A Mortuary Affair in Iraq
New York Times
By TERESA FAZIO
April 25, 2013
I never meant to be a wartime hussy. Unlike Paula Broadwell, I was not buff and beautiful; I was a shy Catholic girl from White Plains, N.Y., with a calligraphed physics diploma. As a 23-year-old Marine lieutenant just a year and a half out of R.O.T.C., my plan for a seven-month Iraq deployment included laying fiber-optic cable underground, not taking up with a comrade 12 years my senior.
I befriended him in the cavernous chow hall as he forked limp cabbage onto a plastic plate. He worked in our battalion’s mortuary affairs unit, and scraping human remains from helicopters had killed his taste for meat. When I asked if he had a family, he said, “what’s left of it.” His estranged wife cared for their 7-year-old son, who was my youngest brother’s age. Soon we e-mailed bawdy jokes over the network my wire platoon helped set up on our base in Anbar Province.
I didn’t look feminine; my hacked-off hair and wire-rim glasses let me roll from my sleeping bag into uniform. My Kevlar jacket barreled a camouflage carapace onto my 5-foot-1 frame. Even slung tight, my M-16 hung past my knees. The combined effect was less “Hurt Locker” than “Harry Potter Goes to War.”
read more here
Showing posts with label Female Marines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Female Marines. Show all posts
Friday, April 26, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Marine Corps seeks more female leaders
Marines wanted: A few good women
Marine Corps seeks more female leaders, at boot camp and beyond
By Gretel C. Kovach
APRIL 6, 2013
On Monday nights when shaggy-haired young men with restless video-game thumbs hustle off the bus at the recruit depot in San Diego, one of the first Marines they see is a woman.
Sgt. Maj. Jennifer Simmons, standing straight-backed under her “Smokey Bear” hat — the iconic campaign cover of a Marine drill instructor — is a regular at recruit pickup, when the 12-week transformation from civilian to Marine begins.
As senior enlisted leader of Support Battalion, she oversees most training at the depot, from the drill instructor school to recruit martial arts.
Whoever thinks women don’t belong in the Corps hasn’t dared tell Simmons, a three-time combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“No one treats me special. They treat me like a sergeant major in the Marine Corps, and I demand that respect, whether I’m on the depot or at Camp Pendleton, anywhere,” Simmons said.
read more here
Marine Corps seeks more female leaders, at boot camp and beyond
By Gretel C. Kovach
APRIL 6, 2013
On Monday nights when shaggy-haired young men with restless video-game thumbs hustle off the bus at the recruit depot in San Diego, one of the first Marines they see is a woman.
Sgt. Maj. Jennifer Simmons, standing straight-backed under her “Smokey Bear” hat — the iconic campaign cover of a Marine drill instructor — is a regular at recruit pickup, when the 12-week transformation from civilian to Marine begins.
As senior enlisted leader of Support Battalion, she oversees most training at the depot, from the drill instructor school to recruit martial arts.
Whoever thinks women don’t belong in the Corps hasn’t dared tell Simmons, a three-time combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“No one treats me special. They treat me like a sergeant major in the Marine Corps, and I demand that respect, whether I’m on the depot or at Camp Pendleton, anywhere,” Simmons said.
read more here
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Marine detained over road rage caught on camera
The victims of the attack were interviewed on this 10 News YouTube Video Camp Pendleton road rage victim tells his side of the story
UPDATE to this story
Marine investigated in videotaped road rage at Camp Pendleton
By Michael Martinez
CNN
April 5, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
A Marine is cited with communicating a threat in a videotaped road rage incident
His unit is gathering information for potential legal or administrative proceedings
Marine in a wheelchair and her brother were in other car
Video shows young man using hands and feet to wail on vehicle
(CNN) -- A Marine is being investigated for potential legal or administrative proceedings after a video this week showed him in a profanity-loaded road rage against another motorist at Camp Pendleton, California, a Marines spokesman said Friday.
The Marine, whose name, rank or unit weren't being released, was cited for communicating a threat in the incident, but he wasn't charged as of Friday, said Sgt. Christopher Duncan, a Camp Pendleton spokesman.
