STEPS TO HONOR

LCPL Sean M. Langley made the ultimate sacrifice for us on November 7, 2004. He was assigned to the 2nd BN, 5th Mar Regiment, 1st Mar Div, I MEF, Camp Pendleton, CA. Sean was killed in Iraq’s Anbar Province. He was only 20 years old at the time of his death. I remember well the day I heard of Sean’s death. My own son was just about to finish his SOI (School of Infantry) training and this news scared me to death. Sean came from a family of service. His parents are both police officers and Sean planned to follow in their footsteps. He enlisted in the USMC on the Saturday after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read about Sean and get to know the hero that stood in the gap for you and me. Two miles were walked in honor of LCPL Sean M. Langley today.

Two more miles were run in honor of Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier, who was killed by a sniper on Feb. 6, 2007, just a few days after being promoted to Sergeant. Josh was serving his third combat tour. He was so sure about what he was doing that he changed units so he could go back soon after his first deployment, and extended his stay in the USMC so he could help fellow Marines by allowing other service members to come back home. He felt like the guys that were married with kids needed to be home with their families. I had the privilege of making a condolence book for Josh. Making these books is a journey. As I read the letters written for the book, found pictures to include, and read articles about Josh’s heroism, I felt as if I had gotten to know him through the words of others. Nothing said it better than the video Josh made for his family about 6 months before his death. Josh was a true hero who put everyone else before himself. I've since had the privilege of corresponding with his step-mother and it's obvious that Josh was an amazing man who has an amazing family.