As combat operations continue in Afghanistan, we get the news of two U.S. Marine Reservists from Yorba Linda, California, killed by a roadside bomb on March 24; one a seasoned veteran, the other just beginning his service:
Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle, 45
Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni, 19
Since 2001, there have been 1029 American troops killed in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4386 American troops killed in Iraq. They each had family and friends who received the heart-wrenching news that their loved one will not be coming home.
Please take a moment to remember them and their sacrifice.
The community of Yorba Linda, California is mourning the loss of two local Marine reservists killed while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle and Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni died and two other marines were injured, when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle while they patrolled the Marja area of southern Afghanistan's Helmand province. The region on the Pakistani border has been the focus of an intense U.S.-led offensive.
Cottle and Centanni were assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, a mechanized infantry battalion based out of Camp Pendleton, California.
(Afghanistan Photo by Jose Becerra) (Flag photo by Bruce Chambers, The OC Register)
LA TIMES PHOTO GALLERY
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Not only was Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle a leader and long time veteran in his Marine Reserve unit, he was a leader and 20 year veteran officer of the Los Angeles Police Department and SWAT Team. Cottle had been on leave from the LAPD and deployed on active duty with the Marines since August 2009.
Robert Cottle grew up in Whittier and San Diego, California and joined the Marines at age 18, reported the Los Angeles Times. Cottle became a LAPD officer in 1990 and joined the elite SWAT unit six years later. He continued his training with the Marine Corps Reserve and rose to the rank of sergeant major -- the top enlisted position.
Sgt. Maj. Cottle surprised his family and friends by marrying at 43 and shifting his focus to family. A veteran of two tours in Iraq, Cottle was scheduled to return home from Afghanistan this summer when he died at the age of 45. He leaves a wife and 8-month-old daughter.
According to the Whittier Daily News:
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa released a statement praising Sgt. Maj. Cottle's dedication to public service.
"Very few people know what it truly means to every day have the courage to unflinchingly march forward in the face of danger," the mayor said. "Yet Officer Cottle did so with not only a steadfast commitment to the safety of this city, but with a strong sense of pride and duty for his country."
Cottle was the first Los Angeles police officer to be killed serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sgt. Maj. Robert Cottle is survived by his wife, daughter, sister, father, and mother.
Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle will be missed. REST IN PEACE.
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Nearby, the Santa Ana Police Department also mourns one of their own family;
Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni, 19 the son of a Santa Ana police sergeant, was killed in Afghanistan along with Sgt. Maj. Cottle on March 24th.
Los Angeles Times Story & PHOTOS Yorba Linda mourns 2 Marines
Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni entered the military in 2008, just weeks after graduating from Anaheim's Esperanza High School, where he played varsity football, his father told The Orange County Register.
Centanni said his son called him weekly and they last spoke on Monday.
"He sounded totally up," Centanni told the Register. "He loved what he was doing, and loved the guys he was with over there. He was a great kid, a great son. It's a terrible loss, and he will be missed."
Rick Centanni would have turned 20 next month.
Centanni was the third Esperanza High graduate to be killed while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni is survived by his father and family.
Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni will be missed. REST IN PEACE.
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Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. Sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com can provide letters or care packages that make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available at guardian angels for soldierspet.
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs and Welcome Back Veterans. Encourage a Vet, and see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is 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. All of the casualties can be found at icasualties, and the DoD news releases at defense gov/releases. Published photos of the returning fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page. 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. Since 2001, there have been 1029 American troops killed in Afghanistan. Since 2003, there have been 4386 American troops killed in Iraq.
(photos by CalNM; Thanks to Timroff for our IGTNT logo.)
Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries in the series which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, and me, CalNM. * If you would like to help with these memorial diaries, please contact Sandy3660 at comcast.net * These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.