thedrifter
06-16-09, 07:14 AM
Marines honored for sacrifice
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June 15, 2009 - 11:12 AM
AMANDA HICKEY
Lance Cpl. Justin Companion clearly remembers the day a suicide bomber drove up to the Afghan National Police Station.
Companion and other Marines were holding down the station when "a guy rolled up and it was a suicide bomb, and I was hit by it," he said.
Companion was one of 25 Marines and sailors with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment who received a Purple Heart Monday morning.
Of the 25 honored, 21 were present among family and friends to receive the award for combat injuries.
Like those Cpl. Kenneth Bowen received when his humvee struck an improvised explosive device.
He was the only Marine in the vehicle to survive.
The truck went up in flames and he was immediately on fire, Bowen remembered.
"I was lucky enough to get out of the vehicle and put myself out in a ditch," he said.
Another Marine died at the scene while another died after being airlifted to Texas.
"It's pretty overwhelming," Bowen said. "It was a bad day when I lost two of my friends."
Bowen maintains that he's not a hero.
"The real heroes are the Marines that didn't come back," he said.
The Marines who died in combat received Purple Hearts post posthumously.
The Marines and sailors of 3/8 returned from a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan June 4.
The Marines and sailors of 3/8 will honor their fallen at a private memorial service Tuesday morning.
Contact Amanda Hickey at 910-219-8461 or ahickey@freedomenc.com. Read the Lejeune Deployed blog at http://lejeunedeployed.freedomblogging.com.
Ellie
Comments 0 | Recommend 0
June 15, 2009 - 11:12 AM
AMANDA HICKEY
Lance Cpl. Justin Companion clearly remembers the day a suicide bomber drove up to the Afghan National Police Station.
Companion and other Marines were holding down the station when "a guy rolled up and it was a suicide bomb, and I was hit by it," he said.
Companion was one of 25 Marines and sailors with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment who received a Purple Heart Monday morning.
Of the 25 honored, 21 were present among family and friends to receive the award for combat injuries.
Like those Cpl. Kenneth Bowen received when his humvee struck an improvised explosive device.
He was the only Marine in the vehicle to survive.
The truck went up in flames and he was immediately on fire, Bowen remembered.
"I was lucky enough to get out of the vehicle and put myself out in a ditch," he said.
Another Marine died at the scene while another died after being airlifted to Texas.
"It's pretty overwhelming," Bowen said. "It was a bad day when I lost two of my friends."
Bowen maintains that he's not a hero.
"The real heroes are the Marines that didn't come back," he said.
The Marines who died in combat received Purple Hearts post posthumously.
The Marines and sailors of 3/8 returned from a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan June 4.
The Marines and sailors of 3/8 will honor their fallen at a private memorial service Tuesday morning.
Contact Amanda Hickey at 910-219-8461 or ahickey@freedomenc.com. Read the Lejeune Deployed blog at http://lejeunedeployed.freedomblogging.com.
Ellie