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Bravo Marines Report Back For
School Duty
Reprinted from Midweek Islander May 4, 2005
By Carol Chang
Bravo Company returned to Ahuimanu Elementary School last week after a 10 month absence and got right down to the business of children.
"Being with the kids is easy," admitted lance Cpl. Chris Blackwell, heading to talk with some third grade buddies. "It's going back to work with the adults that sucks."
Principal Anne Marie Duca, Sgt. Peter Shaw holding the Ahuimanu Memorial Collage, and Capt. Jer Garcia. PHOTO: Ahuimanu Ohana PTA.
Blackwell is one of 30 Marines and one sailor who enjoyed a big welcome April 27 at their adopted school, where he and others before him have volunteered many hours of work and play.
After Fallujah and deadly Iraqi car bombings, the event was a perfect kick-off for their 30-day leave.
The day was both joyful and somber. Some students have fathers still deployed to Iraq and elsewhere. Marines of Co.B, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion , 3rd Marine Regiment waged brutal warfare and lost many men in the fight for Fallujah, car bombings and the Jan. 26 helicopter crash near Baghdad.
A flag-raising and a moment of silence marked their sacrifice. Then students sang the Marine hymn. The men sang it back to the crowd, and shared a good laugh when they stumbled over a verse. Unit commander Capt. Jer "Jay" Garcia thanked them profusely for their "awesome" gifts.
Marines of Bravo Company wearing lei made by Ahuimanu students. PHOTO: Ahuimanu Ohana PTA.
"The wet wipes and soap were handy after a month with no shower," he said. "We ate the candy, read your letters and pasted them up. It helped us each and every day. Your aloha was always felt."
All nine Marines on Bravo's official death list were under 20, including Cpl. Christopher Lapka, 22, whom the school Ohana called it's best cheerleader at the yearly "wog-a-thon" last spring. Bravo was there again this April 29 to monitor the race/walk.
"They had a great time," Garcia told principal Anne Marine Duca after the welcoming. "There were Marines I've never seen smile who had ear-to-ear grins today around the keiki. It was great therapy for them; they can't stop talking about it."
The unit had breakfast, visited classrooms and took questions from their young fans. In Emily Vergara'a class, for example, it went like this:
How come most all of you are white? "We did have some Hawaii guys in our unit...
Why do you shave your heads? "Short cuts prevent disease. And besides, it looks good."
Did you see any body sacrifice themselves to save their buddies? Cpl. Jeff DeLuca, who was wounded in a grenade explosion, replied, "That happened every day over there."
For glory seekers, there was this message: "Our job is not like video games, not like in the movies. For the most part there's a lot of pain, not just from getting hurt but from carrying heavy equipment and waiting. Day in, day out - it's boring."
The men will resume training soon, rotating back to Afghanistan or Iraq by the end of the year.
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A closer look at the Memorial Collage given to Bravo Company and the families of fallen soldiers
A photo gallery of the Flag Pole Assembly that Bravo Company attended in their honor
A photo gallery of the Wogathon that Bravo Company participated in
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