Stolen Valor
KMPH News
BY SHELDON GAJARIAN
OCTOBER 26TH 2015
A Fresno Marine called out a store clerk after hearing talk about the clerk's supposed deployment.
U.S. Marine Dave Kind was standing in line listening to the clerk talking about being in the service and deployed overseas and was going to join the conversation, but then heard things that made him suspect the kid's story.
He decided to record the conversation with his phone and called him out.
After he put it on Facebook, it took off, getting shared over 3500 times.
read more here
Showing posts with label Darkhorse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Darkhorse. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Darkhorse Wounded Marines Pushing to Achieve Greatness
CAN’T KEEP DARKHORSE DOWN: OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
Marines Official Site
By Pfc. Alvin Pujols, 1st Marine Division
March 13, 2015
The battalion has a legacy dating back to Belleau Wood in World War I and a long history of success in battle in every major American conflict since. Their insignia and their motto, “Get Some,” is based in a brotherhood unique to U.S. Marines. For two “Darkhorse” Marines in particular, that devotion went beyond the field of battle.
After stepping on a pressure-plate improvised explosive device during a patrol of the Kajaki Dam area in southwestern Afghanistan, Cpl. Marcus Chischilly, a team leader with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, lost his left leg above the knee, sustained nerve damage in his right hand and received shrapnel wounds across his body.
It took two years for Chischilly, a Phoenix native, to recover from the blast, but in those years, Chischilly never lost his positive attitude, he said. After leaving the wheelchair, Chischilly was able to adapt to the prosthetic leg that assisted him with his mobility.
During his recovery, Chischilly, along with the other patients at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, participated in different adaptive sports. One sport that called out to Chischilly and his fellow Marines was wheelchair basketball, a sport where he could easily draw parallels to his time as an infantry team leader.
“Wheelchair basketball challenged us as a team; we had to really be cognitive of our teammates,” said Chischilly. “We learned to hone the skill of managing ourselves in a wheelchair.”
Chischilly, a member of the Navajo Nation, began playing wheelchair basketball in the 2012 Marine Corps Trials, where he not only participated in wheelchair basketball, but also in swimming and track and field.
read more here
Marines Official Site
By Pfc. Alvin Pujols, 1st Marine Division
March 13, 2015
Perseverance and pride fuels them to do great things. For Chischilly and Barron, the pride of belonging to the “Darkhorse” battalion and the reputation they uphold pushes them to achieve greatness.
2014 Marine Corps Trials - Day 1CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- After taking the reins in Sangin District, Helmand province, Afghanistan, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, began a hard-fought battle. By the time their tour ended in April 2011, the Marines of the battalion suffered the highest casualty rate of any U.S. Marine unit during the past 10 years of Operation Enduring Freedom, losing 25 Marines and incurring 184 casualties.
Marines, veterans, and international allies compete a wheelchair basketball game during the Marine Corps Trials in various Paralympic events at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California March 4-12. Other events include: archery, cycling, field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming and track.
The battalion has a legacy dating back to Belleau Wood in World War I and a long history of success in battle in every major American conflict since. Their insignia and their motto, “Get Some,” is based in a brotherhood unique to U.S. Marines. For two “Darkhorse” Marines in particular, that devotion went beyond the field of battle.
After stepping on a pressure-plate improvised explosive device during a patrol of the Kajaki Dam area in southwestern Afghanistan, Cpl. Marcus Chischilly, a team leader with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, lost his left leg above the knee, sustained nerve damage in his right hand and received shrapnel wounds across his body.
It took two years for Chischilly, a Phoenix native, to recover from the blast, but in those years, Chischilly never lost his positive attitude, he said. After leaving the wheelchair, Chischilly was able to adapt to the prosthetic leg that assisted him with his mobility.
During his recovery, Chischilly, along with the other patients at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, participated in different adaptive sports. One sport that called out to Chischilly and his fellow Marines was wheelchair basketball, a sport where he could easily draw parallels to his time as an infantry team leader.
“Wheelchair basketball challenged us as a team; we had to really be cognitive of our teammates,” said Chischilly. “We learned to hone the skill of managing ourselves in a wheelchair.”
