Photo By Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde | Marines with 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, pay tribute to Lance Cpl.'s Edward J....... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Marines, sailors and families of 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, packed the base theater here, July 13, to honor Lance Cpl.’s Edward J. Dycus and Abraham Tarwoe, two heroes who were killed in action during the battalion’s recent deployment in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Dycus, a Greenville, Miss., native and automatic rifleman with Company F, 2/9, died while conducting combat operations, Feb.1. Tarwoe, a native of Liberia who graduated from high school in Newark, New Jersey, was a mortarman by trade but served most recently as a dog handler. He died, April 12, while conducting combat operations.
Various members of the battalion reflected on their experiences serving alongside Dycus and Tarwoe throughout the course of their service. Those closest to the fallen Marines recalled happy times they shared with their brothers in arms.
Sgt. Justin S. Kolman, a squad leader with Company F, recalled when Dycus first arrived to 2/9 from the School of Infantry in May 2011, talking about his enthusiasm and relentlessly positive attitude.
“I was his first squad leader once he came to the fleet,” said Kolman. “He was eager to learn, always wanting to know more about his job and what he could do to help the squad be best at everything we did.
“After our first live-fire range, I remember looking at him. His gear and cammies were soaked with sweat but he had a look on his face that was ecstatic. When I asked why he was smiling so big, he simply replied, ‘Because that was awesome!'”
Similarly, those close to Tarwoe described him as an easy-going and good natured family man, who was extremely proud to be a father and husband.
“I’ve now had the honor and privilege of deploying with Abraham twice,” said 1st Lt. Gregory J. Kirsch, the commanding officer of Weapons Company, 2/9. “If you ask anybody who knew Abraham over those two deployments, three years, however long; the lasting memory is the same thing, Abraham’s never-ending smile and his deep-bellowed chuckle.
“Abraham loved his job, he loved being a mortarman, he loved being a dog handler but most importantly, he loved his Marines and he loved his family. Abraham would talk your ear off, bragging about his son and his family – it’s easy to see where he drew his strength from.”
After the speakers, the battalion’s sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. Brett C. Sheuer, ceremonially performed a final roll call. No response came when Dycus’ and Tarwoe’s names were called and the heroes were honored with a three-volley salute.
When the ceremony concluded, every member of the audience made their way to the memorial displays on stage to say goodbye to the heroes for a final time. The families were escorted on stage by the speakers to say goodbye first, followed patiently by teary-eyed Marines and sailors.
The Marines and sailors of 2/9 are devastated to have recently lost two of the nation’s finest young men, but they are grateful for having been positively impacted and influenced by them.
“(To) the families of Lance Corporal Dycus and Lance Corporal Tarwoe, I want you to know that your Marines are heroes, and they join a long list of those who have chosen the road less travelled,” said Lt. Col. Michael S. Styskal, the commanding officer of 2/9. “They join a fraternity of those who have made a difference, and they did make a difference.
“Thank you for raising young men of such caliber,” he added. “Without them and others like them, we could not preserve the freedoms of this great nation.”
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2012 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 91617 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Hometown: | GREENVILLE, MS, US |
| Hometown: | NEWARK AIRPORT, NJ, US |
| Web Views: | 415 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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