If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
~ Excerpted from "On Death", by Khalil Gibran
Note: This is the first of two IGTNT diaries that will be published today.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of four Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Christopher L. Poole Jr., 22, of Mount Dora, Fla.
Cpl. Bryan J. Scripsick, 22, of Wayne, Okla.
Staff Sgt. John C. Stock, 26, of Longview, Texas
Sgt. Michael J. Yarbrough, 24, of Malvern, Ark.
All four Marines died Sept. 6 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. They were all assigned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
A later report indicated that all four men were killed by a suicide bomber.
Christopher Poole Jr.
Just a free-spirited, happy-go-lucky guy
Cpl. Christopher L. Poole was born on the Fourth of July and talked about joining the military since he was 10 years old.
He was proud to join the service after graduating from Mount Dora High School [in Florida] and specialized in communications as a Marine.
(snip)
"He was so proud of the Marines, the way they worked and the way they acted," his mother, Donna Hunsicker said. "One of his best friends' fathers was a Marine. He decided that was what he was going to do."
His family was looking forward to seeing him at a scheduled visit in November. In phone calls home, he joked about how boring Iraq was and how he couldn't wait to do something other than fixing radios, his mother said.
Family and friends will remember Poole for his quick wit and teasing personality.
In one of the last photos taken of the young man, he was on a boat wearing beach shorts and a cowboy hat.
"That was him," Hunsicker said. "Just a free-spirited, happy-go-lucky guy."
Source: The Orlando Sentinel
In April, the U.S. Marine left Mount Dora for Iraq just a few days after asking his high-school sweetheart to marry him. The 22-year-old intended to travel home for a visit in November.
(snip)
On the day he went overseas, his fiancee said, he said goodbye and she promised to wait for him forever.
"We spent every day together," Garcia said. "That guy stole my heart."
(snip)
His fiancee, 19-year-old Andrea Garcia, summed up how Poole's friends and family felt about him: "He was our hero."
Source: The Orlando Sentinel
Chris leaves behind his financee, Andrea Garcia; his mother, Donna Hunsicker; his brother, Jeff; and his grandmother, Patsy Kirkman. You can see his picture here.
Rest in peace, Christopher Poole. May your happy, brave and beautiful spirit roam free forever, and may your love and laughter bring comfort, hope and inspiration to your loved ones. Semper fi.
Bryan Scripsick
The nicest and sweetest kid
If you knew Bryan Scripsick, you liked him.
That's what his brother, Brett Scripsick, said...
Brett said while his brother could certainly be tough when he had to be, he also was the "nicest and sweetest" person you could ever hope to meet.
(snip)
While the family home is in Wayne, Bryan Scripsick graduated in 2004 from Pauls Valley High School, where he played safety and wide receiver on the football team.
Brett Scripsick said his brother wanted to play college football. Bryan probably would have graduated from college and gone on to coach football or baseball, his brother said.
As it turned out, Bryan chose to join the U.S. Marine Corps, which he did right after his 19th birthday in August 2004.
(snip)
He added that his brother was determined to serve his country and no one would have been able to talk him out of it, anyway.
"It was always a possibility in my mind that this could happen," Brett said of the news delivered to his family Thursday.
Bryan apparently didn't let himself dwell on such thoughts. His MySpace.com page, last updated on Aug. 26, featured the mantra, "Have Fun, Stay Young."
Source: TulsaWorld
A Marine Corps buddy left this message in Bryan's guestbook on legacy.com:
CPL Bryan "Hollywood" Scripsick,
You were such a great positive and motivating influence on the Marines in Echo Company, especially from the 11th MEU. You taught me what it meant to be a morally sound and honest individual. Your fire and Esprit de Corps will burn FOREVER in my heart, the Marine Corps and in your family!! We will see each other again Bryan...SEMPER FI!!!
P.S.-Was honor to serve with you in 4th PLT, YAT-YAS!!
SGT Scott Pollard
Bryan is survived by his parents, John and Jan Scripsick; his brother, Brett; and many friends. You can see his picture here.