Chischilly, a member of the Navajo Nation, began playing wheelchair basketball in the 2012 Marine Corps Trials, where he not only participated in wheelchair basketball, but also in swimming and track and field.
read more here
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Darkhorse Marine from Tampa part of life saving team
Darkhorse Marines’ initiative, training saves man twice from brink of death
DVIDS
1st Marine Division
Sgt. Alfred V. Lopez
July 15, 2013
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Late in the afternoon of June 18, Cpl. Matthew Mistretta, Lance Cpl. Cory Lucas, and Cpl. Philip Chronis were heading home from work, and Paul Atkins was released early from his shift at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, Calif.
On what seemed like an ordinary day, their paths crossed at the intersection of El Camino Real in San Clemente, Calif., where they came together without hesitation to save the life of Ervin Hall.
Hall, a 66-year-old former Navy pilot, was driving to his home in Dana Point, Calif., when he crashed into a light pole on the intersection.
“Something in the steering wheel locked up. That’s all I remember from the accident. The next thing I know, I woke up in the hospital,” Hall said.
Atkins, a registered nurse at Mission Hospital, and his wife were stopped at the intersection’s traffic light when they heard a loud crash.
DVIDS
1st Marine Division
Sgt. Alfred V. Lopez
July 15, 2013
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Late in the afternoon of June 18, Cpl. Matthew Mistretta, Lance Cpl. Cory Lucas, and Cpl. Philip Chronis were heading home from work, and Paul Atkins was released early from his shift at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, Calif.
On what seemed like an ordinary day, their paths crossed at the intersection of El Camino Real in San Clemente, Calif., where they came together without hesitation to save the life of Ervin Hall.
Hall, a 66-year-old former Navy pilot, was driving to his home in Dana Point, Calif., when he crashed into a light pole on the intersection.
“Something in the steering wheel locked up. That’s all I remember from the accident. The next thing I know, I woke up in the hospital,” Hall said.
Atkins, a registered nurse at Mission Hospital, and his wife were stopped at the intersection’s traffic light when they heard a loud crash.
Chronis, a squad leader with Weapons Co. and a Tampa, Fla., native, was also driving toward the intersection when he recognized his fellow Marine pulling Hall out of the crash. Without hesitation, he blocked off traffic with his truck and rushed to help Atkins and Mistretta.
read more here
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Darkhorse Marine documentary For the 25
Marine Veteran Of Darkhorse Battalion Makes Documentary ‘For The 25’ (Video)
KPBS
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
By Beth Ford Roth
Marine veteran Logan Stark was a member of Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, known as Darkhorse Battalion. Now a student on the G.I. Bill, Stark has made a documentary called "For the 25" - a tribute to the 25 Darkhorse Marines killed during their seven month deployment.
According to Stark's YouTube channel, the 48-minute film was made as part of the Professional Writing program at Michigan State University.
The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines was deployed to Sangin, Afghanistan in September of 2010. The 3/5 endured the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit in the Afghanistan War. In addition to the 25 men killed, roughly 200 were injured.
read more here
KPBS
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
By Beth Ford Roth
Marine veteran Logan Stark was a member of Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, known as Darkhorse Battalion. Now a student on the G.I. Bill, Stark has made a documentary called "For the 25" - a tribute to the 25 Darkhorse Marines killed during their seven month deployment.
According to Stark's YouTube channel, the 48-minute film was made as part of the Professional Writing program at Michigan State University.
The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines was deployed to Sangin, Afghanistan in September of 2010. The 3/5 endured the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit in the Afghanistan War. In addition to the 25 men killed, roughly 200 were injured.
read more here
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Darkhorse Marine to receive Victory motorcycle
L-R: Sgt.Maj. Kent, Lt.Col. Morris, LCpl., Gen. Amos in Sangin, AFG; 12/25/10Home from war, Marine to receive his Victory Motorcycle
By Ann Hamilton
May 24, 2011 - 5:51:49 PM
Blackanthem Military News
VAN NUYS, Califonia - Operation Gratitude today announced that on Sunday, June 5 a Marine infantryman recently returned from Afghanistan will be given the Victory Vegas 8-Ball Motorcycle promised in the organization's milestone 600,000th Care Package assembled in December, 2010.
The milestone package was delivered on Christmas day by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James Amos, to a Lance Corporal with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, who at the time was serving a seven-month deployment in the deadly Sangin district of Afghanistan's Helmand province.
The name of the Marine who received the 600,000th care package will be revealed at the event on June 5.
