thedrifter
08-24-09, 06:50 AM
Marines honor fallen comrades
Nate A. Miller,
Retired Marine Pfc. Kenneth Clements never knew the two men, but that didn't stop him from donning his dress blue uniform and standing as a sentry in the hot August sun over a wreath laid to honor their sacrifice.
“They're my brothers. I never met them, but they're my brothers,” said the Greeley resident, who served in the Marines from 1954-62. “It was an honor to serve. It's still an honor to serve.”
Clements was part of the Union Colony Marines Detachment 1093, which held a wreath laying ceremony Sunday afternoon at Bittersweet Park in Greeley to honor the memory of Marine Sgt. Glen E. Martinez of Boulder, who was killed in Iraq in May, and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Garcia of Aurora, who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month. The detachment holds similar ceremonies each time a Marine or Navy corpsman dies in the fighting in the Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts. In the somber ceremony, members of the Union Colony Marine Detachment laid a wreath next to an upturned rifle capped with a military helmet and a pair of combat boots at the Veterans Memorial at the park. Each Marine in attendance then stood sentry in 15-minute increments.
The detachment has performed about a dozen similar ceremonies this year. As of Sunday, at least 4,335 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. As of Saturday — the most recent numbers available — at least 716 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department and provided by the Associated Press.
Union Colony Marines Detachment Commandant Fred Davis, who served in the Marines for 21 years, including service in Operation Desert Storm, Somalia and Operation Iraqi Freedom, said it's not hard to find motivation to organize the ceremonies.
“It's called esprit de corps,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion. “It's a brotherhood Marines have. We don't leave anybody behind.”
Davis said the effort to honor those who gave their lives in service of their country transcends politics.
“It's a pride and dedication to the American people and their way of life,” he said. “These young men and women never asked or questioned why they're over there. They were sent over there because their government asked them to do this. They may disagree with why we're there, but they went anyway.”
The detachment is part of the Marine Corps League, which works to preserve the traditions of the Marines and promote the Corps. In addition to events such as the wreath laying, it works to support former and current Marines and Navy corpsmen and their families. Detachment 1093 is comprised of veterans who served from the Korean War to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Scott Ehrlich, 23, one of the newest and youngest members of the detachment, joined shortly after getting out of the Marines.
“I got out a year ago. After awhile, you kind of start missing it,” he said. “The Marine and corpsman that we're out here honoring here today, they could be my buddies, I mean I could have known them. I mean, they're just people that I was over there with and that I feel I need to be here to honor.”
Ehrlich said he feels a bond with his fellow Marines that spans generations.
“When you're in a service, you're not necessarily blood related to the people you're with, but when you experience the things we've all experienced you become almost closer than family.”
Ellie
Nate A. Miller,
Retired Marine Pfc. Kenneth Clements never knew the two men, but that didn't stop him from donning his dress blue uniform and standing as a sentry in the hot August sun over a wreath laid to honor their sacrifice.
“They're my brothers. I never met them, but they're my brothers,” said the Greeley resident, who served in the Marines from 1954-62. “It was an honor to serve. It's still an honor to serve.”
Clements was part of the Union Colony Marines Detachment 1093, which held a wreath laying ceremony Sunday afternoon at Bittersweet Park in Greeley to honor the memory of Marine Sgt. Glen E. Martinez of Boulder, who was killed in Iraq in May, and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Garcia of Aurora, who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month. The detachment holds similar ceremonies each time a Marine or Navy corpsman dies in the fighting in the Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts. In the somber ceremony, members of the Union Colony Marine Detachment laid a wreath next to an upturned rifle capped with a military helmet and a pair of combat boots at the Veterans Memorial at the park. Each Marine in attendance then stood sentry in 15-minute increments.
The detachment has performed about a dozen similar ceremonies this year. As of Sunday, at least 4,335 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. As of Saturday — the most recent numbers available — at least 716 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department and provided by the Associated Press.
Union Colony Marines Detachment Commandant Fred Davis, who served in the Marines for 21 years, including service in Operation Desert Storm, Somalia and Operation Iraqi Freedom, said it's not hard to find motivation to organize the ceremonies.
“It's called esprit de corps,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion. “It's a brotherhood Marines have. We don't leave anybody behind.”
Davis said the effort to honor those who gave their lives in service of their country transcends politics.
“It's a pride and dedication to the American people and their way of life,” he said. “These young men and women never asked or questioned why they're over there. They were sent over there because their government asked them to do this. They may disagree with why we're there, but they went anyway.”
The detachment is part of the Marine Corps League, which works to preserve the traditions of the Marines and promote the Corps. In addition to events such as the wreath laying, it works to support former and current Marines and Navy corpsmen and their families. Detachment 1093 is comprised of veterans who served from the Korean War to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Scott Ehrlich, 23, one of the newest and youngest members of the detachment, joined shortly after getting out of the Marines.
“I got out a year ago. After awhile, you kind of start missing it,” he said. “The Marine and corpsman that we're out here honoring here today, they could be my buddies, I mean I could have known them. I mean, they're just people that I was over there with and that I feel I need to be here to honor.”
Ehrlich said he feels a bond with his fellow Marines that spans generations.
“When you're in a service, you're not necessarily blood related to the people you're with, but when you experience the things we've all experienced you become almost closer than family.”
Ellie