3/5 loses Nine in Four days

[USNAviator]

A few of the names have been posted before, five more were just added. Rest in Peace Marines

Unit in Sangin loses 9 Marines in 4 days

By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Oct 19, 2010 19:08:11 EDT

Nine Marines with a battalion that recently deployed to Afghanistan were killed during a four-day period last week, putting the Marine Corps on pace for its deadliest month in combat this year.

Third Battalion, 5th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., suffered the casualties, Pentagon officials said. The unit deployed the last week of September, and is patrolling Sangin, a violent district that the Corps took over from British forces last month. The unit replaced 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, out of Twentynine Palms, Calif., in northern Helmand province.
With two weeks left in October, the Corps has lost 15 Marines and one corpsman in Afghanistan this month. The worst months for Marine deaths this year were June and August, with 17 each. Fifteen were killed in Afghanistan in February, when the Corps launched a major assault on Marjah, a Taliban stronghold and narcotics hub.

The 3/5 casualties in October include:
• Sgt. Ian Tawney, 25. The squad leader was killed Saturday by an improvised explosive device while on a foot patrol, Marine officials said. He enlisted on March 14, 2005, and had deployed to Iraq in 2007.
• Lance Cpl. James Boelk, 24. The infantry rifleman was killed by an IED while on a foot patrol last Friday, officials said. He was on his first combat deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Joseph Lopez, 26. The infantry rifleman was killed by an IED while on a foot patrol last Thursday, officials said. He was on his first combat deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Alec Catherwood, 19. The infantry rifleman was shot to death while on a foot patrol last Thursday, officials said. He was on his first combat deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Irvin Ceniceros, 21. The machine gunner was shot to death while on a foot patrol last Thursday, officials said. He was on his first combat deployment.
Four additional Marines were killed last Wednesday in the same IED blast while riding in a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle, or M-ATV, according to media reports. Those Marines include:
• Cpl. Justin Cain, 22. The machine gunner was on his first combat deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Phillip Vinnedge, 19. The anti-tank assaultman was on his first deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Joseph Rodewald, 21. The machine gunner was on his first combat deployment.
• Pfc. Victor Dew, 20. The anti-tank assaultman was on his first deployment.
Additional details about the deaths were not immediately available, but the Corps said the unit is now based in Sangin in a news release covering the death of Lance Cpl. John Sparks, 23. He was shot to death Oct. 8, becoming the first Marine to die on 3/5’s deployment, Marine officials said.
The most recent Marine casualty announced was Cpl. Jorge Villarreal, 22. A member of Pendleton’s 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, he died Sunday from an IED blast while on a foot patrol.

[charm1110]

Rest in Peace Marines!

My prayers go out to the families and loved ones of these young warriors as well as to rest of 3/5, May God bless all of you and give you strength to carry on.

Semper Fi...

[hbharrison]

Cmdr. did not rply to this before becuase it has become very hard to deal with this subject as I keep remembering all those who died in VN and never came home. So in that I did not reply, Sorry! No disrespect ment to these Marines they gave all.
To all those Marines I say R.I.P. and may God Bless you All.

[USNAviator]

Cmdr. did not rply to this before becuase it has become very hard to deal with this subject as I keep remembering all those who died in VN and never came home. So in that I did not reply, Sorry! No disrespect ment to these Marines they gave all.
To all those Marines I say R.I.P. and may God Bless you All.

Butch no explanation needed. When I read the story I too thought of the news that use to come to the families in the States re casualties in VN. Sometimes a 100 or so a week would come across the news wires.

[Supersquishy]

No words, can't express once again. Rest in Peace Brothers.

[Quinbo]

I say thank-you to these warriors for their service and their sacrifice. While immenant death is a day to day fact for our war fighters it saddens me every time I hear of one. 5th Marines .... the most decorated regiment in the history of the MC. You have done us proud.

[chulaivet1966]

Yes....I echo what others have said on these losses of our Brothers in 3/5.
I have a friend (from TWS forum) who is a Gunny with 3/5 as we speak.

I wish them all good health and a safe return to CONUS.

SF
we

[rb1651]

Lance Cpl. Alec Catherwood's services are this Saturday in Byron. I will be there. He's the second Marine that the town of Byron has lost.

Rest In Peace Marines. You will never be forgotten.

[PittsburghOzzy]

This is f'ed up 10 guys KIA October 8-16, maybe i am watching the wrong news, but here on the east coast I have not seen anything about this, to some of you salt dogs this may not seem like an eye-popping number, but to guy like me who served only one enlistment and got out in 2007 these numbers make me sick.

[hrscowboy]

I would like to know a few things and maybe someone can enlighten me. Why is it DOD has to announce every name of every veteran that is killed in action.. It seems to me that the US Government already knows that the veteran has been terminated and is no longer a member of the U.S. Government so why put it out to the public so jerks like we have in topeka can get a list and show up at the funerals to cause bull...t and problems. They talk about no medical records are allowed to anyone except yourself.. IS DEAD a medical record.

[Casedizzy2821]

We were pallbearers for these fallen angles during their ramp ceremony last week. It is the most honorable thing our squadron can do while we are out here. We ensure all Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and NATO forces are treated with the utmost respect and dignity when we to the ceremonies. No other branch touches the Marine transit cases except Marines.

Semper Fidelis

[Casedizzy2821]

I would like to know a few things and maybe someone can enlighten me. Why is it DOD has to announce every name of every veteran that is killed in action.. It seems to me that the US Government already knows that the veteran has been terminated and is no longer a member of the U.S. Government so why put it out to the public so jerks like we have in topeka can get a list and show up at the funerals to cause bull...t and problems. They talk about no medical records are allowed to anyone except yourself.. IS DEAD a medical record.

From what the Msgt. here told me, it's up to the families if they want the fallen's name to go public or not. He said 99% of the time the families publish the name.

[hrscowboy]

Does our DOD tell the families that there could be problems with that?? Listing a death of the veteran in there home town paper i dont see a problem because nuts like we have in topeka dont take all the home town papers, but when the DOD puts it out the list for all too see and list the veterans home town then thats where the problem begins,The nut from kansas can go on the DOD website and see the veterans names and home town and call the local funeral homes to see when the services are and presto hes there with his nut cases. I just think the DOD needs to fix this problem for the familys until the Supreme Court rules on the Matter...

[mcvet57103]

To my fallen brothers, and their families I give a heart felt Semper Fi. They will not be forgotten.

The bunch of in-bread nutbags from Topeka will get whats coming to them hopefully sooner than later. It would be awesome to see the whole town turn up in front of these A-holes, the police get called away on another matter, then destroy their signs, strip em all naked, tattoo dumb-azz on their foreheads, litteraly tar and feather them, confiscate their transportation, and make em walk out of town naked, and penniless.