Marine Corps Moms: 1/7 Warriors

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January 12, 2005

1/7 Warriors

1/7 Marines have spent the last five months in a very hostile region along the Syrian border. They don't get a lot of press - reporters tend to stick to safer areas. However, the fierce warriors of First Team have seen action on an ongoing basis since their arrival last August. In a phone call earlier this week, my son mentioned a fire fight where LCpl Julio Cisneros-Alvarez gave his life in the pursuit of democracy for the citizens of Iraq, and another good friend broke his arm. He asked me to send a sympathy card to LCpl Cisneros-Alverez's parents and I will, from both of us. Each time a Marine falls, it's a blow to all Marine parents.

Another 1/7 Marine, LCpl Stacy Alexander was recently medevaced to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. While there, he had some unexpected - and high ranking - company. Here's the rest of the story, as related by Master Sgt. Phil Mehringer

Photo by Spc. Christopher Goodman

Sergeant Maj. Carlton Kent, I MEF Sergeant Major, led a group of sergeants major consisting of Wayne Bell, 1st Marine Division, Joseph Staudt, 4th Civil Affairs Group and Carlos Rios, I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group. Command Master Chief Raphael Sanchez, I MEF and Hospital Corpsman Senior Chief Gerard Chiu, 1st Marine Division, rounded out the entourage of senior enlisted visitors.
The group of senior Marines and Sailors addressed a group of ambulatory Marines first, thanking each of them for their contribution to the War on Terrorism, before moving to the more severely wounded Marines confined to hospital rooms.

"Your priority now is to get healthy so you can get back in the fight," said Sgt.Maj. Kent, as the Marines bellowed a loud "OOH RAH!"

Lance Cpl. Stacy Alexander, infantryman, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, had just come out of surgery to clean and repair shrapnel damage to his right arm and left leg when Kent and the group entered his room.

The young Marine was surprised by the amount and seniority of his visitors; nevertheless, he enjoyed the conversation and the familiar pattern of Marines wearing their digital pattern desert camouflage utilities.

"I can't really explain it," said the wounded Alexander, a 20-year-old Marine from Carlin, Nevada. "The camaraderie the Corps has when you get some of the highest ranking Marines in the Marine Corps to come see you at the same time. That's a pretty big deal to me."

Posted by Deb at January 12, 2005 02:55 PM

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Comments

It's interesting to note that the Col. Cornum mentioned is the article appears to be this Major Cornum from the first Gulf War:

http://www.aiipowmia.com/inter21/in011601pg.html

and that her official bio doesn't appear to even mention that:

http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/cornum.html

Posted by: Scot at January 13, 2005 05:31 PM