The video, which went viral on the Internet, shows a young man yelling outside a truck, and he uses his hands and feet to wail on the truck whose driver sits calmly behind the wheel with the window rolled up. A woman passenger films the video.
The driver sat there calm as can be while the Marine went wild. The driver is caretaker of a wounded Marine, in the passenger seat. She is the one filming the whole thing.
Marine detained over road rage caught on camera
9 News
ninemsn staff
April 4, 2013
"The passenger is a wounded female Marine and the driver is her caregiver brother."
A decorated US Marine has been detained and may face charges after terrorising a paraplegic woman and her caregiver as they sat in their car.
Footage shows the unidentified young Marine sergeant, who reportedly is a Purple Heart recipient, unleash a three-minute-long tirade of abuse against the pair, who barely move a muscle in response.
At one point the inflamed marine bashes on their car window and lets out a high-pitched scream as he challenges the driver to open his door.
The incident happened at Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base in southern California, on Monday afternoon and apparently stemmed from a driving dispute.
read more here
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Margaret Brewer, First Woman Marine General, passed away at 82
Margaret Brewer, First Woman Marine General, Dead
Jan 08, 2013
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
Retired Brig. Gen. Margaret A. Brewer, the first female general officer in the Marine Corps, died Jan. 2. She was 82.
"Throughout her three decades of service to our Corps and country, she truly led from the front and helped the Marine Corps integrate women more fully into the force,’ Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos said in a statement he put out Monday night.
“She served during an era when many thought that women had no place in the Corps, but she proved critics wrong time and again,” Amos said. “It's never easy being the first, but she was both the first female general officer and the first Director of Public Affairs and met the challenges and responsibilities of each with professionalism and grace.”
Brewer was serving as the director when she retired in 1980.
read more here
Jan 08, 2013
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
Retired Brig. Gen. Margaret A. Brewer, the first female general officer in the Marine Corps, died Jan. 2. She was 82.
"Throughout her three decades of service to our Corps and country, she truly led from the front and helped the Marine Corps integrate women more fully into the force,’ Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos said in a statement he put out Monday night.
“She served during an era when many thought that women had no place in the Corps, but she proved critics wrong time and again,” Amos said. “It's never easy being the first, but she was both the first female general officer and the first Director of Public Affairs and met the challenges and responsibilities of each with professionalism and grace.”
Brewer was serving as the director when she retired in 1980.
read more here
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Female Marine's body recovered after diving accident
Diver's body recovered identified as local Marine
CBS
Posted: Dec 02, 2012
Video Report
By Shannon Handy, Reporter
SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - An autopsy is scheduled Monday for a Camp Pendleton Marine who died over the weekend when she failed to surface during a dive off Mission Beach.
The body of 26-year-old Staci Jackson was found inside the Yukon, a sunken ship about a mile and a half off the coast.
Staci was diving with a group Saturday afternoon but never resurfaced.
Lifeguard officials say her death was accidental.
News 8 spoke with the diver who located her body. He says, she was entangled and that it did look "suspicious."
read more here
CBS
Posted: Dec 02, 2012
Video Report
By Shannon Handy, Reporter
SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - An autopsy is scheduled Monday for a Camp Pendleton Marine who died over the weekend when she failed to surface during a dive off Mission Beach.
The body of 26-year-old Staci Jackson was found inside the Yukon, a sunken ship about a mile and a half off the coast.
Staci was diving with a group Saturday afternoon but never resurfaced.
Lifeguard officials say her death was accidental.
News 8 spoke with the diver who located her body. He says, she was entangled and that it did look "suspicious."
read more here
Monday, November 5, 2012
In Iraq, A Mom Marine’s Urge to Serve
In Iraq, A Mom Marine’s Urge to Serve
Nov 5, 2012
During the run up to the Iraq War, Tee Hanible, a young Marine working a desk job, asked to be deployed. It meant leaving her child behind. What makes a mother of a 3-year-old girl feel such a powerful need to sacrifice for her country?
You’re not Marine Corps material—you won’t make it.”
