From this to this: A Soldier's Story

From: Jennifer Carnes
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 8:58 AM
To: Arletta Sloan
Subject: soldier story

You did an awesome job on the soldier story. I only added the info on his parents and changed the headline and lead to include his name.

Jennifer Carnes
San Manuel Miner
Copper Basin News
Superior Sun
Nugget
My new email address is JenniferC@MinerSunBasin.com.
www.copperarea.com
Things will go as they will and there’s no need to hurry to meet them.  JRR Tolkien

Story Soldier 2-9­-2011

A Soldier’s Story

Anytime you are in the mood for a sobering thought, turn on your computer, and head your browser over to http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/veterans..., where you can view the tales, in brief, of such soldiers as Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, Staff Sgt., U.S. Army, who fell victim to suicide bomb attack in central Baghdad on March 10, during his third tour of duty, while his wife and daughter waited for his return home.

Or, Jay T. Aubin, Captain, U.S.Marine Corps, who was one of the first American casualties of Operation Iraqui Freedom, dying when the CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter he was flying crashed in Kuwait.

Or, Tyler Prewitt, Sgt., US Army, the former Phoenix College baseball player who died on September 28 of wounds suffered in Iraq, after a rocket-propelled grenade struck the vehicle he was riding in.

All told, as of February 7th, at approximately 1 pm, which is when this article is being written, there are a total of 129 Arizonians listed on the site, as casualties of war, based on information from the Department of Defense and other legitimate sources. That’s 129 people you may have passed on the street, helped in the grocery store, if you didn’t know them better than that. 129 people who, at least in the majority, left behind spouses, parents, children to mourn them. Which, in no way means their loved ones should be alone in that mourning.

It doesn’t matter what your beliefs are, about the war, about the military. This is not a site of propaganda, for or against, anything. It is a tale of human suffering, bravery, people who stood up and were counted as they made strides to work what they believed was right, good, and just for the sake of others, sacrificing their own comfort, freedoms, feelings, and family for the greater good. I don’t believe anyone could look at this site and not be moved.

I know there is one man who could not fail to be moved, because, except by the grace of God, and the technology of man, there he’d be; but, you won’t read about him on that site, because he has survived. And, while I am sure he would view the site as a listing of heroes, he, in all modesty, gives credit for heroism to his rescuers.

As Griego told another reporter, via telephone from his recovery bed, where he spent six weeks recuperating, “ I hear a lot that people call me a hero. I was just doing a job, what I was trained to do. In my eyes, the heroes are the ones who came to my aid and saved my life."

Michelle Obama wasn’t fooled by his modesty, as she visited among the wounded soldiers who were recovering at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, on Veteran’s Day. PFC Eric Griego, who had been wounded in Afghanistan on October 19th, received a special presidential medallion, known as a commander’s coin, from the First Lady, along with a hug, in honor of his bravery and service.

While President Obama has been known to lay challenge coins, which is what the Commander’s Coin is, on the coffins of honored soldiers, there are many different sorts of challenge coins for the different services, different honors, and, there are as many stories of how this tradition emerged and evolved, as there are types of coins.

One such story, found in a Wikepedia article on Challenge Coins, says: “One version of this story dates from the Vietnam war: The tradition of the coin giving dates back to Vietnam actually when soldiers would tote along a piece of “lucky” ordnance that had helped them or narrowly missed them.

At first it was small arms ammunition, but this practice grew to much bigger and more dangerous ordnance as time wound on. It became then actually a dangerous practice because of the size and power of the ordnance being carried, so commanders banned it, and instead gave away metal coins emblazoned with the unit crest or something similar.

The main purpose of the ordnance had been when going into a bar, you had to have your lucky piece or you had to buy drinks for all who did have it. The coins worked far better in this regard as they were smaller and not as lethal! So, if you go to a military bar, whip out a challenge coin and slam it down on the bar, those who lack one buy drinks! Obviously you have to be careful about this tradition…

However, Commanders and units give out coins for this and as mementos for services rendered or special occasions.”

Whatever reasons the coins are given, at least some of the reasons are for showing bravery in battle. Which, as you may imagine, tends to happen after someone signs up to be a soldier, accepts training, and actually joins in the activities associated with battle. So, seeing that Eric Griego did these things, and, was wounded, and did survive – and, seing it is impolite to argue with a lady – heroism must be assumed, on his part, with all due apologies for the pedestal he is now placed on.
But, to make him happy, let’s give credit where credit is, also, due. It is true that PFC Griego should not have survived, and, on some other day, he would not have survived, but, would be one of 130 Arizonians mourned on the aforementioned website, instead.
Sgt. Mark Reed, ,Sgt. Mark Casting and Spc. Allan Hughes, who, like Griego, were just doing their job, acted quickly, after he collapsed from wounds that should have been fatal.
As Griego has been quoted as saying, to another reporter “The whole time, I was thinking to be brave and get through it. In the movies, if someone spits out blood, they usually die, right? And I had a lot of blood coming out of my mouth. I got a lot of blood transfusions, 20 units, which they tell me is quite a bit.”
He was shot in the chest, the bullet having also hit his spine, and exited from his neck; he was bleeding out, down on the ground, with very little hope of making it through the next few minutes, much less having to worry about a long road of recuperation, surrounded by family and friends. So, yes, thanks to these men, a revolutionary heart-lung machine, and a crack team of doctors and surgeons, all of whom heroically did the jobs they had signed up (or were created) for, one more hero is home with his daughter and wife.
On January 16th, at 12: Noon, the VFW Post 3584, of Superior, hosted a party to welcome home their hero, Private First Class Eric Griego. There was standing room only, as many of his family and friends attended.
Post Commander Ray Ramirez presented Griego with a flag, while the Kearny Marine Corp ROTC stood by as Honor Guard
Mayor Hing stated “You may not think you are a hero, but, you are our hero! The men and women, like PFC Griego, who put their selves in harms way, is the reason we have our freedom today.”
Family and friends were asked to say a few words, if they wanted, and, some did, telling tales of a more youthful Griego. Following the ceremony, the Ladies Auxiliary provided a luncheon, with everybody having a wonderful time.
PFC Griego wishes to continue to “just do his job”, serving his country, by remaining in the military. He doesn’t think he’s a hero.

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