My Boy.....

[Phantom Blooper]

Received in email.....RIP Marine!

My God bless, comfort and strengthen them. Semper Fi!



From: Kelly LtGen John FDate: November 12, 2010 10:23:20 PM ESTSubject: FW: My Boy

Family and Friends,



As I think you all know by now our Robert was killed in action protecting our country, its people, and its values from a terrible and relentless enemy, on 9 Nov, in Sangin, Afghanistan. He was leading his Grunts on a dismounted patrol when he was taken. They are shaken, but will recover quickly and already back at it. He went quickly and thank God he did not suffer. In combat that is as good as it gets, and we are thankful. We are a broken hearted - but proud family. He was a wonderful and precious boy living a meaningful life. He was in exactly the place he wanted to be, doing exactly what he wanted to do, surrounded by the best men on this earth - his Marines and Navy Doc.



The nation he served has honored us with promoting him posthumously to First Lieutenant of Marines. We will bury our son, now 1stLt Robert Michael Kelly USMC, in Arlington National Cemetery on 22 Nov. Services will commence at 1245 at Fort Myers. We will likely have a memorial receiving at a yet to be designated funeral home on 21 Nov. The coffin will be closed. Our son Captain John Kelly USMC, himself a multi-tour combat veteran and the best big brother on this earth, will escort the body from Dover Air Force Base to Arlington. From the moment he was killed he has never been alone and will remain under the protection of a Marine to his final resting place.



Many have offered prayers for us and we thank you, but his wonderful wife Heather and the rest of the clan ask that you direct the majority of your prayers to his platoon of Marines, still in contact and in "harm's way," and at greater risk without his steady leadership.



Thank you all for the many kindnesses we could not get through this without you all. Thank you all for being there for us. The pain in unimaginable, and we could not do this without you.



Semper Fidelis



John Kelly



IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1033-10November 10, 2010DOD Identifies Marine Casualty



The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.



2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly, 29, of Tallahassee, Fla., died Nov. 9 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.



For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-8766.

[Wyoming]

Thanks Chuck.

Very moving.

[Gunner 0313]

Did you get that off the "All Hands" Phantom ?




Marine 2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly

Died November 09, 2010 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom

29, of Tallahassee, Fla.; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Nov. 9 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.

Kelly looked forward to long career in military

By Jeff Burlew

Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Marine 2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly had a quick wit, a fondness for history and ice hockey, and a deep love of country, his friends and family members said.

Kelly, 29, a 2003 Florida State University graduate, was killed Nov. 9 by the blast of an improvised explosive device while taking part in dismounted combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand province, Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department.

He was an infantry officer assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. The decorated officer was a son of Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly, commander of the Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North. His brother, John Kelly, also is a Marine.

“Growing up in a military family, he had a sense of duty,” said Matthew Rowland, who met Kelly in 2000 when they were freshmen at FSU. “I think he always knew he was going into the military. When we were in school, he studied a lot of military history — he was a big reader and a history buff.”

Rowland got to know Kelly from their days living in Cash Hall on campus. At one point, Kelly caught a glimpse of Rowland’s first cousin, Heather Landry, and asked him to introduce them.

“He kept saying, ‘Set us up — let’s go out on a double date,’ “ Rowland recalled. “Eventually, we went out on a double date. And they did hit it off. They were pretty much inseparable.”

Kelly and Landry married June 30, 2007. They were making their home in Oceanside, Calif., friends said.

Rowland remembered Kelly as quick-witted, intelligent and patriotic. He last spoke to him a few weeks ago, the day before Kelly was deployed to Afghanistan.

“He said he definitely wanted to make [the military] a career and that he liked what he was doing,” Rowland said. “He felt like he was doing a good thing.”

Kelly was born at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. and graduated from Gar-Field Senior High School in Woodbridge, Va., said his close friend, Mike LaBella.

He also is survived by his mother, Karen Kelly, and a sister, Kathleen Kelly.

Officer killed in Helmand was 3-star’s son

By Gina Cavallaro

Staff writer

A Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based Marine officer killed Nov. 9 while on foot patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, was the son of a Marine three-star general.

Second Lt. Robert M. Kelly, 29, who was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, was killed by an improvised explosive device, according to a 1st Marine Division release.

He was the son of Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly, commander of Marine Forces Reserve, a spokeswoman at the command confirmed.

Second Lt. Kelly, commissioned on Dec. 12, 2008, after having served as an enlisted Marine, was on his third combat deployment.

Lt. Gen. Kelly is largely credited with maintaining the security environment achieved in Anbar province, Iraq, during his command of I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) in 2008.

[Phantom Blooper]

Did you get that off the "All Hands" Phantom ?

No...this was sent to me as an email from one of my other Marine brothers....right before I posted.