That was Tawanda Hanible’s brother, Lindell, running down the sister who had always shown him up in school. Lindell was two years older and already a Marine. He told “Tee,” as she was called, “you’re too girly.” He forgot that she was also stubborn as a fence post.
The odds had been against Tee from birth. Her biological father was shot and killed when she was an infant. She was raised in a strict foster home on Chicago’s deep South Side. Minnie Hudson, who later adopted her and her brother, had four children of her own. Anywhere from two to 20 foster children rotated through Hudson’s three-bedroom apartment, sleeping three in a room or on a couch or floor.
At 15, Tee turned rebellious. Drugs had saturated the South Side like a plague. Crime went rampant. Drive-by shootings picked off some of her friends. Tee lost her way. “Poor grades, wrong crowd,” was the rap on this once-star student.
When word surfaced that her best friend was going to be jumped, Tee’s teenage rebellion found a cause. She smashed the glass on a fire alarm. “Run, take the side exit!” she shouted. The girl escaped a beating. For this tiny act of personal heroism, Tee was thrown out of school.
read more here
Nov 5, 2012
During the run up to the Iraq War, Tee Hanible, a young Marine working a desk job, asked to be deployed. It meant leaving her child behind. What makes a mother of a 3-year-old girl feel such a powerful need to sacrifice for her country?
You’re not Marine Corps material—you won’t make it.”
Photo by Melissa Golden
That was Tawanda Hanible’s brother, Lindell, running down the sister who had always shown him up in school. Lindell was two years older and already a Marine. He told “Tee,” as she was called, “you’re too girly.” He forgot that she was also stubborn as a fence post.
The odds had been against Tee from birth. Her biological father was shot and killed when she was an infant. She was raised in a strict foster home on Chicago’s deep South Side. Minnie Hudson, who later adopted her and her brother, had four children of her own. Anywhere from two to 20 foster children rotated through Hudson’s three-bedroom apartment, sleeping three in a room or on a couch or floor.
At 15, Tee turned rebellious. Drugs had saturated the South Side like a plague. Crime went rampant. Drive-by shootings picked off some of her friends. Tee lost her way. “Poor grades, wrong crowd,” was the rap on this once-star student.
When word surfaced that her best friend was going to be jumped, Tee’s teenage rebellion found a cause. She smashed the glass on a fire alarm. “Run, take the side exit!” she shouted. The girl escaped a beating. For this tiny act of personal heroism, Tee was thrown out of school.
read more here
Friday, October 12, 2012
Female Marine Vets: Sexist Culture Put Us at Risk
Female Marine Vets: Sexist Culture Put Us at Risk
Oct 11, 2012
Stars and Stripes
by Jennifer Hlad
WASHINGTON -- At Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, female recruits learn to blouse their new camouflage trousers above their combat boots. They learn to low crawl under barbed wire and shoot an M-16. They learn to fight. And, several female Marines told Stars and Stripes, they learn that they must decide which of the three types of Marine women they will be: a slut, a dyke or a bitch.
"You are told that pretty much any contact with male Marines makes you a slut," said Katie Appeldorn, who served in the Marine Corps from 2006 to 2010. "It is automatically assumed she is sleeping around. Dyke isn't necessarily a lesbian, but she is thought to be.
"Bitch is what you are told to be. It basically means you don't give the men around you an inch."
The DOD and the individual services have spent hundreds of hours over the past decade talking tough about sexual assault and sexual harassment -- vowing to hold commanders and attackers responsible and stressing a "zero tolerance" policy. But Appeldorn and other female Marines said they learned early that there is also zero tolerance for women perceived to be "asking for it."
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Oct 11, 2012
Stars and Stripes
by Jennifer Hlad
WASHINGTON -- At Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, female recruits learn to blouse their new camouflage trousers above their combat boots. They learn to low crawl under barbed wire and shoot an M-16. They learn to fight. And, several female Marines told Stars and Stripes, they learn that they must decide which of the three types of Marine women they will be: a slut, a dyke or a bitch.
