Category: Marine Corps Stories

A Visit from Arnold

A Visit from Arnold

Hello everyone-
As all of you know, my brother Austin, was injured in Fallujah on Nov. 8th. He has been through many surgeries and faces a road of recovery and rehab ahead. He has been in the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland since Nov. 15th receiving care. My mom and dad drove to Maryland on Nov. 19th, they drove straight through. They were in a bit of a hurry to get to their son 🙂 Well on Thanksgiving, Nov. 25th, Austin and fellow Marines were visited by the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, his wife, Maria Shriver, her mother (don’t know her name, but she was a Kennedy), and Arnold and Maria’s children. Pretty cool HUH!! Austin got his autograph and they all shook mom’s and dad’s hand, they also took a picture of Austin with Arnold.(Which is what I attached.) Mom and dad said that Maria and Arnold kept telling their kids that that these were the real heros. They wanted to come and thank all the Marines who were in the hospital, this was not the first time for them to pay a visit, they do this often. Our REAL HEROS do deserve to know that their sacrifices are never unnoticed. I just wanted to share. Also, OUR HERO (and Arnold’s)-AUSTIN, should be returning home Tues. from Maryland. YAH!!!!
Love-
Proud sister-Alisha read more

3-11 News from Iraq

3-11 News from Iraq

30 July 2004

Dear family and friends of 3/11,

Well the month of July has flown by for most of us here, I hope the same is true for all of you waiting patiently and working diligently to take care of all the projects I and every other father, son, and brother in this Battalion have evaded this past five months. Thanks for all you are doing. read more

To A Great Friend

To A Great Friend

Sgt Grit,
Here is a photo of myself and SSgt Junjak at the airfield in Camp AL Asad, Iraq taken around late August, early September 2004. I was a Sgt at the time of the photo. Athough I’ve got many friends in the Marine Corps, no one person, especially a female, has made me laugh as much as she could. She will never really know the impact that she has made in my life. SSgt Junjak; adored by all, loved by her husband and children, a great friend, and forever a hard-charging Marine. Tearfully, she will always be missed. Thank you for your time……
SSGT VICTOR DIAZ
1ST MARDIV G-1
CAMP AL ASAD, IRAQ read more

A Very Special Gift

A Very Special Gift

In April of 2003, I received a letter from then SSgt Adrian Walker, one of my former students. I didn’t comprehend the true significance of that letter at the time, but in it he described his unit’s (3/7) move into Baghdad. He explained how the AAV he was riding in crossed the Tigris River and then ran into a minefield. The blast damaged the left track, but the AAV continued to advance for about 1/4 mile before the track came completely off. His Marines provided security for the vehicle until it could be towed back to the Maintainence Collection Point (MCP). They fired on a couple of suspicious vehicles during the night and engaged in some firefights, but finally were towed back to MCP. There, they transfered to another vehicle and made their way back into Baghdad. Eventually, they moved into the Iraqi Olympic Training facility where they set up camp. That is where they were when they were informed that Hussein’s regime had collapsed. read more