thedrifter
06-30-08, 06:40 AM
June 30, 2008
Marine from Hawaii with ties to Guam killed in Iraq
By Mary Vorsino
Gannett News Service
The commanding officer of a Hawaii-based battalion of more than 1,000 Marines and sailors died Thursday in Iraq in an attack that also killed two other Kane'ohe Marines, the military said yesterday.
Lt. Col. Max A. Galeai, 42, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines at Kane'ohe's Marine Corps Base Hawaii, is believed to have been killed in the town of Karmah in Anbar province, about 30 miles west of Baghdad, in a suicide bomb attack.
Also killed in the attack were Capt. Phil Dykeman, 38, of New York, the leader of the battalion's Fox Company, and 23-year-old Sgt. Marcus Preudhomme, of North Miami Beach, Fla., an administrative clerk with the battalion.
"It saddens us. It reminds of the sacrifices being made everyday," said Galeai's Guam cousin, Simon Sanchez. "It's a very sad day for us as a family."
Since the war started, 84 Hawaii-based Marines and sailors have died in Iraq.
Friends yesterday remembered Galeai, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, as a dedicated family man, a natural leader and a caring buddy who would never burden others with his problems. Just last week, in the midst of his deployment in Iraq, he sent e-mails to friends with jokes about the hot weather and friendly queries about how they were doing.
Sanchez, chairman of the Consolidated Commission on Utilities, said Galeai was a career Marine who was rising through the ranks. He described his cousin as "a born leader who was very focused."
"I'm trying to cope with the fact that he's no longer with us," said Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Taumaoe Gaoteote, of California, a longtime friend. "I didn't know how to react when I heard. I never thought it would actually happen to him."
This was Galeai's second deployment to Iraq. He graduated from Oregon State University in 1988, and joined the Marines out of college.
His service awards include two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart and five Meritorious Service Medals.
Gaoteote said Galeai is survived by his wife, Evelyn, and four children.
"Our hearts go out to the family. We do ask for prayers for everyone that's serving," Sanchez said. "We hope that the loss of life in the war can come to an end soon."
Ellie
Marine from Hawaii with ties to Guam killed in Iraq
By Mary Vorsino
Gannett News Service
The commanding officer of a Hawaii-based battalion of more than 1,000 Marines and sailors died Thursday in Iraq in an attack that also killed two other Kane'ohe Marines, the military said yesterday.
Lt. Col. Max A. Galeai, 42, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines at Kane'ohe's Marine Corps Base Hawaii, is believed to have been killed in the town of Karmah in Anbar province, about 30 miles west of Baghdad, in a suicide bomb attack.
Also killed in the attack were Capt. Phil Dykeman, 38, of New York, the leader of the battalion's Fox Company, and 23-year-old Sgt. Marcus Preudhomme, of North Miami Beach, Fla., an administrative clerk with the battalion.
"It saddens us. It reminds of the sacrifices being made everyday," said Galeai's Guam cousin, Simon Sanchez. "It's a very sad day for us as a family."
Since the war started, 84 Hawaii-based Marines and sailors have died in Iraq.
Friends yesterday remembered Galeai, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, as a dedicated family man, a natural leader and a caring buddy who would never burden others with his problems. Just last week, in the midst of his deployment in Iraq, he sent e-mails to friends with jokes about the hot weather and friendly queries about how they were doing.
Sanchez, chairman of the Consolidated Commission on Utilities, said Galeai was a career Marine who was rising through the ranks. He described his cousin as "a born leader who was very focused."
"I'm trying to cope with the fact that he's no longer with us," said Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Taumaoe Gaoteote, of California, a longtime friend. "I didn't know how to react when I heard. I never thought it would actually happen to him."
This was Galeai's second deployment to Iraq. He graduated from Oregon State University in 1988, and joined the Marines out of college.
His service awards include two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart and five Meritorious Service Medals.
Gaoteote said Galeai is survived by his wife, Evelyn, and four children.
"Our hearts go out to the family. We do ask for prayers for everyone that's serving," Sanchez said. "We hope that the loss of life in the war can come to an end soon."
Ellie