"You are told that pretty much any contact with male Marines makes you a slut," said Katie Appeldorn, who served in the Marine Corps from 2006 to 2010. "It is automatically assumed she is sleeping around. Dyke isn't necessarily a lesbian, but she is thought to be.
"Bitch is what you are told to be. It basically means you don't give the men around you an inch."
The DOD and the individual services have spent hundreds of hours over the past decade talking tough about sexual assault and sexual harassment -- vowing to hold commanders and attackers responsible and stressing a "zero tolerance" policy. But Appeldorn and other female Marines said they learned early that there is also zero tolerance for women perceived to be "asking for it."
read more here
Friday, October 5, 2012
Female Marine's death under investigation in Afghanistan
USMC investigates Marine’s death in Afghanistan
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Oct 4, 2012
Marine Corps officials are investigating the death of a female sergeant who was deployed to Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department
Sgt. Camella M. Steedley, 31, of San Diego, died Wednesday in Helmand province, officials said in a news release. She was assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 17, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Steedley, who enlisted on Dec. 11, 2001, was an air operations clerk with CLR-17, 2nd Lt. Savannah Moyer, a 1st Marine Logistics Group spokeswoman, said Thursday. Steedley was on her first deployment.
read more here
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Oct 4, 2012
Marine Corps officials are investigating the death of a female sergeant who was deployed to Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department
Sgt. Camella M. Steedley, 31, of San Diego, died Wednesday in Helmand province, officials said in a news release. She was assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 17, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Steedley, who enlisted on Dec. 11, 2001, was an air operations clerk with CLR-17, 2nd Lt. Savannah Moyer, a 1st Marine Logistics Group spokeswoman, said Thursday. Steedley was on her first deployment.
read more here
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Don’t Put Women in Combat, Says Female Combat Veteran
Some women think it is a good idea. Some don't. It is important to hear their voices.
Don’t Put Women in Combat, Says Female Combat Veteran
Katie J.M. Baker
Last April, the Marine Corps announced that it would begin integrating female officers into its Infantry Officer Course, a monumental step towards allowing women to serve in front-line combat that would also open up more promotions for women, some of whom have been complaining for decades that prohibiting women from the front lines hurts their chances of moving up into senior military ranks.
As one might expect, not everyone thinks this is such a fantastic idea. In the latest issue of Marine Corps Gazette, an Iraq and Afghanistan vet and "combat-experienced Marine officer" makes the case that "we are not all created equal" and that "I am confident that should the Marine Corps attempt to fully integrate women into the infantry, we as an institution are going to experience a colossal increase in crippling and career-ending medical conditions for females."
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Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Marines not doing enough to stop sexual assaults
Report Finds Marine Corps Has Failed To Cut Down On Sexual Assaults
June 26, 2012
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The Marine Corps has admitted its failure to cut down sexual assaults within its ranks.
Just last year, there were 88 reported sexual assaults at Camp Pendleton and 24 at Twentynine Palms’ Air Ground Combat Center, according to a Marine Corps report cited by the Los Angeles Times.
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June 26, 2012
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The Marine Corps has admitted its failure to cut down sexual assaults within its ranks.
Just last year, there were 88 reported sexual assaults at Camp Pendleton and 24 at Twentynine Palms’ Air Ground Combat Center, according to a Marine Corps report cited by the Los Angeles Times.
read more here
Friday, April 20, 2012
Marines open combat school for women
Marine Corps opens combat school in Quantico, Va. to women
Hadi Mizban / AP file
A female US soldier escorts Iraqi woman out of the danger zone, after a suicide car bomb exploded nearby in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2004.
By Jeff Black, msnbc.com
A Marine Corps school that trains infantry combat officers is now enrolling women, the Marine Corps Times reported, marking the first time female members of the front-line fighting force would be specifically groomed for direct combat roles. The Corps is seeking out female volunteers to attend the Infantry Officers Course in Quantico, Va., Gen. Joseph Dunford, the Marine Corps' assistant commandant, told the paper.
According to the Marine Corps Times:
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Hadi Mizban / AP file
A female US soldier escorts Iraqi woman out of the danger zone, after a suicide car bomb exploded nearby in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2004.
