'Thundering Third' Bids Farewell To Fallen Brothers
(June 21, 2010) |
|
|
| TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (June 18, 2010) -- “Greater love
has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his
friends,” quoted Navy Lt. Michael Taylor, the 3rd Battalion,
4th Marine Regiment, chaplain, from John 15:13, in the New
American Standard Bible. |
Dog tags attached to memorials
blow in the wind during a memorial ceremony at
LCpl. Torrey L. Gray Field, June 11, 2010 to
honor LCpl.'s Joshua Birchfield and Cody
Stanley, both Marines from 3rd Battalion, 4th
Marine Regiment, who gave their lives in
Afghanistan. Stanley belonged to Weapons
Company, and Birchfield belonged to Company K. |
|
The hustle and bustle of everyday life stood still on the
morning of June 11 as two fallen Marines from 3rd Bn., 4th
Marines, were honored for their sacrifice at Lance Cpl.
Torrey L. Gray Field.
Lance Cpl. Cody Stanley, 21, a native of Rosanky, Texas,
made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Helmand
province, Afghanistan. On Oct. 28, 2009, Stanley was killed
by an improvised explosive device while attempting to save
the life of a fellow Marine. He belonged to Weapons Company.
Lance Cpl. Joshua H. Birchfield, 24, from Westville, Ind.,
gave his life during a firefight as he turned to fearlessly
face his enemy on Feb. 19, in Farah province, Afghanistan.
Birchfield was assigned to Company K.
Two rifles with fixed bayonets were placed |
|
into wooden stands, two kevlars gently placed on top, a pair of new
boots were laid in front of each rifle, pictures of the
fallen were placed at the bases and dog tags hung from each
pistol grip. |
|
As sound of bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace” echoed
throughout the field, seven riflemen fired a 21-gun salute
to their fallen brothers.
“Its sobering. It brings you face-to-face with reality,”
Taylor said. “They were selfless, very loyal committed
friends.”
Weapons Company was hit hard with Stanley's loss, but his
sacrifice fueled their fighting spirit, said Sgt. Brandan
Jansen, Stanley's section leader.
“We looked at Stanley as a hero. We didn't get depressed. We
conducted ourselves in a way that would make him proud,”
Jansen said. “We hung Stanley's picture on the wall for
motivation before we went out.”
Memorials are a reminder to Marines of what they have chosen
to sacrifice for the preservation of freedom for their
country, said 1st Sgt. Rogelio Deleon, the Weapons Company
first sergeant.
“Through hardships and training, you form a bond and a
brotherhood. So losing Stanley is like losing one of your
own,” Deleon said. “The profession they have chosen to do is
a serious profession; it is a life and death situation.”
Taylor said these Marines chose to serve because they
believed someone had to answer the call.
“It takes a rare few, a person of incredible moral
disciplines, courage and understanding that its not about
themselves. It's about something greater, its about people
who need to be honored, protected and fought for.”
|
Lance Cpl. Joshua Birchfield's
family members are given folded American flags
during a memorial service, June 11, 2010 at
Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Parade Field in honor
of Birchfield, who made the ultimate sacrifice
in Afghanistan, Feb. 19, 2010. |
|
Birchfield always encouraged his brothers to keep pushing
and never quit through hard times, said Lance Cpl. Michael D
Hines, a rifleman in Company K, and friend of Birchfield. “As a person, he always looked at the good side of things.
When things were hard or down, he would find a way to make
everyone have a good time out of it,” Hines said. “As a
Marine, he never quit on anything or anybody. He made sure
everybody pushed through things.”
At the end of the service, final roll call was sounded. When
two names of the fallen were shouted and there was no reply,
it was a grave and somber reminder of the loss they all
seemed bear.
Birchfield's and Stanley's families were the |
|
first to pay respects at the memorials. It was a
heart-wrenching moment shared there as the
families said goodbye to their loved ones. Hundreds of Marines lined up in front of the memorials, each
waiting their turn to pay respects to their fallen brothers.
They solemnly touched the Kevlars, kissed the dog tags or
bowed in respect as a final farewell to their heroes. |
|
Article and photos by USMC Pfc. Sarah Anderson
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms
Copyright 2010 | |
Provided
through DVIDS
Comment on this article |
|
