Cpl. Sean Stokes: Your Point Man

[thedrifter]

Cpl. Sean Stokes: Your Point Man
by Michelle Oddis (more by this author)
Posted 08/10/2007 ET

I received an anonymous email last week, it referred to a November 2006 HUMAN EVENTS article titled “Remember the Heroes of Fallujah” by James C. Roberts. The story was written to commemorate the two year anniversary of Operation Phantom Fury, an iconic mission in which select Marine and Army battalions surrounded and entered the city of Fallujah to sweep out jihadists.

“Fallujah had become a magnet for foreign jihadists and there were several thousand in the city who had come to make martyrs of themselves, to die while killing as many Americans as possible” Roberts wrote.

Roberts interviewed the heroes who fought in Operation Phantom Fury, telling their incredible stories of valor in combat. One of the Marines he’d interviewed was Cpl. Sean Stokes. The anonymous email said, “Thought you should know that Sean Stokes was killed in Iraq, Monday the 30th of July 2007.”

Taken aback, I pulled up Roberts’ article from the HUMAN EVENTS archives and scrolled through to look for the segment with the soldier mentioned in this unsettling email. As I came across Stokes picture and read his story my eyes welled up with tears, and my throat began to tighten. I didn’t know Cpl. Sean Stokes but something about his words, and Roberts’ account, reached out to me.

“On November 17, the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment was moving systematically through Fallujah, clearing houses. Pvt. Sean Stokes was point man for his platoon, which meant that on this day he was the man to kick in the door and enter the houses first” wrote Roberts.

“At each house I said a prayer,” Stokes says. “Please God get me out of this one. When I come out of the house, I thank him, light up a cigarette and move on to the next one.”

The more I thought about the email and Sean Stokes the more I knew I needed to tell his story. Looking for more information on Stokes’ life and service in the Marine Corps, I came across articles and blog entries from family members, friends, and even strangers whose lives Sean touched. Jeff Sommers a Marine who served with Stokes wrote a blog about his comrade. He wrote about the trials and tribulations Stokes faced while in the Marines and his perseverance and passion for being a Marine that pushed him forward. He told the tale of Stokes’ heroic actions in Fallujah and also why Stokes went on a 3rd tour to Iraq. Sommers wrote:

“As he neared his end of service date, he began approaching me, wondering what he could do to deploy again. I told him that he didn’t need to deploy again, he’d earned the rank no one told him he could, fought in the biggest battle in decades, and had a good life waiting for him. He persisted, and with only weeks to go, told me that if we deployed and something happened he wouldn’t feel right being back home. I know it would eat him up for the rest of his life if he felt he was leaving anything unfinished.”

“The last time I saw him I asked how he was doing. He was happy, the element was led by Sgt Adams, one of his friends from the Fallujah platoon, they were in the same squad together back then in 2004. He liked working with him, and was exactly where he wanted to be if we deployed -- back in a place for him to lead Marines and guide them through a fight if it happened. It was the situation that he feared would happen if he had gotten out, his buddies would be someplace where he couldn’t share the burden with them.”

Another news story on Stokes mentioned a book written about Operation Phantom Fury called We Were One: Shoulder to Shoulder With the Marines Who Took Fallujah. The book’s author, Patrick O’Donnell, was embedded in Fallujah with Stokes and focuses on him a great deal through out the book. O’Donnell was kind enough to talk to me about Stokes’ story.

“I consider myself a friend of his and I’m a big, big supporter of Sean. This has really hit me hard. I can almost feel him in the room. I can almost touch him right now. But he’s gone. He’s really one of the most noble people I’ve ever met. I saw his courage first hand. He was clearly one of the most courageous Marines in 1st platoon. He killed nine guys single-handedly. He was combat wounded two or three times and he hid his wounds so he wouldn’t be evacuated…so he could stay and fight with his brothers.”

O’Donnell expressed to me his concern that the military had not yet honored Stokes with a Bronze Star for his actions in Fallujah and that he was even missing some Purple Hearts. In his last conversation with Stokes via email he told me Stokes said, “My medal is living.”

While walking “point” again in Al-Anbar province Stokes was checking an area to make sure it was clear for other vehicles to pass through when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated underneath him. Sommer’s blogs that “a helicopter arrived shortly to evacuate him, but he bled to death before it landed at the aid station.”

Something led me to Sean Stokes. I feel honored to have spoken with his friends and family and to have heard the fragments of his life that they have shared. His heroic deeds in Fallujah were a testament to his soul and the kind of selfless person his loved ones have told me he was. When you think of Sean Stokes don’t just picture a young man in dress blues: think of a son greeting his father and mother upon his return from a tour in Iraq, a grandson posing for a picture with his grandmother, a brother, a cousin, and friend always looking out for his loved ones, and a fiancé waiting to return to his lover.

