thedrifter
04-10-09, 06:49 AM
Two fallen Marines, two similar stories
By JENNIFER BOGDAN
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Apr 09, 2009 @ 10:15 PM
The 22-year-olds both were assigned to the same unit in the U.S. Marines.
They both were serving their second tours of duty after time in Iraq.
They both were killed in Afghanistan.
Just 12 miles separated the homes of Lance Cpl. Blaise Oleski of Floyd and Lance Cpl. Daniel Geary of Rome, and just 20 days separated their deaths.
And while it’s unclear how much time the two men ever spent together while serving in a unit of about 1,000 people, it’s clear they shared one thing — the rank of lance corporal.
That rank, which is the third tier of 12 enlisted ranks in the Marines, likely meant they both fought on the “front lines,” said 60-year-old Donald Sterling, the former commandant of the Department of New York Marine Corps League in Ilion.
“It’s a situation where you pay your dues,” he said. “The higher you go, the more you’re guiding the others. But at that point, there’s no doubt that you’ve got a lot of responsibilities in battle.”
Oleski, a 2004 graduate of Holland Patent High School, was killed Wednesday during combat operations in Afghanistan's Helmand province, according to the Department of Defense.
His body was flown into Dover Air Force Base in Delaware Thursday afternoon. His family was there to watch as military officials ceremonially moved his body from a plane to a waiting mortuary vehicle.
About three weeks ago, Geary’s family experienced the same fate after his March 20 death when his Humvee apparently was struck by a roadside bomb.
“It’s tragic and unfortunate to see this happen again,” Sterling said. “I’m sure they wanted to protect what all the rest of us are enjoying in the home land.”
‘Like to be challenged’
Different circumstances led each man to join the Marines, but their family and friends said the military branch provided the challenge and direction they needed.
Both were members of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Master Sgt. Matthew Sewell, public affairs chief for the II Marine Expeditionary Force, said men such as Oleski and Geary often are drawn to the Marines.
“The people who want to be Marines are the people who like to challenged,” he said. “They want to be something bigger than themselves.”
Oleski was up for a challenge long before he enlisted in the military in May 2006, friends said.
In 2005 when Nine Mile Creek near his Floyd home flooded, Oleski and his friend Trevor Hiffa decided it was the perfect opportunity to attempt kayaking.
In what seemed like seconds, Hiffa said the two were sucked underwater by the current and emerged missing car keys, cell phones and everything else they had with them.
“It was probably really stupid. We thought we were going to die,” Hiffa said. “Our favorite quote was ‘it’s only an adventure if something goes wrong.’”
Geary, a 2006 Rome Free Academy graduate, also had his share of adventure growing up. He was just 8 years old when he rescued his sister from a fire she started in her bedroom.
And as a teenager he was best described as “a frisky young juvenile prankster,” his father, Michael Geary, has said.
‘Something more fulfilling’
Oleski, who returned from serving in Iraq in January 2008 and left for Afghanistan in November, struggled with the need for adventure throughout his short life.
Hiffa said his best friend since sixth grade went on to attend Mohawk Valley Community College’s Rome campus after graduating high school. But he never developed a passion for anything he studied.
“He just needed something more fulfilling,” Hiffa said. “He thought he could get that great challenge out of the Marines.”
Like Oleski, Geary didn't always see himself in the academic world. He dropped out of Rome Free Academy after his junior year and worked at Turning Stone Resort and Casino for a while before returning and finishing his degree. He graduated in 2006.
But both men were making plans for their lives after their deployments.
Although he planned to re-enlist in the Marines, Geary hoped to marry his fiancee after returning from his tour of duty, and possibly take some college courses while continuing his service.
Hiffa said Oleski didn’t plan to reenlist when his term ran out in May 2010. Instead, he talked about becoming a firefighter or working in environmental sciences – anything that would allow him to work outside.
“He realized it was so much pressure on his family,” Hiffa said. “He was this kind of proper mix of tough and caring."
