Re: Info on Citadel Marine KIA's

Sir, thank you, very much this message, as well as, all the others you've sent.
Note - I've been on your DistroList, for a number of years.
I always enjoy learning new things about the history of my school; things I'm just a little embarrassed to say I didn't know.
As I read through your artfully assembled attachment to the below message, I could not help but start to feel sentimental, once I began reading through the text. Something I picked-up-on right away, was the red-enameled badge on 1stLt Booth's Dress-Grey's uniform -- I thought, "I used to have one of those." Reading about 2ndLt John Fuller, USMC and his Navy Cross nearly choked-me-up.

Here's why:
--My 1st Tour in OIF (in 2003), I served as the Co.Cmdr for Echo 2/5.
(probably the most important year of my life)
--During the 'March-Up' to Baghdad and subsequent SASO Operations in As Samawah and Yousifya, Lt. Matt Lynch, USMC of Long Island, NY, was my 3d Plt Cmdr. He was a very brave, candid, funny, action-oriented, wonderful young man. He had been a Varsity swimmer at Duke University, prior to Commissioning/TBS/IOC.
--2ndLt Fuller, USMC was the 3d Plt Cmdr in Company E; he was killed in 1967, while attempting to reach the radio IOT call-in Artillery and save his boys...
--During my 2nd Tour in OIF, Lt. Lynch was still in 2/5 (in 2004; I had moved-on as well, and was now serving as OIC, 'Blue Diamond' JUMP (the 1st MarDiv CG's mobile command post). That year was the 'polar-opposite' of the previous year; I had a really rough-time/tour that year, with a lot of KIA/WIA. And, this made it just a bit worse...
--Coincidentally, 'Blue Diamond' was headquartered in Ramadi(Al Anbar) -and- 2/5 had recently relieved 2/4, within the same city (Ramadi). I'm pretty sure ~~ Lt. Lynch was based at Hurricane Point, with 2/5-Main; just South of 'Blue Diamond' and across the Euphrates.
--Lt. Lynch had fleeted-up by this, his 2nd, Deployment, to be one of the platoon commanders within Weapons Company, 2/5. Tragically, following an IED-strike on Rt. Michigan (which bisects Ramadi), Lt. Lynch was attempting to rescue another wounded Marine, when he was struck down during a complex ambush and killed by enemy fire. Following my return from that deployment, I had attended his funeral in Long Island. His older brother was also a Marine Officer (pilot); and, his father was an FBI agent. I remember being so adversely affected by losing one of my Lieutenants, whom I had pushed so hard during 2002-2003; and, Matt - well, he had given me and Echo Co. everything back, and then some.

--The reason I write about all of this, is because I found it strange -and wonderful- that with 37 years between them (2004-1967), both on 'opposite' sides of the world (either in Iraq or Vietnam, from Camp Pendleton), the 3d Platoon Commanders from Company E had both given their lives in service to their Country, and both while attempting to save the lives of other Marines.

Sir, thank you for the Message & Attachment, and for this hour (or, so) of reflection.

Very Respectfully,
Major Ted Card, USMC
(former-Company Commander, E/2/5)
(The Citadel, Class of 1994)

P.S. Sir, I'm sorry to say this; because, you'll probably recoil, when you read on... But, the year you graduated from The Citadel, was the same year I was born -- in 1972.

From: "McTernan, Walter F. Civ USMCR USF-I ITAM-MoD/INTEL/Taji" <Walter.McTernan.ctr@iraq.centcom.mil>
To: "brent.dunahoe@usmc.mil" <brent.dunahoe@usmc.mil>; Mike Rogers <mike.rogers@citadel.edu>; Steven Smith <steven.smith@citadel.edu>
Cc: LGEN <john.rosa@citadel.edu>; Jeff Perez <jeff.perez@citadel.edu>; Cory R. Moyer <moyerc1@mail.citadel.edu>;
 Winston F. Dorian <dorianw1@mail.citadel.edu>; Rick Cobb <cobbrd@charter.net>; Richard Hodges <rhodges50@gmail.com>; Tom Horton <eurohis1@bellsouth.net>; Andrew Kullberg <kullberg@gvtc.com>; "bomeb80q@comcast.net" <bomeb80q@comcast.net>; Les Bergen <lesbergen@verizon.net>; Terrence Potter <tempiris@yahoo.com>; "stingerted@roadrunner.com" <stingerted@roadrunner.com>
Sent: Fri, April 29, 2011 10:37:56 AM
Subject: Info on Citadel Marine KIA's

UNCLASSIFIED

Gentlemen:

    Greetings from Taji.  Earlier this evening, while surfing the web
while awaiting my shot at a telephone to call home, I came across a somewhat
dated "Minutes of Winter Board Meeting" (CAA, from Saturday 27 January 2007)
on-line: "...Capt. Matthew J. Kutilek, '01, announced that the Marine Corps
Department has been doing research to identify all Citadel Marines killed in
action.  A photo gallery of these individuals is on display in Jenkins Hall,
and Captain Kutilek asked alumni to notify the department of any omissions."

    I imagine that the nation's leading Naval Science Department has
captured all the data on our many Marine KIA's, but just in case not, the
attachment has all the info on Citadel Marine KIA's that I have discovered
doing my own research as a hobby while deployed.  One hopes it is never too
late to honor our
 fallen comrades.  As I am far from Jenkins Hall, I have no
idea what info is/was displayed there.  So it is forwarded FYI.

    All best wishes to the outgoing Class of '11, especially the Marines
of '11.  They will join the Long Gray Line of Citadel Men and also the Long
Gray-Green Line of Citadel Marines exactly a century after our first known
Marine officer grads did. (1911- Major General Harry K. Pickett, USMC and
Captain Benjamin Taylor Cripps, USMC). 

    May all hands have a great summer furlough.  Keep up the great work.
God bless The Citadel! Semper Fidelis, Go Dogs and

Very Respectfully,
Walter F. McTernan III  
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps(Retired)
The Citadel, Class of 1972
Professor of Intelligence and Security
USF-I, Iraq Training & Advisory Mission - MOD/Intel
The Iraqi Intelligence and Military
 Security School (IMSS)
Building 106, Room 205
Taji, Iraq
Work:  DSN 318-834-1118
NIPR: walter.mcternan@iraq.centcom.mil
SIPR: walter.mcternan@s-iraq.centcom.smil.mil    

"A Veteran, whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve, is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for the amount of 'up to, and including his life'.