thedrifter
05-19-03, 06:26 AM
Article ran : 05/18/2003
Retired colonel has three reasons to be proud
By CAROLYN ALFORD
Hello, neighbor. It's good to see you here. Retired Marine Col. Daniel and Sandra O'Brien have a three-star banner hanging in the front window of their home on Stillwood Circle in Southwest. They display it proudly because the stars represent each of their three sons serving in the military. All three of them -- Daniel F., Michael and Kevin -- served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. "I couldn't express how proud I am," said their dad, his voice breaking. He walked outside to stem the tears and came back. "I had mixed feelings because, on the one hand, that's what they are trained for, that's what their country pays them for," he said. "To all be a part of history, to be able to do it at the beginning of their career, I thought it was terrific. As a father, I can't help but worry." Sandra was proud, but stoic. "It was overwhelming," she said of sitting in front of the television during Operation Iraqi Freedom. "You have to push negative thinking aside; otherwise, how could you cope?" Daniel and Kevin are still in Iraq but Michael is on board ship with the 26th MEU. Their boys are not following in dad's footsteps. He always supported them, but never encouraged them to join the military. Each came to a decision to go into the military on their own. "It is something we didn't expect," he said. " I wasn't unhappy but I was surprised." Kevin, the youngest at 24, is a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg. He was the first to join the military. Kevin had talked about being a paratrooper when he was young, his mom said. He had discussed joining the Army with his parents last year when they were stationed in Okinawa. His Dad cautioned him to not sign any paperwork until he had talked with them again. The next phone call they received from Kevin was to tell them, "I'm in the Army, now," Sandra said. Michael called them next to tell them, "I'm in the Marine Corps." The lance corporal is with the infantry, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 26 MEU. Kevin and Michael were both in boot camp when the World Trade Center was bombed. The O'Brien's oldest son, Marine 2nd Lt. Daniel F., 27, platoon commander, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, was the last to join. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with two degrees. He was working as a teacher's assistant at Thompson Elementary School when he decided to join the Marine Corps. "Daniel was looking for an organization that was committed, that he could commit to," the O'Briens said. "He was older when he went in. It was a well thought-out decision." The elder Daniel O'Brien retired from the Marine Corps last fall and the sons all came home to Onslow County to the home on Stillwood Circle the family bought in 1977 when dad was a first lieutenant. The O'Briens immediately took up their friendship with their best friends, Dennis and Linda O'Donnell who live near them. Dennis and Daniel had served together in the Marine Corps. Dennis O'Donnell is a teacher at Southwest Middle School looking forward to his second retirement. Linda is head of the English department at Richlands High. The O'Donnell's son, Dennis, grew up with the O'Brien boys and is also serving in Iraq. The O'Briens were glued to the television during the coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Daniel had a photographer from the Boston Herald with his unit in Iraq. The photographer put daily photos on the Internet. The O'Briens searched for their son but never saw him. There were a couple of photos in Time magazine that looked like their sons, but they were never sure. "When they took the statues down in Baghdad it was a relief," Sandra said. "Then they show photos of a fire fight going on at the same time in Baghdad." The real relief will come when all her boys are home, Sandra said. The last time the O'Brien family was together was New Year's 2003. Their daughter, Elizabeth, 25, who works in the legal office at Georgetown University Hospital, was also home. They are planning a big celebration when they finally come home. Daniel O'Brien and Dennis O'Donnell built the patio together as a project in 1981. Each of their children placed their small handprints in the cement. The O'Briens are looking forward to getting them all together on that patio again. "My heart really goes out to the people who lost family over there," Daniel said. He leaves the room again to stem the tears. "It's very, very hard. We came out really lucky." "A mom's feelings are the same whether you have three there or one," Sandra O'Brien said. "Each parent deals with it in their own way. Every parent or relative should be very proud of service members. All the country is proud. I've never seen such support. It is so different from Vietnam." Thank you for coming.
Contact Carolyn Alford at cfalford@jdnews.com.
