Semper Fidelis
More than a motto, a way of life that distinguishes the Marine Corps bond from any other. It goes beyond teamwork – it is a brotherhood and lasts for life.
Latin for "always faithful," Semper Fidelis became the Marine Corps motto in 1883. It guides Marines to remain faithful to the mission at hand, to each other, to the Corps and to country, no matter what.
Becoming a Marine is a transformation that cannot be undone, and Semper Fi reminds us of that. Once made, a Marine will forever live by the ethics and values of the Corps.
There is no such thing as an ex-Marine.
"For 221 years our Corps has done two things for this great Nation. We make Marines and we win battles."
~ Gen. Chalres C. Krulak, USMC (CMC): 5 May 1977
Honoring and Remembering:
Sgt. Mark A. Bradley
Since 2003 we have suffered the loss of 4463 American lives and a total of 4781 Coalition Forces in Iraq.
Since 2001 we have suffered the loss of 1623 American lives and a total of 2534 Coalition Forces in Afghanistan.
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Sgt. Mark A. Bradley, 25, of Cuba, New York
Sgt. Mark A. Bradley, 25, of Cuba, N.Y., died June 16 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. ~ DoD News Release
On June 3rd Sgt Mark A. Bradley stepped on a IED and was severely injured. With injuries too serious to facilitate a move, a team of doctors were flown in from Germany to attempt to save his life. In the meantime his brother, Sgt. Stephen Bradley who is also a 3/2 Marine Sniper was brought to his brother's bedside. Mark was later flown to a hospital in Germany where his wife and mother were able to be by his side and then later he was brought to National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Both of Bradley's legs were amputated above the knee, his lungs had collapsed, his kidney and liver failed, he suffered brain trauma and underwent heart surgery. Thursday, June 16th at 1:00 a.m. Mark was taken off the ventilator.
Mark Bradley was a 2003 graduate of Cuba-Rushford High School and had long dreamed of becoming a sniper.
Sgt Bradley joined the Marine Corps in January of 2004 and was promoted to sergeant on January 2008. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2005 to September 2005 with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and again with 2nd Battalion 8th Marine Regiment in July 2006 to February 2007. He also deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit from May 2009 until December 2009, to Haiti with 3/2 from January 2010 to March 2010 and most recently in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in March 2011.
Sgt Mark A. Bradley's awards include three Marine Corps Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a Humanitarian Service Medal.
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Mark's wife Samantha said this is how she wants her husband to be remembered:
He was just a great friend to everybody. He was a wonderful son, the best brother that his family could've asked for, and not only was he my husband, he was definitely my best friend.
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Mark's brother, Stephen said this:
I want Mark to be remembered as the best guy I know, and anybody you can ask, anybody he knows, besides his family and friends that he's the best guy they've ever met, a great marine. Great brother and friend.
Mark's brother David is trying his best to follow in his brother's footsteps:
He was not only my brother, he was my best friend and a father figure to me. I looked up to him and all I ever wanted to do was be like him and make him proud, you know? I hope that I can make him proud. I hope that he is up there looking down on me (and is) proud of me.
I've selected a few of the multitude of comments and posts I found in my research:
Sir, My name is Gunnery Sergeant Marshall Gregg and I was Mark's first squad leader and later his platoon sergeant in his first unit: Echo Company, 2/8. Mark served as riflemean, saw gunner and finally as team leader in my last combat deployment with the unit and was one of the best infantrymen that i have ever known. He was a great man and a phenomenal Marine. His death is a huge blow to myslef and to this great organization as a whole. He is a hero and a true proffesional. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and the entire family. It was an honor to serve with such a great person. Semper Fidelis. -Gunny Gregg
My name is Sgt Ullman. I did 2 tours with Sgt Bradley in 2/8 Echo and had many fun times with him in Jacksonville down to Myrtle beach. Was a great guy. I'm truly sorry for your loss. Please keep us updated on the funeral for I would like to take leave to come and show my respect to the wife and family. RIP brother, Semper Fi
I cannot express the heartbreak that was losing Sergeant Bradley last night. I was one of the two surgical technicians scrubbed in his final surgery on Wednesday morning. I can tell you that I never personally met this fine young marine, but we all took it very personally when we lost him. Especially those who were in the operating room that morning. All of us at NNMC Bethesda share our deepest condolences for the family and loved ones of Sergeant Bradley. I personally cannot tell you how privileged I felt to care for this warrior.
I send my prayers out to his family and his wife. Stay strong! I firmly believe that God has a special place in Heaven for these wonderful marines that sacrifice their lives for the good of the country and the good of mankind. So just imagine, he is there in Heaven and he is walking again. He will always be remembered in our hearts. Thank you Sergeant Bradley, for everything you have done.
-HM3 Miles Johnson
Miles,
Mark was my nephew. Thank you for all you did for him. My family appreciates that he never gave up and neither did his doctors, nurses, and technicians. Please continue to fight the good fight and do all that you can for the next Marine that is in your care.
Melissa Medlin
Mark is my nephew and his aunt Rebecca and I could not be prouder of the ultimate sacrifice he gave protecting our freedom for this great country. We were fortunate enough to spend some time recently with Mark roughly six months ago when he was on leave in Florida with his wife and mother. The Marines have lost a great soldier and his wife and immediate family have lost an awesome husband, son and brother. He will truly be missed but never forgotten. It warms my heart to know that Mark touched so many lives in a positive way. GOD surely must have a special assignment for SGT Bradley in heaven. Our love for Mark will live on forever.
Randy & Rebecca Butler
Governor Cuomo has directed that the flags on all state buildings be lowered to half-staff in honor of and in tribute to Sgt. Mark A. Bradley. His statement reads:
On behalf of the people of New York, I want to express my sympathy to the family, friends, and fellow Marines of Sergeant Bradley.
As we mourn the loss of this young Marine from Western New York, we honor and remember his service to our nation.
A group of Sgt Bradley's friends hosted a Poker Run in Clayton, North Carolina on Saturday, June 18th to raise money for final expenses. Both of his brothers were able to attend.
“Mark would want us all to be strong and just do this for him, you know. And come together as family and friends and drink a beer for him and ride our bikes,” said 23-year-old Steven Bradley, his brother.
“Just do everything that he loved doing, which was shooting guns, riding, hunting,” added 20-year-old David Bradley, the youngest of the brothers.
Sgt. Mark Bradley leaves behind his wife, Samantha; his mother; his father; a stepmother; and three siblings.
The funeral for Bradley will be held in North Carolina. He will be buried in Tampa, Florida, next to his grandfather.
~ Source ~ Source ~ Source ~ Source ~ Source ~ Source ~ Source
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About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, racheltracks, Kestrel9000 and me, JaxDem. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
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POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq
Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009.
Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41
and
Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl 23
Never forgotten - please keep good thoughts and prayers for these two men.
On December 8, 2010 new photos were published of Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl in captivity. The article and images can be seen here.
The father of Bowe R. Bergdahl released this video on May 6, 2011 in which he appeals for the release of his son.
The Army promoted Bergdahl to the rank of sergeant effective June 12, 2011. This is his second promotion since he was listed as Missing-Captured on June 30, 2009.
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.