thedrifter
11-05-08, 04:54 AM
November 05, 2008
Marine Recalls "Fabulous" Service Experience
By Kitty Merrill
Brian Carabine, Commander of the VFW Everit Albert Herter Post 550 in East Hampton, is a veteran of two foreign wars. He served in Vietnam and in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm. His two sons also served their country in the Marines. His dark blue cap reads, "USMC. Never retire, always a Marine."
On the eve of Veteran's Day, Carabine spoke to The Independent, outlining close to 30 years of service.
Born in the Bronx in 1942, Carabine was the son of an Irish immigrant who didn't join the service during World War II. "He worked in the shipyard and they wanted to keep him there," he explained. The family moved to Lindenhurst in western Suffolk County in 1945 before settling in Southampton in 1956. Carabine graduated from Southampton High School.
At 22, Carabine joined the Marine Corps. "I knew some people who were in the Marines, it struck me as the right thing to do." He trained as a communications specialist and when he was sent to Vietnam in 1966 it was his job to make sure all communications – "radio, computer, microwave, satellite, and telephone" – were in working order.
Carabine worked his way up to platoon sergeant for the reaction platoon, which was tasked with assisting base defense forces at I-Corps. The team also provided security for medical teams and psychological warfare squads. He spent a month in Saigon along with about two years deployed around Indochina. He received "a herd" of conduct ribbons from campaigns during the war.
The choice to enlist in the Marines during a time when many in the nation were trying to avoid the draft and opposed to the conflict was not difficult for Carabine. All the men he served with in his unit were volunteers. "We all knew what we were signing on for." In Saigon, Carabine had the chance to meet Vietnamese locals, and, he said, "Everyone I met was in favor of our participation and wanted us to try and save them from the Communists."
Returning to the United States in 1968, Carabine was stationed at Quantico, Virginia before he mustered out. In 1969 he married his wife Prudence and the couple made their home in East Hampton. Remaining in the reserves for 20 years, Carabine went back to school, making the long commute to Manhattan College. For 13 years he embarked on an only slightly shorter commute, working for an engineering company in Babylon. He was working for a municipal construction company in the '90s when he was re-activated for the Gulf war.
Carabine was deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, again tasked with overseeing communications. This time he was 48 years old. Leaving the U.S. was "easier for me, since I knew what I was doing." At a higher rank and assigned to headquarters, "I knew what was going on. It was more of a challenge for my family because of the unknown." He received a medal for service in the Persian Gulf, and left active service as a Master Gunnery Sergeant.
Carabine, who's been commander of the East Hampton Post since 2003, first joined the VFW in 1979. As a reservist based in Huntington, he participated as part of the honored color guards in parades across the island. "I always tried to make it back" for local parades, he recalled, especially pleased because he was able to participate in the local event in the Bicentennial year 1976.
As Commander, Carabine has been particularly focused on helping veterans access medical care. "We have a van to take people to the clinic in Westhampton and the hospital in Northport," he informed. Recently, Carabine solicited experts in veteran medical care to offer presentations to the membership. "We try to help out as much as we can," he summarized.
The philosophy of service is one Carabine passed down to his two sons Conlon and Sean. In fact, Sean was in boot camp when Brian went over to serve in Desert Storm. "He would have been with me if the war had gone on longer," Carabine mused. Sean retired from the Marines when he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away last year. Brian's youngest son, Conlon, is a major in the Marine Corps. He's currently stationed in San Diego.
"My wife sometimes said she doesn't know how it happened. I never said anything [about joining the Marines] to them. They both decided on their own. Hopefully I gave them a good example."
Looking back, Carabine said serving the country was "fabulous for me." It gave him focus, taught him perseverance and instilled a sense of pride. "All the time I served I felt we were doing good work."
kmerrill@indyeastend.com
Ellie
Marine Recalls "Fabulous" Service Experience
By Kitty Merrill
Brian Carabine, Commander of the VFW Everit Albert Herter Post 550 in East Hampton, is a veteran of two foreign wars. He served in Vietnam and in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm. His two sons also served their country in the Marines. His dark blue cap reads, "USMC. Never retire, always a Marine."
On the eve of Veteran's Day, Carabine spoke to The Independent, outlining close to 30 years of service.
Born in the Bronx in 1942, Carabine was the son of an Irish immigrant who didn't join the service during World War II. "He worked in the shipyard and they wanted to keep him there," he explained. The family moved to Lindenhurst in western Suffolk County in 1945 before settling in Southampton in 1956. Carabine graduated from Southampton High School.
At 22, Carabine joined the Marine Corps. "I knew some people who were in the Marines, it struck me as the right thing to do." He trained as a communications specialist and when he was sent to Vietnam in 1966 it was his job to make sure all communications – "radio, computer, microwave, satellite, and telephone" – were in working order.
Carabine worked his way up to platoon sergeant for the reaction platoon, which was tasked with assisting base defense forces at I-Corps. The team also provided security for medical teams and psychological warfare squads. He spent a month in Saigon along with about two years deployed around Indochina. He received "a herd" of conduct ribbons from campaigns during the war.
The choice to enlist in the Marines during a time when many in the nation were trying to avoid the draft and opposed to the conflict was not difficult for Carabine. All the men he served with in his unit were volunteers. "We all knew what we were signing on for." In Saigon, Carabine had the chance to meet Vietnamese locals, and, he said, "Everyone I met was in favor of our participation and wanted us to try and save them from the Communists."
Returning to the United States in 1968, Carabine was stationed at Quantico, Virginia before he mustered out. In 1969 he married his wife Prudence and the couple made their home in East Hampton. Remaining in the reserves for 20 years, Carabine went back to school, making the long commute to Manhattan College. For 13 years he embarked on an only slightly shorter commute, working for an engineering company in Babylon. He was working for a municipal construction company in the '90s when he was re-activated for the Gulf war.
Carabine was deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, again tasked with overseeing communications. This time he was 48 years old. Leaving the U.S. was "easier for me, since I knew what I was doing." At a higher rank and assigned to headquarters, "I knew what was going on. It was more of a challenge for my family because of the unknown." He received a medal for service in the Persian Gulf, and left active service as a Master Gunnery Sergeant.
Carabine, who's been commander of the East Hampton Post since 2003, first joined the VFW in 1979. As a reservist based in Huntington, he participated as part of the honored color guards in parades across the island. "I always tried to make it back" for local parades, he recalled, especially pleased because he was able to participate in the local event in the Bicentennial year 1976.
As Commander, Carabine has been particularly focused on helping veterans access medical care. "We have a van to take people to the clinic in Westhampton and the hospital in Northport," he informed. Recently, Carabine solicited experts in veteran medical care to offer presentations to the membership. "We try to help out as much as we can," he summarized.
The philosophy of service is one Carabine passed down to his two sons Conlon and Sean. In fact, Sean was in boot camp when Brian went over to serve in Desert Storm. "He would have been with me if the war had gone on longer," Carabine mused. Sean retired from the Marines when he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away last year. Brian's youngest son, Conlon, is a major in the Marine Corps. He's currently stationed in San Diego.
"My wife sometimes said she doesn't know how it happened. I never said anything [about joining the Marines] to them. They both decided on their own. Hopefully I gave them a good example."
Looking back, Carabine said serving the country was "fabulous for me." It gave him focus, taught him perseverance and instilled a sense of pride. "All the time I served I felt we were doing good work."
kmerrill@indyeastend.com
Ellie