The 3/5, also known as "Dark Horse Battalion," experienced heavy combat throughout the deployment, with 25 of its men killed and more than 150 wounded. The 600,000th package recipient, along with his 3/5 comrades, returned to Camp Pendleton in April. The Marine, who received the package containing symbolic keys attached to a letter describing the bike, was recently promoted to Corporal and will join the Operation Gratitude volunteers and guests at the armory to receive the motorcycle generously donated by Victory Motorcycles.
read more here
Home from war, Marine to receive his Victory Motorcycle
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Marine Darkhorse battalion gets additional mental health support
Darkhorse battalion gets additional support
By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 15, 2011 8:17:09 EDT
SAN DIEGO — The men of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, returned home in mid-April to joyous reunions with families and friends — and under the close watch of medical and mental health experts.
That extra attention is by design, part of an ongoing effort by 1st Marine Division to cushion the transition home for a hard-hit battalion that spent seven months locked in bloody battles against Taliban forces.
Along with extra mental health support, 3/5 Marines will stay together at Camp Pendleton, Calif., for the first 90 days. That means no moves to other duty stations. The plan, top commanders said, is meant to keep squads and platoons together to decompress through the critical transition.
The infantry battalion suffered two dozen deaths by the time it returned home, with scores of men wounded, many still recovering from severe combat injuries.
The men of the battalion, nicknamed “Darkhorse,” arrived in Afghanistan by October 2010 and soon were mired in combat in Sangin district, at one point losing nine men over a four-day period from improvised explosive devices and small arms fire.
The pace of combat remained high in those first few months at war, which prompted Commandant Gen. Jim Amos to direct more support for the battalion, as well as their families, through the rest of the deployment and particularly the return home. The initial weeks and months after combat troops return home is when medical experts say they begin to see cases of post-traumatic stress, alcohol and substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, misconduct and risky behaviors.
“I’ve got to get across that it’s OK to look for help. That’s very hard to do for a 20-year-old,” said Maj. Gen. Mike Regner, 1st MARDIV’s commander, speaking during a break at the Navy-Marine Corps Combat and Operational Stress Conference meeting in San Diego.
read more here
Darkhorse battalion gets additional support
By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 15, 2011 8:17:09 EDT
SAN DIEGO — The men of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, returned home in mid-April to joyous reunions with families and friends — and under the close watch of medical and mental health experts.
That extra attention is by design, part of an ongoing effort by 1st Marine Division to cushion the transition home for a hard-hit battalion that spent seven months locked in bloody battles against Taliban forces.
Along with extra mental health support, 3/5 Marines will stay together at Camp Pendleton, Calif., for the first 90 days. That means no moves to other duty stations. The plan, top commanders said, is meant to keep squads and platoons together to decompress through the critical transition.
The infantry battalion suffered two dozen deaths by the time it returned home, with scores of men wounded, many still recovering from severe combat injuries.
The men of the battalion, nicknamed “Darkhorse,” arrived in Afghanistan by October 2010 and soon were mired in combat in Sangin district, at one point losing nine men over a four-day period from improvised explosive devices and small arms fire.
The pace of combat remained high in those first few months at war, which prompted Commandant Gen. Jim Amos to direct more support for the battalion, as well as their families, through the rest of the deployment and particularly the return home. The initial weeks and months after combat troops return home is when medical experts say they begin to see cases of post-traumatic stress, alcohol and substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, misconduct and risky behaviors.
“I’ve got to get across that it’s OK to look for help. That’s very hard to do for a 20-year-old,” said Maj. Gen. Mike Regner, 1st MARDIV’s commander, speaking during a break at the Navy-Marine Corps Combat and Operational Stress Conference meeting in San Diego.
read more here
Darkhorse battalion gets additional support
Friday, April 29, 2011
Darkhorse Marines tell the story of Sangin, in their own words
The story of Sangin, in their own words
BY GRETEL C. KOVACH
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011
The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment gathers today at Camp Pendleton with family and military dignitaries to honor the fallen from their ranks in Sangin, Afghanistan.
During their seven-month tour that ended this month, the battalion helped subdue the deadliest area of the country for international forces. The ritual roll call of names during the memorial ceremony will be answered by silence, but the Marines who gave their lives in the violent outpost coveted by Taliban insurgents and opium traders will be remembered in the annals of the Corps.
