June 14th, 2005, Flag Day...and a flower gone

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show...(the opening lines of David Copperfield as written by Charles Dickens;inspired by MTM). Or at least this ACCOUNT will, perhaps, have a reflection on whether I'm going to be the hero in my own life.

words and music by Pete Seeger
performed by Pete Seeger and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?

©1961 (Renewed) Fall River Music Inc

The gut-wrenching reality of war. There invariably comes a point where someone; some person~~~a part of humanity, will pay the Ultimate Sacrifice. Sadly, by and large, these Ultimate Sacrifices---for most Americans---never get beyond the statistics. For a few Americans, they may go as far as to show a more personal interest and take the 'statistic' to the next level. For them, it may be a weekly review of The Washington Post's, Faces of the Fallen SITE where now the face; the humanity~~~the young man or the young woman~~~is learned. Always young and always beautiful~~~and always seeing in their eyes, the promise of their futures.

For the Marconi Family, Flag Day, June 14th, has taken on much more meaning and significance than being just 'another' holiday. Our USMC Veteran son Philip, graduated from Parris Island Boot Camp on 26 March 2004. And, of course over the 3-months experience, while fulfilling the rigors of boot, Philip developed some friendships. One of these would be with Pfc Joshua Klinger. After a bop-and-a-weave through 2004, where Joshua went to Camp Lejeune, NC and Philip found himself in Pensacola, FL, the two learned that they were going to be part of an Iraqi combat zone deployment to Fallujah, in February 2005. For those whom may not remember, there was much responsibility resting on the shoulders of this 1st Battalion/6th Marine Regiment. A chapter of very prideful USMC history had just been written through October and November of 2004 when The Marines, through full-scale embattlements, took Fallujah back, from the jihadist insurgents. It was now 1/6 Marines responsibility to make sure that Fallujah~~~stayed that way!!! Guerilla warfare, whether jungle or urban, is a warrior's nightmare. When including in the mix, the ability to gerry-rig today's cell phone electronic technology to create an improvised explosive device, guerilla warfare as a killing machine, becomes an even greater menace.

On Flag Day, June 14th, 2005 Pfc Joshua Klinger, paid the Ultimate Sacrifice. By way of an IED, this Marine, this friend of Philip's, had the beauty of his young and promising life removed from us in the flash of an explosion.

As all the grade schools, and middle-schools, and high-schools in this great country have their respective assemblies honoring and recognizing Old Glory, know this. It is, and will continue to be, Old Glory, because of the personal and ultimate sacrifices that are made everyday.

In observing Flag Day June 14th 2010, it is my intent to assure that sacrifices like that of Joshua Klinger's~~~is not in vain. When seeing our Star-Spangled-Banner, forever may it wave, know that it is because of young men & women like Joshua Klinger, that it forever does. Joshua, know this; Never Forgotten.

Pfc. Joshua P. Klinger
Hometown:Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Age:21 years old
Died:June 14, 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit:Marines, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Incident: Killed by a makeshift bomb while fighting enemy forces near Fallujah.
--{-=@
Hickok