Post by Anja on Jun 23, 2006 18:18:01 GMT -5
Manteca Marine proud to serve now facing death penalty
Its a Catch-22.
As a society we expect to train young men to go to war and defend the
freedoms that most of us take for granted - often involving lots of
weapons and bloodshed and other fun unmentionables that we all just try to
ignore.
From time-to-time we honor these brave young soldiers who are putting
their so-called glory days on hold so that the rest of us can rest easy in
our padded recliners and air conditioned homes far away from the
120-degree days that have become standard for some.
An American flag here. A yellow magnetic ribbon there.
Its a turn-the-other-cheek sort of arrangement that works out well for
most of us - never having to hear the horrific battlefield stories about
watching a friend lose his extremities thanks to a roadside bomb or
watching what an RPG can do to a guy that just told you what he planned on
buying his infant son for his birthday.
After all - how comfortable is that air conditioned chair when you have to
worry yourself about things like that?
As I write this, one young man that Ive known for at least a small portion
of my life sits in solitary confinement at San Diegos Camp Pendleton -
only permitted to speak to his friends and family under supervision of
guards.
Even then its only for a few hours.
According to the news reports, this young man - Manteca resident and
Marine Corps Corporal Marshall Magincalda - was allegedly involved in a
grisly and premeditated murder of an Iraqi civilian in the city of
Hamdania.
While I was not there, and have absolutely no way of knowing what actually
happened, I can honestly say that this seems totally out of character for
the young Marine that gave me my first true glimpse into the selfless
actions of an honest hero.
When he returned home from his second tour in Iraq - toting two Purple
Hearts earned while in battle - I had the chance to join he and his family
for a dinner at Modestos Black Angus before sitting down with him to
discuss in detail the horrifying incident that left him with a .45 caliber
slug buried in his flak jacket in an insurgent enclave in Fallujah.
More than once he broke down in tears when discussing the incident and the
mission that he was so adamant about carrying out - liberating the Iraqi
people from the grip of a cruel and heartless dictator.
Later that week, a perfect stranger picked up his rather hefty bar tab at
Applebees without batting an eye - thanking him for his service to this
great nation.
One selfless action apparently deserves another.
Its been more than a year since I last spoke to him - just barely missing
him on last Thanksgiving when he and 2 other Marines planned to spend the
holiday preparing meals for the less fortunate in the area.
A quick glance at his MySpace page - something that thousands have
probably viewed since the Modesto Bee provided an actual link on their
web-site Thursday - reveals a young man of God that enjoyed a good comedy
and the works of Langston Hughes.
These arent the sort of things you expect from somebody who could
tragically be facing the death penalty.
For whatever reason, people like Marshall that have the whole world at
their fingertips feel the need the step forward and leave behind something
greater than themselves.
Theyve done and seen things that would give most of us nightmares -
hunting down an elusive faction of insurgents that want nothing more than
to end their lives at every turn.
And its something that theyre volunteering to do.
While Marshall sits contemplating a military trial where his existence
literally hangs in the balance, his family sits traumatized in their South
Manteca home unsure about what lies ahead.
Sad doesnt even begin to scratch the surface.
We expect these young men to handle all of these tasks that we place upon
their shoulders without recourse - not ever giving thought to what it must
be like to wonder every single day whether youre going to live see the
next sunrise.
Even if these men are acquitted, how do you replace the lost time and
angst and worry and anger that are filling loved ones and communities
around the country?
The next time that you see a yellow ribbon or an American flag, take a
little bit of time and realize exactly what it is that represents and whos
out there making sure that you have the right to display it.
Because if we forget - whats the point of having it anyways?
(source: Manteca Bulletin)
Its a Catch-22.
As a society we expect to train young men to go to war and defend the
freedoms that most of us take for granted - often involving lots of
weapons and bloodshed and other fun unmentionables that we all just try to
ignore.
From time-to-time we honor these brave young soldiers who are putting
their so-called glory days on hold so that the rest of us can rest easy in
our padded recliners and air conditioned homes far away from the
120-degree days that have become standard for some.
An American flag here. A yellow magnetic ribbon there.
Its a turn-the-other-cheek sort of arrangement that works out well for
most of us - never having to hear the horrific battlefield stories about
watching a friend lose his extremities thanks to a roadside bomb or
watching what an RPG can do to a guy that just told you what he planned on
buying his infant son for his birthday.
After all - how comfortable is that air conditioned chair when you have to
worry yourself about things like that?
As I write this, one young man that Ive known for at least a small portion
of my life sits in solitary confinement at San Diegos Camp Pendleton -
only permitted to speak to his friends and family under supervision of
guards.
Even then its only for a few hours.
According to the news reports, this young man - Manteca resident and
Marine Corps Corporal Marshall Magincalda - was allegedly involved in a
grisly and premeditated murder of an Iraqi civilian in the city of
Hamdania.
While I was not there, and have absolutely no way of knowing what actually
happened, I can honestly say that this seems totally out of character for
the young Marine that gave me my first true glimpse into the selfless
actions of an honest hero.
When he returned home from his second tour in Iraq - toting two Purple
Hearts earned while in battle - I had the chance to join he and his family
for a dinner at Modestos Black Angus before sitting down with him to
discuss in detail the horrifying incident that left him with a .45 caliber
slug buried in his flak jacket in an insurgent enclave in Fallujah.
More than once he broke down in tears when discussing the incident and the
mission that he was so adamant about carrying out - liberating the Iraqi
people from the grip of a cruel and heartless dictator.
Later that week, a perfect stranger picked up his rather hefty bar tab at
Applebees without batting an eye - thanking him for his service to this
great nation.
One selfless action apparently deserves another.
Its been more than a year since I last spoke to him - just barely missing
him on last Thanksgiving when he and 2 other Marines planned to spend the
holiday preparing meals for the less fortunate in the area.
A quick glance at his MySpace page - something that thousands have
probably viewed since the Modesto Bee provided an actual link on their
web-site Thursday - reveals a young man of God that enjoyed a good comedy
and the works of Langston Hughes.
These arent the sort of things you expect from somebody who could
tragically be facing the death penalty.
For whatever reason, people like Marshall that have the whole world at
their fingertips feel the need the step forward and leave behind something
greater than themselves.
Theyve done and seen things that would give most of us nightmares -
hunting down an elusive faction of insurgents that want nothing more than
to end their lives at every turn.
And its something that theyre volunteering to do.
While Marshall sits contemplating a military trial where his existence
literally hangs in the balance, his family sits traumatized in their South
Manteca home unsure about what lies ahead.
Sad doesnt even begin to scratch the surface.
We expect these young men to handle all of these tasks that we place upon
their shoulders without recourse - not ever giving thought to what it must
be like to wonder every single day whether youre going to live see the
next sunrise.
Even if these men are acquitted, how do you replace the lost time and
angst and worry and anger that are filling loved ones and communities
around the country?
The next time that you see a yellow ribbon or an American flag, take a
little bit of time and realize exactly what it is that represents and whos
out there making sure that you have the right to display it.
Because if we forget - whats the point of having it anyways?
(source: Manteca Bulletin)