Sempers,
Roger
Retired colonel has three reasons to be proud
By CAROLYN ALFORD
Hello, neighbor. It's good to see you here. Retired Marine Col. Daniel and Sandra O'Brien have a three-star banner hanging in the front window of their home on Stillwood Circle in Southwest. They display it proudly because the stars represent each of their three sons serving in the military. All three of them -- Daniel F., Michael and Kevin -- served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. "I couldn't express how proud I am," said their dad, his voice breaking. He walked outside to stem the tears and came back. "I had mixed feelings because, on the one hand, that's what they are trained for, that's what their country pays them for," he said. "To all be a part of history, to be able to do it at the beginning of their career, I thought it was terrific. As a father, I can't help but worry." Sandra was proud, but stoic. "It was overwhelming," she said of sitting in front of the television during Operation Iraqi Freedom. "You have to push negative thinking aside; otherwise, how could you cope?" Daniel and Kevin are still in Iraq but Michael is on board ship with the 26th MEU. Their boys are not following in dad's footsteps. He always supported them, but never encouraged them to join the military. Each came to a decision to go into the military on their own. "It is something we didn't expect," he said. " I wasn't unhappy but I was surprised." Kevin, the youngest at 24, is a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg. He was the first to join the military. Kevin had talked about being a paratrooper when he was young, his mom said. He had discussed joining the Army with his parents last year when they were stationed in Okinawa. His Dad cautioned him to not sign any paperwork until he had talked with them again. The next phone call they received from Kevin was to tell them, "I'm in the Army, now," Sandra said. Michael called them next to tell them, "I'm in the Marine Corps." The lance corporal is with the infantry, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 26 MEU. Kevin and Michael were both in boot camp when the World Trade Center was bombed. The O'Brien's oldest son, Marine 2nd Lt. Daniel F., 27, platoon commander, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, was the last to join. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with two degrees. He was working as a teacher's assistant at Thompson Elementary School when he decided to join the Marine Corps. "Daniel was looking for an organization that was committed, that he could commit to," the O'Briens said. "He was older when he went in. It was a well thought-out decision." The elder Daniel O'Brien retired from the Marine Corps last fall and the sons all came home to Onslow County to the home on Stillwood Circle the family bought in 1977 when dad was a first lieutenant. The O'Briens immediately took up their friendship with their best friends, Dennis and Linda O'Donnell who live near them. Dennis and Daniel had served together in the Marine Corps. Dennis O'Donnell is a teacher at Southwest Middle School looking forward to his second retirement. Linda is head of the English department at Richlands High. The O'Donnell's son, Dennis, grew up with the O'Brien boys and is also serving in Iraq. The O'Briens were glued to the television during the coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Daniel had a photographer from the Boston Herald with his unit in Iraq. The photographer put daily photos on the Internet. The O'Briens searched for their son but never saw him. There were a couple of photos in Time magazine that looked like their sons, but they were never sure. "When they took the statues down in Baghdad it was a relief," Sandra said. "Then they show photos of a fire fight going on at the same time in Baghdad." The real relief will come when all her boys are home, Sandra said. The last time the O'Brien family was together was New Year's 2003. Their daughter, Elizabeth, 25, who works in the legal office at Georgetown University Hospital, was also home. They are planning a big celebration when they finally come home. Daniel O'Brien and Dennis O'Donnell built the patio together as a project in 1981. Each of their children placed their small handprints in the cement. The O'Briens are looking forward to getting them all together on that patio again. "My heart really goes out to the people who lost family over there," Daniel said. He leaves the room again to stem the tears. "It's very, very hard. We came out really lucky." "A mom's feelings are the same whether you have three there or one," Sandra O'Brien said. "Each parent deals with it in their own way. Every parent or relative should be very proud of service members. All the country is proud. I've never seen such support. It is so different from Vietnam." Thank you for coming.
Contact Carolyn Alford at cfalford@jdnews.com.
Sempers,
Roger