By Jeff Black, msnbc.com
A Marine Corps school that trains infantry combat officers is now enrolling women, the Marine Corps Times reported, marking the first time female members of the front-line fighting force would be specifically groomed for direct combat roles. The Corps is seeking out female volunteers to attend the Infantry Officers Course in Quantico, Va., Gen. Joseph Dunford, the Marine Corps' assistant commandant, told the paper.
According to the Marine Corps Times:
It’s a monumental — if controversial — move for the Marine Corps, which until now barred female Marines from the program and required instead that they attend other courses aimed at preparing them for assignments in support roles such as logistics, personnel administration and aircraft maintenance, among others.
read more here
Friday, April 13, 2012
139 Female Soldiers Have Died in Iraq and Afghanistan, over 800 wounded
Thursday, April 12, 2012
The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrated how much the roles of women in the U.S. military have expanded. During a decade’s worth of conflict, more than 283,000 women were deployed to the two countries. Hundreds of them served in harm’s way, according to casualty figures.
More than 800 female service members have been wounded in either Afghanistan or Iraq, and at least 139 have died from combat- and non-combat-related incidents. Of these, 110 died as a result of serving in Iraq, however the last thirteen have all died in Afghanistan.
read more here
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Naomi Wolf calls Katy Perry video propaganda
When it comes to FOX cable news, it is no secret how I feel about them. In this case, they proved me right again. The title of this article is "Left Calls for..." and not just "Naomi Wolf."
I am an Independent because I have issues with both sides. One lesson we should all learn from the people in the military is they manage to work together for a common cause and put each other above any political ties. I wish the media could manage to do the same.
Personally don't care about what Naomi Wolf has to say. I've read it before but it didn't change my mind about Katy Perry's video. I thought it was great when I posted it and I still do.
So why did FOX give Naomi Wolf more power than she deserves by suggesting she speaks for the "left" in this country? I have friends on both sides of politics and they never agree on anything politically but what they all agree on is their dedication to the men and women serving in the military today and the veterans of yesterday. If anything, there needs to be more "propaganda" like this to get people to pay attention to the sacrifices the troops make everyday!
I am an Independent because I have issues with both sides. One lesson we should all learn from the people in the military is they manage to work together for a common cause and put each other above any political ties. I wish the media could manage to do the same.
Personally don't care about what Naomi Wolf has to say. I've read it before but it didn't change my mind about Katy Perry's video. I thought it was great when I posted it and I still do.
Left Calls for Katy Perry Boycott Over Marine Video
March 30, 2012 LOS ANGELES –
Katy Perry transforms herself into a U.S. Marine in her latest power-pop single, "Part of Me," which addresses female empowerment and pays particular tribute to service women. However, at least one media type doesn't support Perry's Marines shout-out. Prominent feminist Naomi Wolf, author of "The Beauty Myth" and one of many who were arrested amid the Occupy Wall Street protests last year, is urging Americans to boycott the singer, labeling her video "a total piece of propaganda for the Marines." read more here
So why did FOX give Naomi Wolf more power than she deserves by suggesting she speaks for the "left" in this country? I have friends on both sides of politics and they never agree on anything politically but what they all agree on is their dedication to the men and women serving in the military today and the veterans of yesterday. If anything, there needs to be more "propaganda" like this to get people to pay attention to the sacrifices the troops make everyday!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach murder focus of Investigation Discovery show
Lauterbach case is focus of cable channel debut
March 1, 2012
Staff Report
The Maria Lauterbach murder case will be the focus of the debut episode of a show premiering Saturday on the Investigation Discovery channel.
“In 2007, (Cesar) Laurean’s perverse indulgences take a violent turn when he is accused of rape.
To save his reputation and his military career, he plots to silence his accuser for good, leading to the brutal murder of Lauterbach and her unborn child,” according to press material for the show, “Deadly Sins” in the episode “Carnal Appetite.”
read more here
March 1, 2012
Staff Report
The Maria Lauterbach murder case will be the focus of the debut episode of a show premiering Saturday on the Investigation Discovery channel.
