A Marine"s Story

September, 2007 - It has been nearly three years since I created this site and I've decided to give it a fresh look. I still miss him everyday but I believe the best way to honour his memory is to live my life to the fullest, as he would want me to do.

Jen

(Written in November 2004, immediately after Dale's death)

Dale is my baby brother and he died on Sunday. I’m not a very good writer but I want everyone to remember him. It’s hard because in my head he is still a baby I can’t really believe that this has happened. I want everyone to know who he was.


If any of you know my family you know that we are a Marine family. My father, Dale Sr., was a Marine and a Vietnam veteran. Dale always wanted to be a Marine too.

Dad suffered from various health problems for most of my life, in part because he was wounded in Vietnam. His health worsened when I was eleven years old (Dale was nine). He lapsed into a coma and when he awoke two or so weeks later he had brain damage and was never the same.

This made life in our family really difficult. Mom had to take care of the three of us kids (I have a younger sister too) plus dad. Dad’s brain damage made him really difficult to deal with and be around. Dale struggled but was able to stay focused because of his dream of being a Marine.

When Dale was sixteen he left school and got his GED so he could join the Marines at age seventeen. I remember when graduated from boot camp he told me it was the happiest day of his life.

Dale was deployed three times, twice to Iraq. Until the last day he always loved being a Marine.


Reporters have told Dale’s story, similar to the one above, but that’s not really important and that’s not really how I want him remembered. Because that’s not a person’s life, that a soldier’s life, and Dale was more than a soldier. So here’s how I remember Dale.


Thursday, September 13, 2007

Born to be a Marine

Originally written in November 2004

Dale, dressed as a little Marine, and my little sister at Halloween.
As far back as I can remember Dale wanted to be a Marine.Dale Jr., age 14 (?), with his dad, Dale Sr. at Parris Island.
When we were teenagers our family would go to Hilton Head, SC for vacation. Hilton Head is only a short drive from Parris Island. One year Dale and I drove down in a separate car from the rest of the family. This year Dale and I were about the same size and everyone would ask us if we were twins. Since I could drive Dale begged me to take him to Parris Island. Dale had cassettes of marching songs and we would listen to them as we drove around Parris Island. I remember saying “I’m not sure we should be in these parts”, and Dale would say “Just drive Jen!” as he would snap photos.
Dale left for bootcamp January 21, 2001 around 3am. Doesn’t he look happy to be going?
We went down to Parris Island for Dale’s graduation. Dale told me his friends said, “Your sister looks just like you with hair!” After graduation a bunch of Dale’s friends and families went to Cracker Barrel Restaurant to celebrate. Dale rode in the car with me. It was a beautiful spring day, and U2’s “It’s a Beautiful Day” was playing on the radio. Dale later told me that whenever he heard that song he though of that day and me. (edited September 2007 - and when I hear that song, I think of him.)
Dales graduation photo and his letter to me.

Posted by Jennifer at 6:46 PM

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