I asked O’Donnell if there was anything that he wanted to make sure that people knew about Sean, he said “That he was the most noble person I’ve met in my life…extremely courageous…selfless…and he had this really cool smile too.”

www.wewereone.com/

www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=17859

http://sommers03.blogspot.com/2007/0...an-stokes.html

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Celebrating the life of a fallen warrior
By Sgt. Andy Hurt

NEAR KARMAH, Iraq (August 5, 2007) - Corporal Sean A. Stokes, who was killed July 30 in Al Anbar province, is a legend. Not because his body now lay still, rather because he lived a life of selfless devotion and valor that those who hear his story will never forget.

The warriors who know the tale of Sean Stokes - the young private who took point in Fallujah, or the compassionate selfless Marine who put nothing before the safety of his brothers - will tell his story for ages to come. Those who have not yet heard of Sean Stokes needn't look far. True accounts of his actions in Fallujah saturate the internet, and Stokes' name peppers mainstream non-fiction war stories. His name is synonymous with heroism and passion, and the more we can tell his story, the more we honor his life and the hundreds of warriors like Stokes who have gone before us and fill our ranks.

The details of the war are grim. When a Marine arrives in country, he is issued an administrative number, which some refer to as a "kill number." He is required to carry his kill number in a pocket on his left arm. In the event the Marine becomes a casualty his number is pulled and passed over an endless network of radio waves. No name is passed at any time until that Marine's next of kin have been contacted. The official process is simple and sterile. When a casualty occurs, a situation report is passed to the Command Operations Center. A medevac request goes up the chain of command and the wounded are evacuated. At this point, spirits are high among Marines who believe in resiliency and modern day miracles - which do happen, rarely - and our best nature knows the Marine will pull through and everything will be okay.

The phone rings.

Marine: "... okay."

The Marine hangs up the phone.

"Time of death: eleven forty-five."

The office goes completely silent and eyes are fixed upon boots. Heads fall into hands and somewhere above the bloody sand in a black-smoke sky an angel ascends into heaven.

Sean Stokes enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He joined 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines in 2004 after running into trouble with his previous command. As a punishment, he was busted down to the rank of private, and transferred to 3/1 - the next unit scheduled to deploy. A twist of fate perhaps, as Sean would make history in the coming months. Under normal circumstances he would have been discharged.

"Sean wasn't upset about it at all. He considered it an opportunity to prove himself and make new friends," said 1st Lt. Jeffrey Sommers, Stokes' platoon commander at the time.

Sommers' description of Sean echoes that of Auburn, Calif., citizens who knew him. A high school guidance counselor described Sean as a young man who wanted to "develop into a real strong, ethical, moral human being." During Operation Phantom Fury, the reserved Marine would prove himself a Spartan in the streets. Sommers said he witnessed Stokes commit maniacal acts of bravery, to the point where the platoon commander questioned his sanity.

"I would see Marines do things and think to myself 'Hey, glad everything turned out the way it did, but what the hell was going through your head?'"

One example comes from Nov. 10, when Stokes, who served as the front-walking "point man", and his team were ambushed by enemy forces with grenades and automatic weapons fire. Stokes sustained shrapnel wounds in his lower legs and refused to be evacuated while he provided suppressive fire, allowing an adjacent unit to destroy the enemy.

Stokes maintained walking point each day of battle. Being the point man meant he was the first Marine down every street, in every house and every room - hundreds of rooms. He was the first Marine to be attacked by the enemy and the first to report the situation to his squad leader. Bullets, grenades, rockets and roadside bombs were around every corner.

When asked to describe Sean Stokes' motives for taking the lead into so much danger, Sommers explained: "You don't do it because of courage, and you don't do it because you want to. Stokes probably did it because he knew there was more to the battle than the few seconds involved in opening a door."

He continued: "That kind of compassion ... I won't really ever understand. Human factors in those situations take a grip of you long before honor, courage and commitment."

Bing West, author of No True Glory, met Stokes during the battle of Fallujah and fondly recalled Stokes as "A grunt with (Lima Company) 3/1 with a great smile."

"He was then living on the third deck of a shot-out factory that I was sure would collapse around us," said West. "Sean just laughed when I told him I was going to sleep outdoors. He had seen three weeks of non-stop action."

According to a citation for a pending award, during the non-stop action Stokes saw the face of the death constantly and was wounded several times.

What kept him going?

"At each house, I said a prayer," Stokes later told a reporter. "Please God, get me out of this one. When I come out of a house, I thank Him, light up a cigarette and move on to the next one."

When the dust settled and blood was rinsed from the streets, names of men like Sean Stokes who braved Hell on Earth rose from the ruins. Some Marines claim to have witnessed Stokes dispatch as many as ten insurgents, others say it was more than twenty.

