MY VERY PUBLIC THANK YOU TO THOSE MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS |
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO REGULARLY COME TO MY PAGES FOR UPDATES, AND THE STORYS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I KEEP PROMISING, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS. |
I'VE KEPT IN CONTACT WITH A FEW PEOPLE FROM CALIFORNIA SINCE MY SON AND I RETURNED. I FREQUENTLY HEAR FROM STAFF AT MISSION VIEJO HOSPITAL, AND CONTINUE TO HEAR REMARKABLE THINGS ABOUT MY SONS MARINE BROTHERS. TODAY, MEMORIAL DAY 2002, I FINALLY WROTE A VERY PERSONAL LETTER TO THE HIGHEST COMMAND I COULD FIND ON BASE AT CAMP PENDLETON. IF YOU'RE READING THIS, THAT MEANS HE HAS NOT OBJECTED TO MY POSTING THIS TO THE WEB SITE. MY ONLY REGRETS NOW ARE THAT I DID NOT DO SO SOONER, AND I DID NOT CC COMMANDANT JONES. I CAN TAKE CARE OF THE COPY PART NOW. WHAT MANNER OF MEN. THOSE WHO BECOME HEROES, IN COMBAT. THOSE MEN ARE BUILT AS YOUTH, AND AS BASICALLY TRAINED MARINES. THE CORE VALUES ARE IN THEIR HEARTS. AND COME INTO PLAY, AS THE NEED ARISES. THOSE VALUES CAME INTO PLAY WHEN MY SON AND HIS FAMILY NEEDED THEM. |
Memorial Day, 2002 Maj. Gen. James Conway Commanding General 1st Marine Division Camp Pendleton, Calif. 92055 Dear Sir: As I sit here with tears rolling down my face after listening to President Bushs moving statements at the Normandy cemetary and the loss of so many brave young men, my thoughts turn to my beloved 2/4. Ive often heard people question what manner of man would fight so against such amazing odds. The same question Ive heard about those who went to Korea, and then Vietnam. And then Desert Storm. As the daughter of a Marine (3rd Marine Div., WWII), the sister of two VietNam Combat Marines, and the mother of a Marine, (2/4 Weapons Co., recently medically retired), I think I have some sense of what manner of man. The manner of man who serves under you now. This odd mix, who often come to you as green basically trained Marines, as those words rang out across the Parade Deck at my sons graduation at MCRD San Diego. We know that to be the beginning of an odyssey, and a growth. Destinations unknown, at times. With the occasional foolishness of youth, some take different paths on this odyssey. But grow they do. The full measure of the man, the Marine, often cannot be truly tested until battle. This I've learned from my dad, my brothers, and more recently from CPL Charles Lindberg. (from the first Iwo Jima flag raising. A friend of my sons.) They tell storys of some escapades some of the men got involved in. Aaaah.. The joy of youth. But time and history tells the true tale. History holds the memory of the bravery, the heroics, the sacrifices, when called upon. And the youthful antics can rest as a quiet smile in the memory, as a salve for the painful memorys of comrades lost. You have some very special Marines in 2/4 that have shown they are made up of that stuff, and have had a small chance to step up and show some glimmers of the bond of this Brotherhood. I dont know if you've heard some of this, and on this Memorial Day, I feel obligated to share some of this with you. We call them in our family, THE CORPORALS. This weekend, my son John Mancuso is back in California with his sisters, to visit the base, his Marine Brothers, and the staff at Mission Hospital. All of whom worked to save his life. I received an email last night from Chaplain Scott at Mission Hospital, and he reminded me once again about the powerful impact your Marines have had on the hospital, staff and patients. The Marine Corps Birthday Celebration held by your men still stands out as the highlight of many years and is still talked about. I recall an old WWII Marine vet, when told of the celebration, asked to be wheeled down there to watch. His nurses got him into the chair, attached his oxygen and meds, and brought him down. I have some glimpses of him in our video. And we saw him trembling, crying, and trying so hard to sit at attention when the music played. The Marines Hymn. He said it was the first time in years he'd been able to attend a Marine Corps birthday celebration. . And he expects this to be his last. And your men brought this to him, and gave him such joy. Your men did this. There was another WWII Marine vet I spoke to often, as he sat by his wife, and your Marines and I sat by my son. When he found out about the Birthday celebration, he left his critically injured wife to go home, clean up and dress up, for the celebration. The man had tears in his eyes, and found so much joy in mingling with your men before and after, and being part of this. And your men were so kind and respectful towards him, and all the others. On the day the surgical team was replacing my sons skull, CPL Saunders was by my side, as always, while the surgery was taking place. Chaplain Scott came by to visit, and then asked James (CPL Saunders) if he would have a moment to spare for an old sick Marine. James, after being sure I was OK, went to spend some time with this man. He never hesitated. I have no idea what went on, but was later told by the Chaplain that this man found such great joy in spending time with James. And Chaplain Scott had tears in his eyes. Your men did this. After the Marine Corps Birthday celebration, our Corporals