« Marine Family Support Groups | Main | Soccer Equipment needed »
April 14, 2005
2/6 Golf Company tribute
They're home, but their work in Iraq is worthy of praise. Here are some good words from Golf Company CO, Captain Wardman:
At this time, I’d like say a couple of words about YOUR Marines. They have done an incredibly difficult job with poise and tact. I will tell you this; there were a lot of ‘nay-sayers’ out there that did not think that ‘an ordinary company of grunts’ could perform this mission. I will agree with that, because your Marines and this company are not ordinary. They established themselves as a force to be reckoned with as soon as we set foot in country. People around here quickly understood that we were not ‘ordinary grunts’ and that we meant business. Your Marines controlled everything here: access control, policy enforcement, physical security, and crisis management, which included casualty treatment. Your Marines were always the first out the door, the first on scene and the first to establish order and security in the midst of chaos. In short, when everyone else ran away, your Marines were running in.In an environment where the actions of a single Marine could affect international relations, your Marines performed flawlessly. The decision-making ability of every Marine, from PFC to Sgt, was tempered by good judgment and conviction. When Marines stood their ground on an issue, they were right every single time. For six months, whether it was dealing with an irate foreign ambassador or near misses with rockets and mortars, your Marines were flawless in their duties. Your Marines did those things everyday, without complaint and with complete diligence. They did things that impressed and astounded people. Not a day went by that I did not receive some sort of praise for the way a Marine stood his post, did not back down while being challenged by senior officers, and/or conducted themselves professionally even when their challenger did not.
Every single day, people in other branches of the United States Military told Marines how much safer they slept at night just knowing that Marines were out on the line. Your Marines did this. Immediately, local residents were frantic to know what they had done wrong to deserve Marines in their sector. In an area known to be a "hot spot", your Marines established themselves as hard but fair and completely professional.
We started to notice a trend in our area. It was always quiet when we went out on patrol. Other units weren’t always as lucky. I think that the populace knew the difference between Golf Company Marines and the Army units that also operated in that sector. There is no higher form of respect than that of your enemies. Your Marines earned their respect and held them in check. I am proud of them. All of them. They did a job that was not glamorous and, at times, flat out boring. They did this job with absolute professionalism and unwavering devotion to duty. I cannot say enough about them.
On a more somber note, the Company sustained a loss during this deployment. Corporal Joe Ayala had a stroke while he was here. He had a previously undiagnosed blood vessel deformity in his brain. The blood vessels ruptured and he was medevaced from Baghdad back to Bethesda. Initial reports were not promising and many doctors did not expect him to make it, but Joe proved them all wrong. He is currently amazing the doctors with his will and drive to get better. Despite the doctor’s prognosis that he would never walk again, he can now walk with a walker and has recently started walking with a cane. Doctors said that he would probably never talk again, but Joe can speak slowly and is getting better everyday. Our hearts and prayers go out for him and we want him back because he is a fine Heavy Machine Gunner! All words of comfort can be directed to his father, Joe Sr., at: joe_r_ayala@raytheon.com His father, a retired Marine, would be extremely grateful for any prayers or words of encouragement!
Welcome home and thanks for a job well done.
Posted by Deb at April 14, 2005 11:11 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.marinecorpsmoms.com/mt-tb.cgi/639