Please also visit SisTwo's diary, IGTNT -- I Miss You tonight. Thanks to all who bear witness with us so faithfully!
When I read about the life of the Army Ranger we honor today--Sgt. Steven C. Ganczewski--all I could think about was how much he epitomized the words of John Donne’s poem, "Death Be Not Proud", in which Donne defiantly tells Death why it can never have dominion over humanity.
That same spirit of determination and defiance in the face of extreme challenge characterized the life of Steven Ganczewski. Join me over the fold to have a look at Donne’s exquisite poem, and then celebrate the life of this exceptional man who lived its words.
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
~ John Donne
The DoD reports:
Sgt. Steven C. Ganczewski, 22, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., died Nov. 16, in Balad, Iraq, wounds suffered from a combat-related incident. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.
At just 14 years of age, Steven Ganczewski already knew that he wanted to be an Army Ranger—among the most elite the Army, and those who face among the most difficult challenges. But challenges never fazed Steven. His mother, Maria Ganczewski, told NY Newsday, "He wanted to be a Ranger and he did it. Being a Ranger is not an easy thing to do. Anything he wanted to do he did it. He was so determined or lucky ... he completed everything he wanted to do." His father, Mark Ganczewski, told Lockport Journal, "Steven was a child who excelled at everything. He wanted to be the best at everything he did." That was just the make of this man.
Determined in the face of extreme challenge? How about serving five tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan in just four years? And Sgt. Ganczewski was just 22 when he died. This man was the ultimate in courage, dedication, and determination. He lived his life in the true spirit of Donne’s challenge to Death.
Military service was the path Sgt. Steven C. Ganczewski chose early in life, and his determination never wavered, even when his grades at Niagara Falls High School would have easily gained him admission to a good college.
"He got a lot of [resistance] from guidance counselors when he said he was joining the Army," said his father, Mark. "They didn’t understand why someone with his potential would join the Army."
(snip)
Steven Ganczewski’s aspirations took shape when he was a boy, his father said.
The elder Ganczewski spent 16 years in the Air Force, including a stint at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M., where he met and married Maria 23 years ago.
When he left the service and returned to Niagara Falls, Ganczewski passed along his fascination with aircraft to his son, taking him to the air shows at the Niagara Falls air base.
During one of those visits, Steve Ganczewski saw a pamphlet for the Civil Air Patrol and, at age 12, he joined. By the time he left five years later, he was cadet commander.
"We knew pretty much right away that [the military] was what he wanted to do," said high school friend A.J. Gelose. "He always had that drive. That was his dream."
(snip)
His parents spoke of their son’s self-sufficiency. He worked at the Como Restaurant in the Falls so he could afford a car, then arranged for he and his buddies to pay for a stretch Hummer limousine to take them to the prom.
At Niagara Falls High, Steve Ganczewski played football and ran track. At home, he shared his father’s love for classic rock, NASCAR, the Bills and the Sabres.
When it came time to leave high school, Maria Ganczewski said she really did not want her older son to join, "but that’s what he wanted to do."
Mark Ganczewski said his son understood the risk. "He said, ‘Dad, what am I supposed to do, take something safe?’ "
In the Army, Steven Ganczewski served several tours of duty overseas. While stationed at Fort Benning, Ga., he met Rachel, also in the Army. They married a year ago in October, and Steven adopted Rachel’s 2- year-old daughter, Makayla.
The couple purchased a house in Columbus, Ga., and Maria said her son worked diligently to make it a home for his new family.
"He made a house for his dogs outside," she said. Inside, he was partial to the family iguana, Leroy.
Source: Buffalo News
[Steven] received a number of military awards and decorations, including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal.
He was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Bronze Star. His mother said this tour was to be his last before he planned to return home to train new Army Rangers.
Source: Lockport Journal
Sgt. Ganczewski is survived by his wife, Rachel; their 2-year-old daughter, Makayla; his parents, Maria and Mark Ganczewski; and his brother, Christopher Ganczewski. You can see a picture of Sgt. Ganczewski here.
I feel sure that this incredible human being took the same certainty with which he lived his life with him when he departed from us. Despite all the challenges he faced down in his too-short life, his father reports:
"He loved [being a soldier]," his father said. "He said, ‘This is what I want to do.’ He thought he was making a difference there."
Rest in peace, Steven Ganczewski. You made such a difference in this world in your brief time here. May your courageous, dedicated, loving spirit find peace and tranquility, and may your memory be a blessing for those who love you, and for those who can only grieve that we did not have the chance to know you. And as you lived Donne’s words in life, may may you have found Donne's last words to be apropos as well:
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
To date, 3869 members of the United States military have lost their lives in Iraq, with 3 additional deaths pending notification of the families. More than 30,000 men and women have been wounded, and 130 have taken their own lives while on active duty. All of the fatalities can be seen here. The Department of Defense Press Releases can be seen here. The death toll among Iraqis is unknown, but conservative estimates place it at least in the tens of thousands.
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, Marine, or Guardsman. 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.
Sending a holiday care package to a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan is easy. Read how in this great series by Ninepatch. Too busy to shop, pack and ship? You can also send donations to Troop Care, organized by Blogging for Michigan. Every dime raised through November 25th will be used for holiday packages for our troops. (h/t noweasels and ScottyUrb.)
And please don't forget them when they get home! Read welcomebackveterans.org to learn what you can do. (Thank you, noweasels!)
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.