“In 2007, (Cesar) Laurean’s perverse indulgences take a violent turn when he is accused of rape.
To save his reputation and his military career, he plots to silence his accuser for good, leading to the brutal murder of Lauterbach and her unborn child,” according to press material for the show, “Deadly Sins” in the episode “Carnal Appetite.”
read more here
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Four Marine suicides reported in January and 11 attempted
MILITARY: Four Marine suicides reported in January
By MARK WALKER mlwalker@nctimes.com
Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Four active-duty Marines took their own lives in January, according to the latest report from service's suicide prevention program.
The four suicides mark one of the highest months tolls recorded over the past several months and come despite widespread efforts to identify, reach out to and help troops having emotional difficulties.
One woman was among the self-inflicted deaths.
The report said an additional 11 Marines attempted suicide.
read more here
Monday, February 13, 2012
Parris Island to honor female Marines
Parris Island to honor female Marines
By PATRICK DONOHUE
Published Saturday, February 11, 2012
Get breaking news and story updates about local, state and national military issues by following On Base on Twitter.
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island will honor the service and sacrifice of female Marines with a day of events Monday, base officials say.
It's been nearly 70 years since women officially became a part of the Corps, and the depot is celebrating with a morning colors ceremony, tours of Parris Island and other events, said Lt. Melanie Salinas, depot spokeswoman.
"The Marine Corps is known for ensuring our future generations of Marines learn the history, traditions (and customs) of our Corps during recruit training," Salinas said. "The celebration ... highlights the history and tradition of women's service in the Marine Corps..."
read more here
By PATRICK DONOHUE
Published Saturday, February 11, 2012
Get breaking news and story updates about local, state and national military issues by following On Base on Twitter.
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island will honor the service and sacrifice of female Marines with a day of events Monday, base officials say.
It's been nearly 70 years since women officially became a part of the Corps, and the depot is celebrating with a morning colors ceremony, tours of Parris Island and other events, said Lt. Melanie Salinas, depot spokeswoman.
"The Marine Corps is known for ensuring our future generations of Marines learn the history, traditions (and customs) of our Corps during recruit training," Salinas said. "The celebration ... highlights the history and tradition of women's service in the Marine Corps..."
read more here
Friday, January 13, 2012
90 year old WWII veteran still doing her part to help the troops
WWII vet still doing her part to help the troops
By Arline A. Fleming/Special to the Independent
NARRAGANSETT — Doris Blaney might be 90 years old, but she is hardly an idle nonagenarian.
In addition to knitting items to sell at the South Kingstown Farmers Market and being an active member of the Washington County VFW Post 916, she decided that when it came time to donate to the state-wide project for the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW, offering an average donation wouldn’t be enough.
This year’s cause, Suicide Prevention in the Military, just felt more important to her than that.
“I was a Marine during World War II and it just hit home, so I decided we should do something as big as we can possible do.”
Blaney decided to organize a fund-raiser to make a significant donation and raise some awareness in the process, and when she announced her intention to her five grown children, her 12 grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and other relatives and friends, “they all jumped in with both feet,” she said.
With her grandson, Christian, by her side handling some computer work – though she is very capable of using her home computer herself – she began to plan the benefit, to be held at the donated Elks Club, 60 Belmont Ave., Wakefield, on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m.
“The incidence of suicide in the military is absolutely astounding. If you talk to people who have friends or relatives in the military, they all know somebody who committed suicide,” she said, telling of the challenges of serving overseas and then returning home to an absence of jobs.
“It just gets overwhelming and they can’t handle it.”
So Blaney, who during World War II felt she wasn’t contributing enough to the cause and so enlisted, could recall the fragile conditions of returning soldiers, including her own husband, Russell, and the memory has never left her.
“We didn’t do much about trauma then,” she said, and though Russell didn’t talk often about his war experiences in the Army, he had many sleepless nights, she said.
read more here
By Arline A. Fleming/Special to the Independent
NARRAGANSETT — Doris Blaney might be 90 years old, but she is hardly an idle nonagenarian.
