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thedrifter
05-25-09, 08:59 AM
Trio links stories to uncle’s life during Camp Schwab visit
By Cindy Fisher, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, May 26, 2009

CAMP SCHWAB, Okinawa — Jim and Jeff Carlson and their sister Janie Brady never met their uncle, Albert E. Schwab

But all their lives they’ve heard stories about the Medal of Honor recipient who was killed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

"Mom was 14 when he went off to go to war, and she adored her brother," Jeff Carlson said. "In her eyes, he could do no wrong."

Jim Carlson, 52, agreed. "One of Mom’s favorite memories of Albert was him taking her to a local root beer stand."

Other than their mother’s memories, however, the siblings had few links to their uncle.

So it was the journey of a lifetime to visit the base named in honor of Schwab, Jeff Carlson said.

The three have always known there was a base on Okinawa named for their uncle, "but it was always half a world away," he said.

All the siblings really knew about Camp Schwab was the black and white photo their mother had of the base entrance, Jeff Carlson said.

That is until the trio spent Memorial Day weekend touring the base and visiting with the Marines stationed here. And since their cousin, Steven Albert Schwab, the Marine’s son, passed away two years ago, they feel like they are here for him, too, said the 56-year-old Brady.

Many World War II veterans, including their father who served in the Navy, wouldn’t delve into their experiences, but being on Camp Schwab makes him feel closer to his uncle, Jim Carlson said.

And how the three made it to Okinawa for the visit is an illustration of what it means to be part of the Marine family, Brady added.

While attending an annual wreath laying ceremony at their uncle’s gravesite in Oklahoma, they met Sgt. William Edwards, a Marine severely injured in Iraq in 2006.

Edwards had been based on Camp Schwab for three years with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. After receiving burns on 45 percent of his body when an improvised explosive device detonated on his Humvee, Edwards said he was sent to a burn facility in Texas for rehabilitation.

While healing and waiting to see if he would be allowed to remain on active duty, Edwards was sent to help train a reserve unit in Oklahoma where he met Schwab’s descendents. When he learned they had never been to Okinawa, he began coordinating with Schwab-based units to see what he could do about getting them there, he said.

"It was the right thing to do to get the family here to pay tribute to their uncle," said Edwards, who accompanied the family here.

Seeing the base and knowing that their uncle is remembered is comforting, Brady said.

"It was very important for our family to understand what it means to be hero," she said. "He is indeed a treasure who’s memory needs to stay alive."


Ellie