A Tearful Pause

Forgive this pause en route Hill 41.

Was caught up short this morning listening to public radio’s “Story Corps.”  These recordings are gemstones of American life. Today’s was a remembrance of a meeting between former Marine Corps Sergeant Kevin Powell and the mother of a member of his platoon in Iraq, Brian Parrello.  Brian was killed (by an IED) in Iraq 10 years ago. (Here is the url: http://storycorps.org/listen/kevin-powell-and-shirley-parrello/)

Sgt. Powell and 19 members of the platoon did what we could not do during the Vietnam War. Together, after their unit returned to the United States, they paid a visit to Brian’s mother to express their sorrow and their support to Brian’s family.  As a unit, we had no way of doing the same thing for the families of CPL Alexander, LCPL Zagerac, LCPL Ottey, and LCPL Hahn. Captain Gibbs wrote letters to family—he was supremely devoted to this task—but the policy of rotating troops out of country as tours expired, rather than rotating whole units in and out as was done in Iraq and Afghanistan, made it virtually impossible for us together to create such moments with the families of those we had lost, or even to connect with those whose wounds sent them home.  Once gone, generally, these Marines  were out of our lives–though seldom out of mind.

In the traditional Marine Corps sense, Alexander, Zagerac, Ottey, and Hahn were “my” First Platoon Marines, as were those who were wounded and sent home. Their families were “mine,” as well. And yet, as I listened to Sgt Powell and Mrs. Parrello  this morning, I could only cry.  Not only for young Brian, lost in Iraq, and his mother, but also for Alexander, Zagerac, Ottey, Hahn, and the many others later for whom and for whose families I was not “there” as Sgt. Powell could be for Mrs. Parrello.  If only I knew how to make amends.

* * *

2 thoughts on “A Tearful Pause”

  1. Hi Andy –

    Tearful Pause set me to thinking about the impact of not being about to have closure with the loss of comrades because of the rotation policy, and how that policy also made those returning home as individuals feel more isolated and alone when dealing with the negative anti-war mood and abysmal treatment they / we received.

    1. Absolutely. Given the long wars in which we have been engaged during the past decade and a half, it was good to see this change. I can’t help but think we would have been much better and more cohesive. Yet, we were taking many, many more causalities then than of late–and without the WW II “luxury” of finishing one campaign and then recouping and rebuilding. (In thinking of the past 14-15 years, can you imagine ever thinking that the conflict in SEAsia would have been overtaken in the sorrowful record of duration?) And thanks for your thought.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.