In addition to knitting items to sell at the South Kingstown Farmers Market and being an active member of the Washington County VFW Post 916, she decided that when it came time to donate to the state-wide project for the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW, offering an average donation wouldn’t be enough.
This year’s cause, Suicide Prevention in the Military, just felt more important to her than that.
“I was a Marine during World War II and it just hit home, so I decided we should do something as big as we can possible do.”
Blaney decided to organize a fund-raiser to make a significant donation and raise some awareness in the process, and when she announced her intention to her five grown children, her 12 grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and other relatives and friends, “they all jumped in with both feet,” she said.
With her grandson, Christian, by her side handling some computer work – though she is very capable of using her home computer herself – she began to plan the benefit, to be held at the donated Elks Club, 60 Belmont Ave., Wakefield, on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m.
“The incidence of suicide in the military is absolutely astounding. If you talk to people who have friends or relatives in the military, they all know somebody who committed suicide,” she said, telling of the challenges of serving overseas and then returning home to an absence of jobs.
“It just gets overwhelming and they can’t handle it.”
So Blaney, who during World War II felt she wasn’t contributing enough to the cause and so enlisted, could recall the fragile conditions of returning soldiers, including her own husband, Russell, and the memory has never left her.
“We didn’t do much about trauma then,” she said, and though Russell didn’t talk often about his war experiences in the Army, he had many sleepless nights, she said.
read more here
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Marine Brig. Gen. L.E. Reynolds is Parris Island’s first female commander
Marine Brig. Gen. L.E. Reynolds is Parris Island’s first female commander
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. — There’s a new commander on this sandy, swampy spit of land that has transformed rawboned recruits into macho Marines for nearly a century. Brig. Gen. L.E. Reynolds, a 6-foot-tall Baltimore native and a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, is the latest in a long line of no-nonsense leaders to take charge here.
But she’s the first woman.
And for the tradition-bound Marine Corps, which endlessly promotes a tough-guy image and built its recruiting on the search for “a few good men,” the idea of all those ruthless Parris Island drill instructors having to salute a leatherneck named Loretta could take some getting used to.
“I am sure that some Marines, especially those who served many years ago, were disconcerted that a female Marine general would take over Parris Island,” said Maj. Jim Franks, who served under Reynolds as her executive officer when they were deployed to Afghanistan. “But if they had the opportunity to meet her, they would quickly see that she’s eminently qualified to do that job. . . . Take the female part out of it. She’s an outstanding officer.”
read more here
(John Wollwerth/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) - Brig. General. Loretta E. Reynolds, 46, is the first female Marine commander of the Corps' iconic training ground for recruits at Parris Island, S.C. She took command in June.By Craig Whitlock, Published: August 19
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. — There’s a new commander on this sandy, swampy spit of land that has transformed rawboned recruits into macho Marines for nearly a century. Brig. Gen. L.E. Reynolds, a 6-foot-tall Baltimore native and a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, is the latest in a long line of no-nonsense leaders to take charge here.
But she’s the first woman.
And for the tradition-bound Marine Corps, which endlessly promotes a tough-guy image and built its recruiting on the search for “a few good men,” the idea of all those ruthless Parris Island drill instructors having to salute a leatherneck named Loretta could take some getting used to.
“I am sure that some Marines, especially those who served many years ago, were disconcerted that a female Marine general would take over Parris Island,” said Maj. Jim Franks, who served under Reynolds as her executive officer when they were deployed to Afghanistan. “But if they had the opportunity to meet her, they would quickly see that she’s eminently qualified to do that job. . . . Take the female part out of it. She’s an outstanding officer.”
read more here
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Florida dad has 3 daughters in Marine Corps — and counting
Hillsborough dad has 3 daughters in Marine Corps — and counting
By HOWARD ALTMAN
The Tampa Tribune
Published: June 18, 2011
At Camp Leatherneck, a rugged 1,550-acre Marine Corps base in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, Cpl. Aisling Feaser helps crunch intelligence information for her fellow Marines patrolling outside the wire.
