God Bless him and his family.
Thanks for this thread, Lancey.
Posted on 05/01/2007 2:37:42 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
First Lt. Marine Travis Manion "led from the front," said his brother-in-law and close friend, David Borek.
"He wouldn’t put anyone in a situation he would not be in himself first," Borek said. "You would never know if he was worried or if he was scared. He was concrete, so strong — maybe to put us at ease. That was his way of protecting us."
The Doylestown man, a 26-year-old graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, was serving his second tour in Iraq, embedded with an Iraqi army unit that he was leading and training. During a patrol mission Sunday in Anbar province of Iraq, his unit came under sniper fire and Manion was shot and killed.
(Excerpt) Read more at phillyburbs.com ...
Manion’s mother, Jannette, said her son believed in the mission and wished more people backed President Bush’s plan to send more troops to bolster the forces. She recalled a phone call she received from him the night Bush first talked of the troop surge.
"He was so sure what he was doing over there was right," his mother said. "He called the night Bush made his speech about the troop surge and told us, ‘That’s exactly what we need.’ His biggest concern was that the politicians over here were giving life to the insurgents by putting the military and president down."
This Marine was from my neck of the woods. I urge everybody who wonders about the war in Iraq to read this story. It may leave you breathless. To Red and Race: If you have ping lists, I would appreciate it if you would ping them to this. Thanks.
RIP, in heaven.
We lost another hero. Prayers for him and his whole family.
Prayers for First Lt. Marine Travis Manion & his family.
...where the streets will be well guarded.
God Bless him and his family.
Thanks for this thread, Lancey.
I read something recently where a soldier thought the country was paying more respect to people who were killed in an act of criminal violence than we do to our military personnel who are killed defending their country.
Many of us read things like this, and we mourn these men in our hearts and hold the respect for them as something dear and private.
If only they knew, they would not doubt.
RIP Marine
“His biggest concern was that the politicians overe here ....”. He was so right. Prayers for him and his family.
"As far as the job is going, the area is not good right now — but it’s getting better, and to be honest, I’m amazed at the ability and dedication of some of these Iraq Army soldiers. ... The IA’s in this battalion are very eager to fight and to take control of this city. … It was at times frustrating the first time I was here and it will and has been this time, but as in anything in life, true success does not come from battles won easily."
"There are many different views on our mission here. However, all I can say with certainty is that there are thousands of Americans over here working hard towards a positive outcome in Iraq. … I am not sure the average American sees the positives these servicemen and women accomplish or even understand the sacrifices of their efforts. However, whatever course of action our leadership decides upon, there are those in waiting, ready to carry out the mission in support of our country and in defense of its people and their freedoms."
ping
This story may interest you. It is extremely well written and as fair as anything I have ever read. (Note: The Bucks County Courier Times is a left-wing organ of the Democrat party, and so this story really floored me.)
Please see post #13 for some words written recently by this brave Marine.
Regards,
LH
Thank you - I just went back and read the whole article. What a wonderful, brave young Marine. God bless him and hold him close.
Marine Bump!!
....” And when he goes to heaven, St. Peter he will tell; ‘Another Marine reporting Sir, I’ve done my time in hell.’”
(last line of a Marine marching song).
Rest in peace Lt. Semper Fi from an old grunt here.
If only they knew, they would not doubt.
<Well, know this, that each American military death makes me sad beyond belief and I pray for them and their families. And I hope someday that I can thank them personally.
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