Much was written about the 3/5 Marines during their ferocious fight against an entrenched insurgency, when the battalion suffered more casualties than any other in the 10-year war, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Union-Tribune staff writer Gretel C. Kovach and photojournalist Nelvin C. Cepeda spent three weeks on the Sangin front lines with the “Darkhorse” battalion in February and March.
This selection of voices recounts their battle for Sangin — how it was fought, what it meant to them and what it cost.
read more here
The story of Sangin, in their own words
BY GRETEL C. KOVACH
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011
The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment gathers today at Camp Pendleton with family and military dignitaries to honor the fallen from their ranks in Sangin, Afghanistan.
During their seven-month tour that ended this month, the battalion helped subdue the deadliest area of the country for international forces. The ritual roll call of names during the memorial ceremony will be answered by silence, but the Marines who gave their lives in the violent outpost coveted by Taliban insurgents and opium traders will be remembered in the annals of the Corps.
Much was written about the 3/5 Marines during their ferocious fight against an entrenched insurgency, when the battalion suffered more casualties than any other in the 10-year war, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Union-Tribune staff writer Gretel C. Kovach and photojournalist Nelvin C. Cepeda spent three weeks on the Sangin front lines with the “Darkhorse” battalion in February and March.
This selection of voices recounts their battle for Sangin — how it was fought, what it meant to them and what it cost.
read more here
The story of Sangin, in their own words
Friday, April 15, 2011
Dark Horse Marines "relatively unscathed mentally"
Sounds like a great story and while it may make you want to go "yippie" this story is filled with warnings. First, they just got back home. People are all happy to be back together. Then comes the time when life gets back to normal as much as possible and they realize that it is not back to "normal" for them.
There is a report they will be kept with their units for three months. Good news on that one and it very well may save some lives. They will have support behind them. This offers a warning for the National Guards and Reservists coming home with no support after the welcome home parties are over.
There is a report they will be kept with their units for three months. Good news on that one and it very well may save some lives. They will have support behind them. This offers a warning for the National Guards and Reservists coming home with no support after the welcome home parties are over.
Marines Battalion Mentally Upbeat, Despite Record Deaths
1 in 5 Combat Veterans Get Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, But Training, Unit Cohesion Can Foster Resilience
POST A COMMENT BY SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES
April 15, 2011
The Marine 3-5 battalion returned home from one of Afghanistan's deadliest war zones this week after a grueling eight-month deployment with record casualties. Remarkably, military psychiatrists say the men appear, for the most part, to be relatively unscathed mentally.
"So far so good," said their second-in-command, Maj. Mark Carlton, who endured the 20-hour flight back with the first wave of Marines and Navy personnel from Afghanistan's Helmand Province to California's Camp Pendleton.
The battalion witnessed 25 dead, 140 wounded and more than a dozen amputees. But overall rates of combat stress among the 250 mostly infantrymen, at least in their first medical evaluations, appeared to be no higher than other units in the southern province, experts said.
Some wonder why that battalion -- nearly 1,000 in all in the heart of the Taliban insurgency -- appears so psychologically intact, when some reports show as many 37 percent of recent war veterans are being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
Carlton attributed much of the good mental health to the battalion's "proactive" small-unit leadership structure.
"They know each other and live with each other the entire deployment and are never far from someone on the team," he said. "If there's a change in behavior or signs of stress, it's immediately picked up by someone who knows the guy really well."
"You absolutely see that in a lot of places and not just the military," he said. "On high school sports teams, kids get tight over time. Common understanding can't be replicated."
The 3-5 battalion faced combat almost immediately when they took control of the Sangin District from the British last September. One of the fatalities was 2nd Lt. Robert Kelly, son of Lt. Gen. John Kelly, the personal military aide to Defense Secretary William Gates, the most senior officer to lose a child since American troops arrived in the country in 2001.
But as casualties mounted, visiting mental health professionals said they didn't see a comparable rise in mental health issues and were surprised by the unit's resiliency.
Now, back at Camp Pendleton, the Marines have ordered the unit to stay intact with their families for three months to allow them to decompress together. There, additional mental health professionals have been brought in to watch for signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.
