Sunset and evening star
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Tonight we celebrate the lives of four young Marines who were serving in Afghanistan’s Operation Enduring Freedom when their Humvee encountered a roadside bomb in what is being described as the worst single attack this year on U.S. or coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The oldest Marine who died was 24, the youngest was 19. They trained together, they fought together and they died together. Tonight we remember them together. Please join me over the fold to say good-bye.
DoD Identifies Marine Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of four Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, 20, of Tacoma, Wash.
Lance Cpl. Layton Bradly Crass, 22, of Richmond, In.
Pfc. Dawid Pietrek, 24, of Bensenville, Ill.
Pfc. Michael Robert Patton, 19, of Fenton, Mo.
All four Marines died June 14 while supporting combat operations in Farah Province, Afghanistan. They were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Dawid Pietrek: "He was smart and kind and worked so hard..."
As the child of an immigrant (and aren’t we all?), I am always moved by stories of men and women who are willing to risk everything to become American citizens. When he died last week, Dawid (pronounced DAH veed) Pietrek was still dreaming of becoming a U.S. citizen, something he hoped to expedite by enlisting in the service. Dawid had moved to the U.S. from his native Poland several years ago. Armed with a green card, training as a medical caregiver and a genuine desire to become an American, he settled in the Chicago area, where there is a large population of Polish immigrants.
Dawid was here to work hard and have a better life than he could in Eastern Europe. He longed to go to college and become a police officer. In the meantime, he earned a living working as a home-health care aide.
"I loved him so much. He was like my son," said Janina Filleborn, who hired Pietrek about four years ago when he came to the United States to work as a home caregiver for her company, Family Care Agency in Chicago.
"This is a terrible shock for me. Dawid was the best. He was smart and kind and worked so hard."
SOURCE
Soon after he arrived in the U.S. three years ago, Dawid took a job helping care for Joanne Rohn’s elderly father. According to Mrs. Rohn, Dawid shared the family home with her, her husband, Bill, and their three children for about six months, until her father passed away.
"He was always very respectful and good with my father," Joanne Rohn said. "He always called us Mr. and Mrs. It took months for me to get him to call us by our first names."
Added Bill Rohn: "He was kind of shy at first when he got here, and then he opened up and became part of our family."
SOURCE
The Rohns saw Dawid last holiday season, when he paid them a visit after finishing his basic training. Not surprisingly, he was proudly dressed in full uniform.
"He was not scared," Joanne Rohn said. "He was real happy with what he was doing and was self-assured."
(snip)
Joanne Rohn said she is putting together mementos of Pietrek's time with their family to send to his mother "to give her some sense that it was worth something."
SOURCE
Dawid is survived by his parents and a young sister, who live in his hometown of Police, in northwestern Poland.
Though he was not in the U.S. that long, his impact was profound.
After news of his tragic death spread, dozens of fellow Marine families reached out to the Daily Herald or left heartfelt messages on military blogs inquiring whether a funeral with military honors will be held here. So far, nothing has been planned. The American Red Cross also is getting involved.
Thousands of miles away, in Poland, Dorota Pietrek [Dawid’s mother] asked that those in the country her son adopted as his own remember him, too, as one of their own.
"Thank you for keeping him in your hearts and your minds," she wrote.
SOURCE
Do widzenia, Dawid. ("Good-bye" in Polish). We will always remember.
Layton Crass: "He loved life and wanted to make sure you knew it."
When the World Trade Center was attacked on September 11, 2001, Layton Crass tried to enlist in the service. He was 16 years old. Even though his father, Donald, is a veteran from "a Marine family," Layton’s parents asked him to wait.
Waiting wasn’t easy, but Layton spent time rollerblading, playing paintball and working as a member of the Richmond Police Youth Cadet Program, where he was thought of as "just really a good morale booster." Shortly after graduating from Richmond High School, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.
"He was determined to serve no matter what," Donald Crass [his father] recalled, staring at the floor as he talked.
"I raised my kids to respect this country and what it stands for. ...I just think he felt that way."
High school classmate Peter Werle agrees. As he told the Palladium-Item:
"I remember how proud Layton was to get into the Marines," Werle wrote in an e-mail. " ... He saw the Marines as a real shot to do something exciting and important."
SOURCE
After completing basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, Layton served an eight-month tour in Iraq, where he lost two close friends in battle. He was deployed to Afghanistan only months ago. During his short time in the Marine Corps, Layton earned seven awards and decorations, including the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and two Sea Service Deployment ribbons.
During weekly phone calls to his family, Layton was upbeat and avoided talking about the difficulties he faced.
"Mothers don't need to know some things," Lynne said. "We'd keep it light."
But there was no doubt the young Marine was doing what he wanted to do.
His grandmother, Mary Ann Coons, remembers taking him last year, clad in his military "dress blues," to Welliver's smorgasbord in Hagerstown for lunch after church one weekend.
"People were coming up, shaking his hand, saying 'Thank you for serving,'" Coons recalled as tears welled in the eyes Tuesday of listening family members.
"He said, 'Grandma, I'm so proud.'"
SOURCE
The middle of three children, Layton was known for his huge, infectious smile and spontaneous attitude.
