The Department of Defense has announced the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Michael E. Geary, 20, of Derry, N.H., died Dec. 8 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.
Being a Marine was just something Michael E. Geary always wanted to do, said his uncle Michael Maccormack . He was only 14 when he began working out and running with his recruiters. Lance Cpl. Geary joined the Marines when he was only 20, after he graduated from Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H.
Lance Corporal Geary had been in Afghanistan since August and was due to come home in January. He was serving his first tour in Afghanistan. When he got out of the service, he planned on becoming a police officer or border patrolman.
Pinkerton Academy spokesman Robin Perrin said Lance Cpl. Geary told teachers when he was accepted into the Marines it fulfilled a lifelong ambition. Geary's senior essay was on what it takes to become a Marine and what Marines have to offer. To become a Marine was his goal, his passion, his life-long dream. And he lived it, and he died a hero.
Source: CBS -Boston
After boot camp Lance Cpl. Geary returned to Pinkerton to see his teachers and show them he had become a Marine. "He wasn't a high school kid anymore. He was a man," teacher Sandy Anderson said.
Source: Eagle- Tribune
Governor John Lynch said Lance Corporal Michael Geary sacrificed his life so "all of us could be free, and we owe him a debt we can never fully repay. He is a true New Hampshire hero," Lynch said. "All of us here in New Hampshire are deeply saddened by the loss of such a brave young man."
Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H. also expressed her condolences. "My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Lance Corporal Geary. New Hampshire and the nation will always remember his patriotism and sacrifice."
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
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