An estimated 1 in 5 combat veterans will eventually be diagnosed with PTSD and 1 in 3 will have some emotional or neurological problems related to war, according to a New York University study of 300,000 returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan at veterans' hospitals.
read more here
Marines Battalion Mentally Upbeat, Despite Record Deaths
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The homecoming for the "Dark Horse Battalion"
MILITARY: First large wave of battle-scarred Marine unit arrives home
CAMP PENDLETON'S 3RD BATTALION, 5TH MARINE REGIMENT SAW 25 OF ITS TROOPS KILLED, MORE THAN 140 WOUNDED
By MARK WALKER - mlwalker@nctimes.com
Posted: Monday, April 11, 2011
About 250 troops from a Camp Pendleton infantry unit that suffered 25 killed and more than 140 wounded in Afghanistan arrived home to thunderous cheers Monday evening.
It was a bittersweet moment for the men from the base's 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, who were met by hundreds of loved ones and fellow Marines.
The battalion had more casualties during its nearly eight-month deployment than any other similar Marine unit in the 10-year-old war.
"It's tough seeing so many of your friends go down," 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Travis Broussard said moments after climbing off a bus and ending his first combat tour. "There were a lot of long days and long nights, but it's great being home."
The homecoming for the "Dark Horse Battalion" has been among the most anticipated at Camp Pendleton in years.
The 950-member infantry troops were engaged in heavy fighting in the Sangin District of the Helmand province from the time they arrived at the end of the summer until they departed.
read more here
First large wave of battle-scarred Marine unit arrives home
CAMP PENDLETON'S 3RD BATTALION, 5TH MARINE REGIMENT SAW 25 OF ITS TROOPS KILLED, MORE THAN 140 WOUNDED
By MARK WALKER - mlwalker@nctimes.com
Posted: Monday, April 11, 2011
About 250 troops from a Camp Pendleton infantry unit that suffered 25 killed and more than 140 wounded in Afghanistan arrived home to thunderous cheers Monday evening.
It was a bittersweet moment for the men from the base's 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, who were met by hundreds of loved ones and fellow Marines.
The battalion had more casualties during its nearly eight-month deployment than any other similar Marine unit in the 10-year-old war.
"It's tough seeing so many of your friends go down," 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Travis Broussard said moments after climbing off a bus and ending his first combat tour. "There were a lot of long days and long nights, but it's great being home."
The homecoming for the "Dark Horse Battalion" has been among the most anticipated at Camp Pendleton in years.
The 950-member infantry troops were engaged in heavy fighting in the Sangin District of the Helmand province from the time they arrived at the end of the summer until they departed.
read more here
First large wave of battle-scarred Marine unit arrives home
Friday, March 25, 2011
Dark Horse Battalion coming home from Afghanistan
MILITARY: Marine unit that suffered most casualties coming home
CAMP PENDLETON SCALING BACK ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN
By MARK WALKER - mlwalker@nctimes.com
The Camp Pendleton unit that has seen more troops killed and wounded in action than any other Marine Corps unit in the 10-year-old Afghan war is coming home.
The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment will return in a couple of weeks ahead of a wave of other units from the base's I Marine Expeditionary Force.
The lead role in Afghanistan is being taken over by the II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. A transfer of command ceremony is set for Saturday at Camp Leatherneck, the main Marine base in the southern Helmand province where most Marines are assigned.
At that ceremony, Camp Pendleton Maj. Gen. Richard Mills, who has overseen the fighting by the 20,000 Marines in Afghanistan for the last year, will relinquish that command and return home.
The number of locally based troops at war in the south-central Asian nation will fall from slightly more than 10,000 to about 7,000 by the end of spring and down to about 2,000 by midsummer, said 2nd Lt. Joanna Cappeto, a Camp Pendleton spokeswoman.
Among the most anticipated homecomings is the return of the battered 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, whose nickname is the "Dark Horse Battalion."
The approximately 950-member infantry unit was engaged in heavy fighting in the Sangin District of the Helmand province from the time it arrived there at the end of the summer until recent weeks.
The region was rife with Taliban insurgents, who used the district as a haven for illicit drug trafficking and manufacturing roadside bombs.
In its aggressive pursuit of the insurgents, the battalion saw 25 of its members killed in action, most of them from the bombs that are the weapon responsible for most U.S. and NATO troop casualties.
More than 150 battalion troops were wounded, including more than a dozen who had single- or multiple-limb amputations.