Ellie
By JENNIFER BOGDAN
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Apr 09, 2009 @ 10:15 PM
The 22-year-olds both were assigned to the same unit in the U.S. Marines.
They both were serving their second tours of duty after time in Iraq.
They both were killed in Afghanistan.
Just 12 miles separated the homes of Lance Cpl. Blaise Oleski of Floyd and Lance Cpl. Daniel Geary of Rome, and just 20 days separated their deaths.
And while it’s unclear how much time the two men ever spent together while serving in a unit of about 1,000 people, it’s clear they shared one thing — the rank of lance corporal.
That rank, which is the third tier of 12 enlisted ranks in the Marines, likely meant they both fought on the “front lines,” said 60-year-old Donald Sterling, the former commandant of the Department of New York Marine Corps League in Ilion.
“It’s a situation where you pay your dues,” he said. “The higher you go, the more you’re guiding the others. But at that point, there’s no doubt that you’ve got a lot of responsibilities in battle.”
Oleski, a 2004 graduate of Holland Patent High School, was killed Wednesday during combat operations in Afghanistan's Helmand province, according to the Department of Defense.
His body was flown into Dover Air Force Base in Delaware Thursday afternoon. His family was there to watch as military officials ceremonially moved his body from a plane to a waiting mortuary vehicle.
About three weeks ago, Geary’s family experienced the same fate after his March 20 death when his Humvee apparently was struck by a roadside bomb.
“It’s tragic and unfortunate to see this happen again,” Sterling said. “I’m sure they wanted to protect what all the rest of us are enjoying in the home land.”
‘Like to be challenged’
Different circumstances led each man to join the Marines, but their family and friends said the military branch provided the challenge and direction they needed.
Both were members of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Master Sgt. Matthew Sewell, public affairs chief for the II Marine Expeditionary Force, said men such as Oleski and Geary often are drawn to the Marines.
“The people who want to be Marines are the people who like to challenged,” he said. “They want to be something bigger than themselves.”
Oleski was up for a challenge long before he enlisted in the military in May 2006, friends said.
In 2005 when Nine Mile Creek near his Floyd home flooded, Oleski and his friend Trevor Hiffa decided it was the perfect opportunity to attempt kayaking.
In what seemed like seconds, Hiffa said the two were sucked underwater by the current and emerged missing car keys, cell phones and everything else they had with them.
“It was probably really stupid. We thought we were going to die,” Hiffa said. “Our favorite quote was ‘it’s only an adventure if something goes wrong.’”
Geary, a 2006 Rome Free Academy graduate, also had his share of adventure growing up. He was just 8 years old when he rescued his sister from a fire she started in her bedroom.
And as a teenager he was best described as “a frisky young juvenile prankster,” his father, Michael Geary, has said.
‘Something more fulfilling’
Oleski, who returned from serving in Iraq in January 2008 and left for Afghanistan in November, struggled with the need for adventure throughout his short life.
Hiffa said his best friend since sixth grade went on to attend Mohawk Valley Community College’s Rome campus after graduating high school. But he never developed a passion for anything he studied.
“He just needed something more fulfilling,” Hiffa said. “He thought he could get that great challenge out of the Marines.”
Like Oleski, Geary didn't always see himself in the academic world. He dropped out of Rome Free Academy after his junior year and worked at Turning Stone Resort and Casino for a while before returning and finishing his degree. He graduated in 2006.
But both men were making plans for their lives after their deployments.
Although he planned to re-enlist in the Marines, Geary hoped to marry his fiancee after returning from his tour of duty, and possibly take some college courses while continuing his service.
Hiffa said Oleski didn’t plan to reenlist when his term ran out in May 2010. Instead, he talked about becoming a firefighter or working in environmental sciences – anything that would allow him to work outside.
“He realized it was so much pressure on his family,” Hiffa said. “He was this kind of proper mix of tough and caring."
Ellie