After the battle Stokes remained with 3/1, ran through another work-up cycle and deployed again in Sept. 2005 to the Western Al Anbar province. During this time, he solidified his bond with his peers and built upon his reputation as the quiet warrior. He began to recover from his earlier career glitches and picked up rank and billets of responsibility. When the unit completed the deployment, Stokes was set to get out of the Marine Corps - but he didn't.

"Sean was working at the gym on Pendleton, and I would see him every now and then and we'd talk," said Sommers. When he told the battalion he was eager to extend his contract and deploy again with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the staff was less than shocked. Another hero of Fallujah, Sgt. Bradley Adams, had volunteered to join the battalion for the Western Pacific deployment. The bond between Stokes and Adams gave each Marine no choice but to stand by his brother.

"Basically, each Marine said 'I'm not going without him and he's not going anywhere without me," claims Maj. Shannon Neller, 3/1 Operations Officer.

Together, the two were tasked to the battalion commander's Personal Security Detachment. On the battlefield, this meant constant convoy operations down bomb-ridden highways and snap tactical decisions in the interest of keeping the movement as safe as possible. Stokes and Adams, said Neller, initially conducted operations in separate vehicles but eventually made their way to the lead vehicle. For Stokes, this meant taking point.

"The (battalion) sergeant major called him "The Pathfinder" out there," said Neller.

Stokes' last day on Earth went something like this:

Elements from Battalion Landing Team 3/1 were conducting Operation PEGASUS BRIDGE, a counter-insurgency effort in the Eastern Al Anbar province. Lima, India and Weapons companies were scattered across the area of operations, sweeping for weapons caches, roadside bombs and rooting out anti-coalition insurgents. Stokes and Adams, along with the Commander's Personal Security Detachment, were darting back and forth from company positions when the convoy stopped to sweep for IEDs near an existing crater. The Marines formed a "V" and stepped carefully along the roadside when a blast rocked the area.

When the chaos subsided, two Marines were down - Stokes and Adams.

"As soon as they passed over the (radio) net PSD had taken two casualties, I knew it was those two," Sommers said. "I knew if anything ever happened to PSD it would be those guys." Sommers added he was almost certain Stokes walked point on the sweep. He did.

There are many, many ways to cope with a loss. Combat Marines have a great deal of experience with the situation, and it is all too easy sometimes to say a quick prayer and hold back tears until a memorial service is held. Marines are not heartless; like Stokes, they share a sense of duty and know their mission must continue. By pressing on, we show the Marine is still with us, and we are respecting his conviction by standing by ours. Stokes' steadfast dedication to his fellow Marines is one of legendary proportion.

"Sean was in his element here," Sommers said, "this is where his heart was. A lot of people do this as a job, but he did it because he loved it. He paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect his brothers and keep them out of danger. He wasn't fighting for the American people or the Marine Corps, he was here for Adams and the guys in his platoon."

Sommers stressed the idea that Stokes' selflessness was far beyond that of average young men.

"Everyone talks about 'service before self, it's all about the guy next to you,' y'know? And they're taught that but some people definitely don't live it. Stokes lived it."

Marines will weep as they celebrate his life and his actions. Is there any place more fitting for a warrior to rest than in the hearts of fellow men who braved a land of danger?

Absolutely not.

Corporal Sean A. Stokes, the Fallujah Point Man, battalion Pathfinder, is a legend.

In the midst of a modern "Me Generation," young men like Sean Stokes are few and far between. Type his name into an internet search, however, and you'll see the word "Hero" pop up everywhere.

Stokes' actions are boasted on sites like "Marinemoms.com", "Patriotguard.org" and countless internet blogs from random observers, parents, wives, brothers, friends, leaders and subordinates. Stokes' name is already synonymous with heroism in the most sacred of places: the heart of America.

To speak of legends in the warrior culture has become a history lesson.

Spartan King Leonidas, Dan Daly, Smedly Butler, and perhaps the most famous: Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, who was awarded five Navy Crosses during his service from 1918 to 1955.

What about the Jason Dunhams, the Brad Kasals, and the Sean Stokes'?

"Marines like Stokes have many names. His name might not have been King Leonidas, but he would've filled the first ranks of 'The 300.*' Marines like Stokes are the closest thing to legend we have."

The birth of a legend can be overlooked, and the life of a legend is something special. Fortunately for Sean Stokes, a legend never dies.

(Rest in peace, warrior.)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: To tell the story of Cpl. Sean Stokes is an honor. This story is not meant to place an individual above his fellow Marines, but to highlight the warrior spirit of the United States Marine Corps and the thousands of young men like Sean Stokes who have shed blood on the battlefield in Iraq. Please pass this tale on to those in need of inspiration, guidance and spirit.

*'The 300' comes from the Spartan battle at the Hot Gates of in 480 B.C. It is said 300 Spartan warriors held back an overwhelming force of Persians.

Ellie