One of the men wounded in that fashion was Oceanside resident Lt. Cameron West, a platoon leader who lost a leg and suffered other injuries in an Oct. 15 blast while leading a patrol less than three weeks after arriving in Afghanistan.
read more here
Marine unit that suffered most casualties coming home
CAMP PENDLETON SCALING BACK ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN
By MARK WALKER - mlwalker@nctimes.com
The Camp Pendleton unit that has seen more troops killed and wounded in action than any other Marine Corps unit in the 10-year-old Afghan war is coming home.
The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment will return in a couple of weeks ahead of a wave of other units from the base's I Marine Expeditionary Force.
The lead role in Afghanistan is being taken over by the II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. A transfer of command ceremony is set for Saturday at Camp Leatherneck, the main Marine base in the southern Helmand province where most Marines are assigned.
At that ceremony, Camp Pendleton Maj. Gen. Richard Mills, who has overseen the fighting by the 20,000 Marines in Afghanistan for the last year, will relinquish that command and return home.
The number of locally based troops at war in the south-central Asian nation will fall from slightly more than 10,000 to about 7,000 by the end of spring and down to about 2,000 by midsummer, said 2nd Lt. Joanna Cappeto, a Camp Pendleton spokeswoman.
Among the most anticipated homecomings is the return of the battered 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, whose nickname is the "Dark Horse Battalion."
The approximately 950-member infantry unit was engaged in heavy fighting in the Sangin District of the Helmand province from the time it arrived there at the end of the summer until recent weeks.
The region was rife with Taliban insurgents, who used the district as a haven for illicit drug trafficking and manufacturing roadside bombs.
In its aggressive pursuit of the insurgents, the battalion saw 25 of its members killed in action, most of them from the bombs that are the weapon responsible for most U.S. and NATO troop casualties.
More than 150 battalion troops were wounded, including more than a dozen who had single- or multiple-limb amputations.
One of the men wounded in that fashion was Oceanside resident Lt. Cameron West, a platoon leader who lost a leg and suffered other injuries in an Oct. 15 blast while leading a patrol less than three weeks after arriving in Afghanistan.
read more here
Marine unit that suffered most casualties coming home
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Marine Prayer Request for Darkhorse not what it seems
UPDATE
Looks like Stars and Stripes paid attention too
Not sure what to make out of this now. I did a search for more information on this prayer request I received by email. I remembered 9 in a week but not recently so I did some checking. One of the "Marines" listed as killed this week was from the UK and he died in July. Matthew Weikert was in the Army and so was Chase Stanley.
I am not sure who did this or why they did it but they did it.
It looks like the "this week" was back in October and had different names.
Looks like Stars and Stripes paid attention too
Don't believe the social media rumors: Camp Pendleton's 'Darkhorse Marines' aren't dying in Afghanistan
By CARL PRINE |
The San Diego Union-Tribune (Tribune News Service) | Published: May 4, 2017
Although thousands upon thousands of well-meaning Americans on Facebook and Twitter are asking people to pray for the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, the grunts aren’t suffering any casualties in Afghanistan. They’re home at Camp Pendleton, preparing to deploy to sea.
The latest hoax seems to have broken out on Facebook in late February before dying down in mid-March. It has come roaring back in recent days, however, triggering a flood of social-media support for the “Darkhorse” battalion that once suffered heavy losses in Afghanistan but isn’t actually in combat now.
“We are asking everyone to say a prayer for ‘Darkhorse’ 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and their families. They are fighting it out in Afghanistan and have lost nine Marines in four days. Please repost this,” reads the typical message being circulated on social media.
Not sure what to make out of this now. I did a search for more information on this prayer request I received by email. I remembered 9 in a week but not recently so I did some checking. One of the "Marines" listed as killed this week was from the UK and he died in July. Matthew Weikert was in the Army and so was Chase Stanley.
Staff Sergeant Brett LinleyJustin Allen and Justus Bartelt were killed in July
Bomb disposal expert who saved hundreds of lives killed in Afghanistan
By TAMARA COHEN
Last updated at 8:46 AM on 20th July 2010
A bomb disposal expert who saved hundreds of lives in Afghanistan has been killed by a Taliban bomb.
Staff Sergeant Brett Linley, 29, died while clearing explosives on Saturday and was hailed by his military bosses as a 'true hero'.
