Goodbye Don

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Corporal Donald Marler, who was killed in action along with two other Marines in Helmand on June 6th. At the time he was serving with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (3/1), which was on its sixth combat deployment in support of the war on terror.  I served with Don for  two years, first at Marine Barracks Washington and then as part of the Marine security detail at Camp David.

Don was an outstanding Infantry Marine and I am not just saying that because he was killed. He skipped his high school graduation in order to ship to boot camp earlier and excelled in his initial training. While at Camp David, he filled billets that normally would have been held by Sergeants and Staff Sergeants. He also was Marine/NCO of the quarter and successfully completed some of the toughest schools in the Marine Corps. When he received orders to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5), he found out he would be unable to deploy with them since they deployed after he would have left the Marine Corps. Don however did not want to finish his time without a combat deployment and he was able to get his orders changed to 3/1, which deployed shortly after he arrived. He got stuck in H&S company, but he volunteered for every convoy/patrol he could, usually serving as turret gunner in a MRAP. He was in the turret when a pressure-plate IED caused his vehicle to veer off the road and into a canal, where he was killed along Sgt. Brandon Bury and Lance Cpl Derek Hernandez.  Some  sources have been reporting his death as an “accident”, but multiple Marines who are serving with 3/1 and in other units in Helmand have relayed to me that the vehicle would not have gone into the canal if it weren’t for the pressure-plate IED. However, it is beside the point if it were an accident or not, the fact is Don volunteered not only to deploy to Afghanistan but to serve in one of the most dangerous positions on a combat patrol when he could have just as easily sat on the FOB for the deployment. That was Don-a warrior who was not afraid to step up to the plate when he needed to.

I spoke to Don on Facebook two days before he was killed. It was a very short and mundane conversation about how MRAPs suck off-road and about a certain Marine we knew who was acting like an idiot. He didn’t have much time because of the limited amount of computers at the FOB he was at. Despite the conditions he was operating under, he was upbeat about the deployment and obviously was glad he was there (even though he was probably looking forward to coming home, but he didn’t say). Don was the first Marine I was close to that was killed in either Iraq or Afghanistan. I was fortunate that when I went to Iraq my company didn’t suffer any serious causalities. I’d known Marines from boot camp, School of Infantry, and security forces school that had been KIA, but never anybody that I served with for such a long period or was particularly close to like Don. I had been lucky in that regard.

I had thought that nobody outside of Don’s family, his Marine buddies, and maybe some old timers from the VFW or AL would notice or even care that Don died. However, the people of St. Louis proved me wrong. When Don’s body arrived in St. Louis, most of the I-55 running south was closed for his procession. The Patriot Guard riders were out in force to escort his body to the funeral home. Hundreds of people lined the overpasses to pay their respects, including many employees of Anheuser-Busch (for whom Don’s mother works). A local fire-station even brought out two ladder trucks and raised a giant American flag over the I-55. Here is a video of the procession from the airport:

On the day of the funeral, hundreds of people filled every available inch of the pews at St. Francis Catholic Church in Oakville, Missouri, a town just south of St. Louis. I was among that group along with over twenty former and current Camp David Marines that traveled from all around the country to pay their respects to Don. It needs to be noted that the local Holiday Inn provided either free or discounted rooms for these Marines and several rental cars were provided as well by a local rental car company, which enabled these Marines to get to the service. Outside of the church, there were close to 100 Patriot Guard Riders, members of the local VFW, AL, and Marine Corps League standing watch with American flags. Following the service, nearly a hundred cars and motorcycles proceeded in a procession to the Jackson Barracks National Cemetery. The cemetery was about four or five miles away and the entire route was lined with hundreds (if not thousands) of people standing out in the humidity on a workday to pay their respects to Don. Nearly every business along the route changed their billboards to “REST IN PEACE CPL. DONALD MARLER”. People stopped their cars on the opposite side of the road and got out to show their respect. A recruiting office along the route had members from every branch along the road saluting Don’s casket as he passed. The Missouri State Police closed off the entire route to insure that the procession was not interrupted. When the procession arrived at the cemetery, the first thing everybody saw was the entire Mehlville Fire Department lined up in full uniform with a giant American flag hanging off one of their ladder trucks. I rode in a car with three other Marines and I would be lying if I didn’t say that every single one of us in the car was moved to tears by the show of support for Don. The final ceremony at the grave site, which was conducted by the Marines of the local reserve unit, was conducted with the precision and perfection expected of Marines. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Camp David Marines presented Don’s family with a case for his memorial flag that was constructed by the Seabees in the woodshop at Camp David. The whole day reaffirmed my belief in the inherent goodness of America and reaffirmed my belief that most Americans still have love for this country and the people who fight for it. Here is a video from a local news station on the funeral:

June 6th already had a meaning for me as a day to remember. From now on, that day will have even more meaning for myself, the Marler family (including his brother who is also an Infantry Marine), and the many Marines who served with Don.

Don, I am going to miss you brother.

The Marler family has requested that if anybody wishes to pay respect to Don, in lieu in flowers or cards that they make a donation to Fisher House in his name.

Category: Military issues, Real Soldiers