Elsewhere in the camp, her sister, Cpl. Aine Feaser, helps orchestrate the complex task of making sure Marines headed back to the States get where they are going, along with their trucks, guns and other equipment.
And 7,400 miles away, on the bug-infested marshlands of Parris Island, S.C., a third Feaser sister, Niahm Cinn-Oir, is in boot camp, training to become a Marine.
Sitting on the couch of his Town 'N Country home, Tom Feaser laughs at the thought of having three daughters in the Marine Corps.
"It's funny," says Feaser, a former K-9 officer who is now a hospice nurse. "When Aine left, they picked her up at the door, and I did the typical parent thing: boo-hooed like an idiot for a little bit of time.
"When Aisling left, I boo-hooed and when Niahm left I said, 'Oh, thank God, she's gone.' "
Tom Feaser is the raw material for a sitcom. A 57-year-old Army veteran who did two years at the end of the Vietnam War, he is the single parent of five daughters.
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Hillsborough dad has 3 daughters in Marine Corps
By HOWARD ALTMAN
The Tampa Tribune
Published: June 18, 2011
At Camp Leatherneck, a rugged 1,550-acre Marine Corps base in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, Cpl. Aisling Feaser helps crunch intelligence information for her fellow Marines patrolling outside the wire.
Elsewhere in the camp, her sister, Cpl. Aine Feaser, helps orchestrate the complex task of making sure Marines headed back to the States get where they are going, along with their trucks, guns and other equipment.
And 7,400 miles away, on the bug-infested marshlands of Parris Island, S.C., a third Feaser sister, Niahm Cinn-Oir, is in boot camp, training to become a Marine.
Sitting on the couch of his Town 'N Country home, Tom Feaser laughs at the thought of having three daughters in the Marine Corps.
"It's funny," says Feaser, a former K-9 officer who is now a hospice nurse. "When Aine left, they picked her up at the door, and I did the typical parent thing: boo-hooed like an idiot for a little bit of time.
"When Aisling left, I boo-hooed and when Niahm left I said, 'Oh, thank God, she's gone.' "
Tom Feaser is the raw material for a sitcom. A 57-year-old Army veteran who did two years at the end of the Vietnam War, he is the single parent of five daughters.
read more here
Hillsborough dad has 3 daughters in Marine Corps
Deployed Marine sisters lean on one another
Deployed sisters lean on one another
By JIM NIEDELMAN
Published: June 17, 2011
GREENVILLE, N.C. - We've heard time and again the emotional toll deployments can have on the troops and their families.
There are two Marines based in Eastern Carolina serving in Afghanistan right now who can make it easier for each other. That's because they're sisters.
Nine On Your Side’s Jim Niedelman spoke with them about the experience.
They are 24-year-old Aine Feaser and her 20-year-old sister Aisley.
How did they get there at the same time?
"That was completely luck of the draw,” Aine said. Luck these Marines from Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune are happy to have.
They are both stationed at Camp Leatherneck, but only get a chance to see each other a couple of times a week for meals.
"It's just incredible to have my sister out here at the same time. I'm really fortunate to have family outside the Marine Corps with me at the same time," said Aine Feaser, Marine.
read more here
Deployed sisters lean on one another
By JIM NIEDELMAN
Published: June 17, 2011
GREENVILLE, N.C. - We've heard time and again the emotional toll deployments can have on the troops and their families.
There are two Marines based in Eastern Carolina serving in Afghanistan right now who can make it easier for each other. That's because they're sisters.
Nine On Your Side’s Jim Niedelman spoke with them about the experience.
They are 24-year-old Aine Feaser and her 20-year-old sister Aisley.
How did they get there at the same time?
"That was completely luck of the draw,” Aine said. Luck these Marines from Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune are happy to have.
They are both stationed at Camp Leatherneck, but only get a chance to see each other a couple of times a week for meals.
"It's just incredible to have my sister out here at the same time. I'm really fortunate to have family outside the Marine Corps with me at the same time," said Aine Feaser, Marine.
read more here
Deployed sisters lean on one another
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