, Joe Fasanella, figured the restraint had much to do with the living spirit of 30-year-old Marine Capt. John McKenna of Brooklyn, whose unit was patrolling a street in Fallujah on Aug. 16, 2006.
The point man, 28-year-old Lance Cpl. Michael Glover of Queens, was crossing an exposed intersection when he fell mortally wounded. McKenna was not going to leave one of his Marines sprawled in the street, and he ran to Glover's assistance.
The sniper was ready to take deadly advantage of McKenna's courage. McKenna, too, was shot as he sought to pull Glover to cover.
Glover was a well-liked and highly regarded Marine. McKenna was deeply loved, even revered by his men. The whole base seemed to feel the same way.
"My base was empty because everyone was out in the city trying to find the shooter," Fasanella wrote to McKenna's parents.
Eventually, the sniper was identified as Muhammad Awaad Ahmad al-Muhammadi, sometimes known as Muhammad Issa Abdullah Abu Jasimin. One look at his photo explained how he also got a nickname.
"The guy had the biggest ears of any Iraqi we'd ever seen," Fasanella said.
The unit was still hunting on Sept. 29, with less than 48 hours before it was to depart Iraq, when Glover's roommate spotted those unmistakable ears.
The young Marine found himself face to face with the man who had killed his buddy and his captain. He could have ended it right then and there.
"Rather than squeeze the trigger, he didn't," Fasanella said. "He made a moral decision."
Fasanella decided that this Iraqi sniper owed his life to the living spirit of the very captain he had killed. McKenna had been a true warrior, but he also had been a true gentleman, a one-time Eagle scout with a clear and unshakable sense of the right thing to do, be it big or small.
A day or two before he was killed, McKenna had been up around the clock, staging raids, processing prisoners and running a dangerous convoy. He still took the time to walk the length of the base and say two rare words to Fasanella regarding the corporal's efforts to document the evidence against each particular prisoner.
"Thank you."
Here was a man who never let the horror and exhaustion cause him to lose his sense of simple decency.
Here was also a commander who took a few more precious minutes when he could have been resting to discuss with Fasanella how to make future raids more effective.
"He was all about the mission," Fasanella said.
Nobody was surprised that McKenna's men showed this same dedication in hunting down his killer. The sight of Big Ears being brought in unharmed was a shock only until Fasanella thought about it.
"They could have done their own street justice, but they didn't, and I figure Capt. McKenna instilled that in them," Fasanella said.
The Marines who loved and revered McKenna clearly would have happily started by tearing off both those big ears. But that same love and reverence kept them from laying a hand on the man.
"Capt. McKenna would have respected that," Fasanella said.
McKenna had become a state trooper before being called back to active duty for a third combat tour, and Fasanella had become a New York City police officer. Fasanella recognized the same restraint that causes police to bring in cop killers alive no matter how much they might want to end it with a well-deserved bullet.
Last week, McKenna's parents received an e-mail informing them that Big Ears remained a prisoner.
"As long as U.S. troops are in Iraq, he will be in custody," reports the father, who is also named John McKenna.
The parents were left with the question of what will happen if and when U.S. troops are withdrawn.
"I only hope he can't hurt anybody anymore," the father said.
The family is concentrating on assisting injured Marines through The Captain John McKenna - Lance Cpl. Michael Glover Foundation. The donors happen to include Sen. Hillary Clinton, who sent a check for $1,000.
That may not be a big sum for somebody who made millions in recent years, and Clinton may have lied about sniper fire in Bosnia, but her donation still constitutes a challenge.
If you like Hillary, follow her example.
If you hate her, how can you let her be more supportive of the Marines than you are?
Anyone who wants to donate or sign up for the second annual golf outing on June 30 on Staten Island can e-mail me for the particulars.
mdaly@nydailynews.com
Ellie
Sunday, April 13th 2008, 4:00 AM
The whole world was rightly repulsed by the photos of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib.
Too bad the world did not also see the condition of an Iraqi sniper nicknamed Big Ears, who was captured in Fallujah after he killed two New York Marines.
