Since 2001, 1891 U.S. troops have died while serving in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4484 U.S. troops have died while serving in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) series is a reminder that nearly every day, somebody gets the heartbreaking news that a friend, former classmate, or beloved family member will not be coming home from war.
Tonight we remember a Marine who died far from home:
Lance Cpl. Edward J. Dycus, 22
of Greenville, Mississippi
Please take a moment below to remember him,
and all those who have lost their lives in these wars.
The US Department of Defense confirmed the death of a Marine
who was serving at a joint operating base in Afghanistan.
Lance Cpl. Edward J. Dycus, 22, of Greenville, Mississippi
Lance Cpl. Dycus died February 1 during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The military is investigating his death after he was apparently killed by an Afghan soldier. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Eddie Dycus grew up in Greenville and graduated from Riverside High in 2008. His friends said Eddie wanted to be in the military since high school. After he went through boot camp in 2010, he returned to the school, proudly wearing his Marine uniform.
According to the Clarion Ledger Dycus' friends said he grew up in a tight-knit family, but switched schools a few times, and sometimes saw himself as a bit of an outsider.
"It was hard on him growing up, but he never let that show. He always had a smile on his face," Bevill said. "No matter how his day or anything in his life was going, he was going to be there to put himself aside and make you smile. He was always more worried about someone else than himself."
Riverside High is holding a candlelight service for Lance Cpl. Dycus. The school also offered to make the school grounds available for his memorial service.
The parents of a fellow 2nd Marine wrote on the Legacy guestbook for Lance Cpl. Dycus:
[Our son] thought so highly of Edward, saying he was "One of a kind". Our son and the rest of Edward's boys miss him deeply. They are consoling each other by sharing stories of Edward that make them smile.
Among those Lance Cpl. Dycus leaves behind are his parents and family, his 2nd Marines, and his friends back home.
Lance Cpl. Edward Dycus is missed. May he Rest in Peace.
Taps (RIP Marine)
written by Horace Lorenzo Trim
Fading light dims the sight
And a star gems the sky,
gleaming bright
From afar drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills,
from the run
All is well, safely rest;
God is nigh.
Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn
shineth bright.
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, goodnight.
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Thanks to Timroff for our faithfully lighted candle IGTNT logo;
Other Photos by CalNM and linked Sources
Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com. Fisher House provides housing for families of injured troops and veterans who are recovering in hospitals, and Guardian angels for soldierspet assists the animal companions of our deployed military.
When our veterans come back home, they can find support at Welcome Back Veterans. Our recently returned veterans need jobs, and Veterans Green Jobs is now hiring for positions and filling training sessions. VGJ corps retrains veterans as leaders in forest and resource conservation, green construction, and energy efficient upgrades of homes in rural areas. Encourage a Veteran, and see if you can help out.
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About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died at war.
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. The US Department of Defense news releases are found at defense gov/releases. Icasualties lists the names of those killed, and shows the number of wounded. Published AP photos of the returning war fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page. 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, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, ccasas, JaxDem, Ekaterin, TheFatLadySings, and me, CalNM. 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.