Good evening, dear ones. Will you please join me and the IGTNT as we honor a young soldier who lost his life on foreign soil?
Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine, 23, of Bethalto, Illinois, died December 24 of wounds received December 5 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Will you dear Kossacks kindly take a moment to send a warm thought or prayer to the hundreds of thousands of forgotten or unnoticed souls who have suffered, and continue to suffer, from the insanity of war? This is not their diary but still, we all feel and grieve the pain of a broken human spirit.
Blessings and Light to all who share our world.
As you read this diary, please remember that friends and loved ones of the soldier honored here may read your comments. Please, whatever our personal feelings about the war may be, may our comments only reflect compassion for their grief and loss. Thank you.
Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine
Rifleman Kenneth Corzine was out on foot patrol when movement triggered a IED, causing the Lance Corporal to lose his legs and suffer other injuries, according to Bethalto, Illinois media reports. The bomb explosion reportedly injured three other Marines who were also on foot patrol.
His family is still reeling from the news.
"I thought I was going to pass out when I turned around and saw the lieutenant colonel and his entourage. It was very horrible. I don't think we've quit crying in two days," said Kenny's uncle, Mr. Jim Corzine.
Mr. Corzine was quoted in a St. Louis television news report as saying his nephew "had wanted to be a Marine from a young age."
Kenny Corzine enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2007. This was on his first combat deployment. Lance Corporal Corzine was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Pendleton, California.
Jim Corzine, his US flag flying at half-mast, stands by a sign and portrait of his nephew, Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth Corzine. The Camp Pendleton Marine died on Christmas Eve from injuries suffered in a December 5 roadside bombing in Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of John Badman, The Alton, Illinois Telegraph)
Kenneth Corzine was warmly remembered by those who loved him:
"He was a very good young man," said grandmother Betty Davis. "Kenny always had a smile. He was never angry."
"[Kenny was] a great kid," said Jim Corzine. "He loved paintball, dirt bikes and video games. He also was an avid scuba diver and traveled to Chicago to compete in the Junior Olympics in tae kwon do."
LCPL Corzine's many awards include a Purple Heart, a Combat Action Ribbon, a National Defense Service Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued the following statement on the death of Lance Cpl. Corzine: "Maria and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Lance Corporal Kenneth Corzine. He served proudly and courageously while dedicating his life to protecting our nation's freedoms. We will forever be grateful for Kenneth's selfless service, and we send our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends and fellow Marines during this difficult time."
Flags in the Sacramento capital have been lowered to half-mast.
The magnificent Patriot Guard Riders have Lance Corporal Corzine on their Watch List, where messages of love and support are being posted for the Corzine family.
Lance Corporal Corzine leaves behind a 3-year-old daughter, in addition to an extended family.
Our hearts are with all who knew and loved Kenneth Corzine. Please know that we stand beside you at this terrible time of loss.
Our lovely forget-me-nots were a gift to the IGTNT team from dear llbear.
I can't think of a better way to honor the fallen than to contribute to the well-being of their fellow soldiers still on active duty.
The following fine organizations could sure use your support and your donations:
AnySoldier.com, Books for Soldiers, Fisher House, the Military Pets Foster Project, Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pets, Operation Baghdad Pups, Operation Enduring Christmas, an organization that sends holiday presents to the children of our fallen troops, and Helping Udders, an organization that sends cooling vests to the Military Working Dogs stationed with their handlers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Click here to see other IGTNT diaries, a series which was begun by i dunno and which is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, noweasels, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, JaxDem, and racheltracks.
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. Fallen soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and National Guard whose names have been released by the Department of Defense will usually be diaried two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each fallen service member more fully, but still in a timely manner.
PEACE AND BLESSINGS