were riding down in the elevator, with many other people. Two women thanked them for their service to the country, their care, and willingness to protect our backs. Your men were so gracious, and when we left the elevator, I saw tears in their eyes. No one ever thanked us before. And they heard it more, in the hospital lobby, while mingling with the many who were there, touched by all of your men, but especially our Corporals, as the medical staff was telling individuals about the single and combined acts of Brotherhood that these men had displayed. The medical staff at Mission hold your men in the highest esteem, for so many reasons. Especially our Corporals. They still speak of the loyalty, dedication, hard work they diplayed towards, me, my son, and our family. From the first phone call of my sons injury, I always felt the envelope of my fathers Beloved Corps around me. Some hospital PR person came up to me and introduced herself. Keep in mind, we had already been there for nearly two months. She asked me something about how wonderful it must feel to be surrounded by this Marine family, I needed to let her know this Marine family had enveloped and surrounded and supported me since the beginning.I was asked by the head of the Traumatic Brain Injury program for permission to use a tape I'd sent them of our Marines rehabbing my son. Such patience, and dedication, and will. This tape was used at a national conference, due to the dramatic improvement of my son, and the belief by many that your Marines hold a good deal of the credit for this improvement. I have an amazingly funny photo of one of our Corporals in the hospital bed with my son, just after having his skull put back in. Cpl Chipps was working on my sons strength, coordination etc., and realized that by lying next to John, and his right hand palm-to-palm with my sons left hand, they could sort of arm wrestle, and build the strength, but at an angle that was easier for my son. Very funny, but emblematic.All those months. All the work. All the tears. This quality of man, who serves under you, this is the quality of man that become heroes, when called upon. I read ALMARS Safety Summary every month. Also in touch with a large group of family members of Marines. We hear so much of the foolishness and mistakes of youth. They often seem to grab the most press, and thats not necessarily a bad thing. Such a loss, and a waste. And often, no second chances. Taking this Basically Trained Marine, and helping him continue to grow, and do so responsibly. How many men do we lose to injury and death every year, because they're in such a hurry to get back to base on time? Or drinking, being overly tired, and then driving? Too many. But percentages against the same age group of college students? Im not sure. I suspect your men do better overall. My hope is that the value of man who serves under you is known, and appreciated. Our Corporals. James Saunders Johannes Markshatt Adam Chipps Chad Brown. And most especially Lt. Col. A.H. Schlaepfer, who did so much to help us all. These five men, and others as well, sat with me, and the hospital staff during the discussions regarding termination of life support for my son. The twenty or thirty Marines who came in one night, and we received permission to bring the whole group into my sons small trauma bay. I wanted the entire base to come, and see my son. To see how fragile life is, and how easily lost. Many of your grown Marines were hauled out of that room by the scruff of the neck, (by me) because they started crying. I told them that there's a time to cry, and a time to pay attention and learn. I had a long long talk with your men that night, and many of the following nights. Many of them have a deeper understanding and appreciation for this fragile veil between life and death. This was and continues to be a learning experience for many. The odyssey for your men continues, to parts unknown. We must face the possibility that not all may come back. Some of your men have proven that they understand the need to watch out for one another. The value of life, and the uncommon Brotherhood. Some of your men have learned these lessons well, for men so young. I need to know that you understand the quality of your men, and that in my eyes, as well as many Marines, your men stack up with the best of them. This has already gotten far longer than I'd anticipated, and I've not yet told the individual storys of these five men, and what they've done personally for me and mine. I will be slowly adding them to my sons webpage. The photos are up there, but my heart has a hard time doing the writing quite yet. But I will, because they need to be told. My very best regards, and gratitude for your men |
SIGNED BY ME AN OLD MOM IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA, WHO SENT HER SON AWAY A BOY. AND SAW THE GROWTH IN HIM, HIS FRIENDS, HIS MARINE BROTHERS. AND TRULY SAW THE QUALITY OF MAN WHO SIGNS THAT PAPER, TO JOIN. AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHY. AND SPEND SOME TIME HATING IT, AND MOSTLY LOVING IT. OUT OF THE MANY MANY VETS I'VE MET AND SPOKEN TO OVER THE YEARS, AND THE STORYS PASSED ON, THESE NEW MARINES NOT YET BATTLE TESTED, KNOW SO MANY MORE THINGS THAN THEY WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE. |