In five months on the front line with the Royal Logistic Corps, he defused 100 bombs, on one occasion dismantling three in just one hour.
Read more: Bomb disposal expert who saved hundreds of lives killed in Afghanistan
July 25, 2010
The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, or who died at a U.S. military hospital of their injuries:
Justin B. Allen, 23, of Coal Grove, Ohio; sergeant, Army. Allen was shot and killed July 18 during a firefight in the Zhari district of southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
Justus S. Bartelt, 27, of Polo, Ill.; staff sergeant, Marine Corps. Bartelt was killed July 16 while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/25/local/la-me-wardead-20100725
Army Sgt. Matthew W. Weikert
Died July 17, 2010 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom
29, of Jacksonville, Ill.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died July 17 in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Sgt. Matthew W. Weikert
Army Specialist Chase Stanley, 21, Napa
Soldier is killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.
MILITARY DEATHS
September 26, 2010|By My-Thuan Tran, Los Angeles Times
Chase Stanley was eager to join the Army. When he was a teenager, his bedroom was covered in Army posters and he often sported an Army T-shirt, said his sister, Britney Stanley. Even before he signed up for boot camp, he would go to extra training sessions.
Growing up in the rugged terrain of the Capell Valley area of Napa, Stanley enjoyed hiking, fishing and hunting with his father. After graduating from Napa High School, he enlisted at age 17, along with two friends.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/26/local/la-me-stanley-20100926
Marine Cpl. Dave M. Santos
Died July 16, 2010 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom
21, of Rota, Marianas Islands of the Pacific; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died July 16 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
http://militarytimes.com/valor/marine-cpl-dave-m-santos/4716075/
I am not sure who did this or why they did it but they did it.
Prayer Request
We are asking everyone to say a prayer for "Darkhorse" 3rdBattalion 5th Marines and their families. They are fighting it out inAfghanistan and they have lost 9 marines in 4 days. IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEEthe message spread if more could pass it on.
Semper Fi, God Bless America and God Bless the United States MarineCorps...
Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever.Nothing in the media about these guys because no one seems to care:
Justin Allen, 23,
Brett Linley, 29,
Matthew Weikert, 29,
Justus Bartett, 27,
Dave Santos, 21,
Chase Stanley, 21,
Jesse Reed, 26,
Matthew Johnson, 21,
Zachary Fisher, 24,
Brandon King, 23,
Christopher Goeke, 23,
Sheldon Tate, 27,
All are Marines that gave their lives for YOU this week.
It looks like the "this week" was back in October and had different names.
Unit in Sangin loses 9 Marines in 4 days
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Oct 18, 2010 18:11:02 EDT
The 3/5 casualties in October include:
• Sgt. Ian Tawney, 25. The squad leader was killed Saturday by an improvised explosive device while on a foot patrol, Marine officials said. He enlisted on March 14, 2005, and had deployed to Iraq in 2007.
• Lance Cpl. James Boelk, 24. The infantry rifleman was killed by an IED while on a foot patrol last Friday, officials said. He was on his first combat deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Joseph Lopez, 26. The infantry rifleman was killed by an IED while on a foot patrol last Thursday, officials said. He was on his first combat deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Alec Catherwood, 19. The infantry rifleman was shot to death while on a foot patrol last Thursday, officials said. He was on his first combat deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Irvin Ceniceros, 21. The machine gunner was shot to death while on a foot patrol last Thursday, officials said. He was on his first combat deployment.
Four additional Marines were killed last Wednesday in the same IED blast while riding in a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle, or M-ATV, according to media reports. Those Marines include:
• Cpl. Justin Cain, 22. The machine gunner was on his first combat deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Phillip Vinnedge, 19. The anti-tank assaultman was on his first deployment.
• Lance Cpl. Joseph Rodewald, 21. The machine gunner was on his first combat deployment.
• Pfc. Victor Dew, 20. The anti-tank assaultman was on his first deployment.
Additional details about the deaths were not immediately available, but the Corps said the unit is now based in Sangin in a news release covering the death of Lance Cpl. John Sparks, 23. He was shot to death Oct. 8, becoming the first Marine to die on 3/5’s deployment, Marine officials said.
The most recent Marine casualty announced was Cpl. Jorge Villarreal, 22. A member of Pendleton’s 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, he died Sunday from an IED blast while on a foot patrol.
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