Rest in peace, Bryan Scripsick. May your kind, loyal and beautiful spirit have fun, stay young, and roam free forever, and may your love and laughter bring comfort, hope and inspiration to your loved ones. Semper fi.
John Stock
He had no fear
A Longview U.S. Marine who friends and loved ones say epitomized all that is good about East Texas died in combat Thursday while serving in Iraq.
(snip)
Stock, a member of the 2nd Marine Division 3rd Battalion Bravo Company, initially served four years in the Marines. He was out for six months and then re-enlisted.
(snip)
"I've received many visitors throughout the day, and it's very comforting to know how well thought of my son was in the community," Jerry Stock said.
Jerry Stock said his son had been in Iraq since March, which was his first tour of duty there.
(snip)
"He was a fine young man, very committed to trying to do something valuable with his life and very committed to his family and his country," said the Rev. Gavin Vaverek, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church.
(snip)
"He was considering going back into the Marines, and that was a very serious commitment to make, and his wife Lindsey was very supportive of that choice," Vaverek said. "He very intentionally chose to go back into the Marines to fight the war against terrorism."
(snip)
Bosten Gisi, 26, had been friends with Stock since early childhood.
"I've known him for 20 years. He was a great guy, very outgoing, had a lot of friends, and always kept a smile on his face," Gisi said.
(snip)
"He like Waylon Jennings, and all the Hanks: Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr. and Hank III. He had an adventurous and fearless spirit that was evidenced in the many pastimes he enjoyed: kayaking, camping, white water rafting, and mountain climbing," Bosten Gisi said. "He was a good East Texas boy through and through. He was not scared; he had no fear, and that's why Iraq did not scare him. He said he knew what he had to do, and he was proud to do it."
Source: News-Journal.com
John is survived by his wife, Lindsey; his 9-month-old son, Wyatt; his 8-year-old stepson, Levin; his father and his mother, Jerry and Gwen Stock; four sisters and a brother; and many friends who loved him. You can see his picture here.
Rest in peace, John Stock. May your fearless and beautiful spirit roam free forever, and may your love and laughter bring comfort, hope and inspiration to your loved ones. Semper fi.
Michael Yarbrough
He took the place of a friend whose wife was pregnant
"He grew up knowing he wanted to be a Marine," said Yarbrough’s cousin, John Keeling. "He always told his mother that.
"His second tour he volunteered for," Keeling added. "He took the place of one of his friends, whose wife was pregnant."
(snip)
Yarbrough leaves behind his wife, mother, two sisters, and six nieces and nephews.
"They were his life," Keeling said, "his family and the Corps."
Source: TodaysHV.com
"He told me, the last time before he left, Mom, as long as my men are there, I'm going to be there with them," [his mother, Rhonda] Kidder told Little Rock, Ark., television station KATV.
Source: Mercury News
You can see several pictures of Michael here and here.
Rest in peace, Michael Yarbrough. May your selfless, loyal and beautiful spirit roam free forever, and may your love and laughter bring comfort, hope and inspiration to your loved ones. Semper fi.
As of this writing, Iraq Coalition Casualties reports that 3765 American soldiers, sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Guardsmen have been confirmed killed in action in Iraq; 440 have died in Afghanistan; and 9 additional deaths are pending notification of the families. The DoD news releases can be found here.
You can help our military men and women. Please consider sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com. It doesn’t take much time or money. Just send letters or care packages to your soldier, sailor, Airman, or Marine. One of my "adopted" soldiers told me that "mail is gold" for a deployed soldier. A few minutes of your time and one airmail stamp can make a real difference in a military person's life. anysoldier.com, Operation Helmet, and Fisher House are also wonderful organizations that provide comfort and care to deployed American troops.
About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT)
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, Sandy on Signal, silvercedes, noweasels, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, Wee Mama, MsWings, labwitchy, moneysmith, joyful, roses, and sistwo.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and families of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.