The actual grab was made by the roommate of Big Ears' first victim that day, but the sniper was still brought in alive and unharmed.
"He came in without a scratch," recalled a Marine corporal assigned as an intelligence liaison at the base. "I was shocked."
The liaison, Joe Fasanella, figured the restraint had much to do with the living spirit of 30-year-old Marine Capt. John McKenna of Brooklyn, whose unit was patrolling a street in Fallujah on Aug. 16, 2006.
The point man, 28-year-old Lance Cpl. Michael Glover of Queens, was crossing an exposed intersection when he fell mortally wounded. McKenna was not going to leave one of his Marines sprawled in the street, and he ran to Glover's assistance.
The sniper was ready to take deadly advantage of McKenna's courage. McKenna, too, was shot as he sought to pull Glover to cover.
Glover was a well-liked and highly regarded Marine. McKenna was deeply loved, even revered by his men. The whole base seemed to feel the same way.
"My base was empty because everyone was out in the city trying to find the shooter," Fasanella wrote to McKenna's parents.
Eventually, the sniper was identified as Muhammad Awaad Ahmad al-Muhammadi, sometimes known as Muhammad Issa Abdullah Abu Jasimin. One look at his photo explained how he also got a nickname.
"The guy had the biggest ears of any Iraqi we'd ever seen," Fasanella said.
The unit was still hunting on Sept. 29, with less than 48 hours before it was to depart Iraq, when Glover's roommate spotted those unmistakable ears.
The young Marine found himself face to face with the man who had killed his buddy and his captain. He could have ended it right then and there.
"Rather than squeeze the trigger, he didn't," Fasanella said. "He made a moral decision."
Fasanella decided that this Iraqi sniper owed his life to the living spirit of the very captain he had killed. McKenna had been a true warrior, but he also had been a true gentleman, a one-time Eagle scout with a clear and unshakable sense of the right thing to do, be it big or small.
A day or two before he was killed, McKenna had been up around the clock, staging raids, processing prisoners and running a dangerous convoy. He still took the time to walk the length of the base and say two rare words to Fasanella regarding the corporal's efforts to document the evidence against each particular prisoner.
"Thank you."
Here was a man who never let the horror and exhaustion cause him to lose his sense of simple decency.
Here was also a commander who took a few more precious minutes when he could have been resting to discuss with Fasanella how to make future raids more effective.
"He was all about the mission," Fasanella said.
Nobody was surprised that McKenna's men showed this same dedication in hunting down his killer. The sight of Big Ears being brought in unharmed was a shock only until Fasanella thought about it.
"They could have done their own street justice, but they didn't, and I figure Capt. McKenna instilled that in them," Fasanella said.
The Marines who loved and revered McKenna clearly would have happily started by tearing off both those big ears. But that same love and reverence kept them from laying a hand on the man.
"Capt. McKenna would have respected that," Fasanella said.
McKenna had become a state trooper before being called back to active duty for a third combat tour, and Fasanella had become a New York City police officer. Fasanella recognized the same restraint that causes police to bring in cop killers alive no matter how much they might want to end it with a well-deserved bullet.
Last week, McKenna's parents received an e-mail informing them that Big Ears remained a prisoner.
"As long as U.S. troops are in Iraq, he will be in custody," reports the father, who is also named John McKenna.
The parents were left with the question of what will happen if and when U.S. troops are withdrawn.
"I only hope he can't hurt anybody anymore," the father said.
The family is concentrating on assisting injured Marines through The Captain John McKenna - Lance Cpl. Michael Glover Foundation. The donors happen to include Sen. Hillary Clinton, who sent a check for $1,000.
That may not be a big sum for somebody who made millions in recent years, and Clinton may have lied about sniper fire in Bosnia, but her donation still constitutes a challenge.
If you like Hillary, follow her example.
If you hate her, how can you let her be more supportive of the Marines than you are?
Anyone who wants to donate or sign up for the second annual golf outing on June 30 on Staten Island can e-mail me for the particulars.
mdaly@nydailynews.com
Ellie