"He loved life and wanted to make sure you knew it," said Donald Crass, the fallen soldier's father.
"If he was in the room right now, you'd know it," his mother added.
(snip)
His mother recalled her laughter when, as a child, Layton loudly imitated pterodactyl calls and mimicked comedian Jim Carrey's strut in "Ace Ventura" movies while the two of them ran errands together.
"I couldn't help but laugh at the kid," she said.
That was then. This is now, with family and friends remembering Layton’s compassion and "big heart." Robert Maxwell, who spent hours rollerblading with Layton, described his friend as an outstanding role model for others.
He lived a "100 percent drug-free lifestyle," Maxwell said. "He encouraged a lot of younger people to stay away from drugs and avoid any type of destructive behavior," he said. "He was someone who didn't back down to anything."
Maxwell said Crass wanted to grow up to be like his father, Donald Crass, who also served in the Marine Corps.
"He'd never let go of anything. He was a very courageous guy."
SOURCE
Survivors include Layton’s parents, sister, Dusty Nichole Throop and her husband Nicholas of Richmond; brother, Devin James Crass (also currently serving in the Marine Corps) and his wife Megan Elizabeth of Twentynine Palms, California.
Rest in peace, Layton. We will always remember.
I’m sorry to say that there seems to be very little information available about the second two Marines who lost their lives in the same incident. If anyone has further information or links to stories, please note that in the comments and I will update the diary.
Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington
Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington was the son of Seattle firefighter and former Marine Michael Washington, and a graduate of Stadium High School in Tacoma.
According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Washington, a third generation Marine, served last year in Iraq, where he received commendations for bravery and leadership under fire. His father had served in Desert Storm and twice in Afghanistan before retiring after 23 years in the Marine Corps in 2004.
In addition to his father, Washington is survived by his mother, Grace, and sister Aja Collins, who is married to a U.S. soldier stationed in South Korea.
SOURCE
Michael Washington will be laid to rest at Tahoma National Cemetery near Kent on June 27. Remembrances may be made in his name to the nonprofit "Seattle's Bravest Charity" at Seattle Fire Fighters Union Local 27, 517 2nd Ave W., Seattle, WA 98119; http://www.seattlesbravest.com.
Rest in peace, Michael. We will always remember.
Pfc. Michael Robert Patton
Michael Patton graduated from Fox High School in 2007 and shortly afterward enlisted in the Marines. About that same time, he married his high school sweetheart, Amy. Sadly, on Saturday, June 21, he will be laid to rest at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, following a funeral Mass at St. Paul Catholic Church in Fenton. Michael was 19 years old.
In addition to his widow, Amy, survivors include his parents, James and Teresa Patton, and two sisters, Rebecca and Margaret Patton, all of the Fenton area.
SOURCE
Rest in peace, Michael. We will always remember.
To date, 523 members of the United States military have lost their lives in Afghanistan. Thus far the death toll for 2008 is 48. In addition, 4102 members of the United States military have lost their lives in Iraq. More than 30,000 men and women have been wounded, and untold hundreds have taken their own lives. Defense Press Releases, from which the information at the start of this diary was drawn, can be seen here. The death toll among Iraqis is unknown, but is at least 100,000 and could easily be many times that number.
Supporting the Troops: A great way to provide support to our service people is by putting together a care package for a unit in Iraq or Afghanistan. It’s a wonderful way to know you are sending our troops things they really need -- necessities like socks, underwear, soup packets, feminine hygiene products, paper and pens, school supplies, and treats and trinkets they can pass out to the Iraqi and Afghan children.
There are a few ways to do this. You can go through troopcarepackage.comor anysoldier.com. If you go to the anysolider site click on WhereToSend for a searchable database. For example if you search "By Latest Email" you’ll see the troops who most recently have submitted a request for specific items. You then request their mailing address.
Operation Helmet is another great organization whose mission is to provide helmet upgrades. Fisher House is another worthy cause, and donating money is not the only option. You can also donate frequent flyer miles to hospitalized veterans or their families at Fisher House’s Hero Miles program. Operation Ensuring Christmasis another worthy cause that organizes theme park vacations for the children of our fallen troops. Finally, if you would like to assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here.
(Many thanks to Kossack timroff for the beautiful logo.)
If you can, please consider donating to Netroots for the Troops here.
All donations will go toward putting together 101 care packages full of needed items for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Read more here.
If you can’t afford to donate, you can still help every bit as much by writing letters. Just writing about the everyday things you’re doing can make a huge difference to a member of our armed forces who is so far from home.
And don’t forget them when they get home! Visit welcomebackveterans.orgto learn what you can do.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, MsWings, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, labwitchy, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo and me, moneysmith. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but, we believe, an important service to those Americans who have died, and to our community’s respect for and remembrance of them.
If you would like to become part of the IGTNT team, even if you can only write a diary once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, or noweasels.
As you read this diary, please remember that it is intended as a tribute to the fallen, not as a political forum. Whatever your feelings about the war and occupation, please let your comments demonstrate respect and compassion for these sacrifices. We also ask that comments be considerate of the feelings of families and friends, as well as the many members of our community who have served in the military, or who have loved ones currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Thank you for understanding.