INTERVIEW WITH JANE DOE-C AND A LETTER OF CONDOLENCE FROM ALLAN

In accordance with her request for anonymity, this mother is referred to as Jane Doe-B. Jane and her husband are parents to two children, a daughter and Allan who joined the Marines at 18.

Jane: The military has been a life-saver for Allan. In high school it was very unclear to both my husband and I whether Allan would graduate. He wasn't doing drugs, drinking, getting suspended, or getting into trouble with the police, rather he did very little. He struggled with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and hardly studied or he studied inconsistently.

Both my husband and I are medical doctors with patients who lack high school diplomas and we see the life long effects of that lack. Neither of us wanted to imagine our son going through life without a high school diploma because he hadn't finished three semester courses. 

My husband believes the Marines worked a miracle for Allan. Actually, from the reading I've done I've noticed that many of the kids who join the Marines are young kids with problems like ADD. Something about Marine life appeals to them. Plus the discipline is attractive to them. The leadership of the Marines has worked out a system of rewards and punishment for every detail in the lives of enlisted men. There is little tolerance for mistakes like bouncing checks or missing appointments. Kids are quickly licked into shape.

Allan took a bus and train trip to Pennsylvania after school ended to visit friends. While there he decided to join up. This was before 9/11.

After boot camp his infantry unit trained in Okinawa and Korea. Then his unit was deployed to the Philippines for about a month; he participated as a sniper. 

When he returned home I noticed he was a lot more psychologically mature. For the first couple of days he was home he talked about his experiences in the Philippines and how he'd struggled with his conscience about the killing he participated in and the killing he witnessed. 

Allan was younger than most of the other fellows in his sniper unit, just 18 at the time. While he was well trained, in comparison to his colleagues who were more experienced, Sergeants and so on, he was raw, the newbie. 

The Marines - the military in general - understand a lot more now than they did in Vietnam about the psychological effects upon soldiers of killing. As you may know, when someone joins the Marines they expect to be in situations where killing is necessary and will occur. Nevertheless, while soldiers receive a lot more support and training about what to expect, the shock of killing, taking another's life, even the enemy, is not easy. 

Allan is not religious but he struggled with the notion that he is now a killer, that he's performed terrible things, that he'll go to hell for his deeds. His commanding officers worked with him for some time although eventually he got the message that this is what he signed up for and he'd better get out there, follow orders, and do his job. 

At one point Allan's unit hid out for two days -hardly any food and certainly no hot food, no beds or cots, just lying on the ground -- for a group of 48 Al Queda operatives. When they showed up, the Marines called for artillery and within minutes 48 men were dead. The reality of those quick, efficient deaths, with very little defense required on the part of the Marines, shook Allan. 

Days later, when the routing of Al Queda troops in two villages was over, children came out from their under ground hiding places. They surrounded the Marines, very happy that the GIs were there. I know Allan was very sensitive to the plight of those children. 

After his stint in the Philippines Allan applied to train as embassy security guard. This is considered a plum job for Marines and they have to go through rigorous mental and physical tests. Allan passed. Secretary of State Colin Powell handed him his diploma so that was exciting for Allan. Now he's stationed in Shanghai. 

I feel a little removed from the current occupation of Iraq, simply because Allan is not there. I thought President Bush made a bold, amazing move when he attacked Iraq. I don't have a solution to the situation, other than painstakingly slow appeasement or becoming independent of the need for oil. If we could be weaned toward solar, even nuclear energy, we'd be in a better position for the long term but I don't see that happening. Its an extremely difficult situation.

Allan attends official functions at the embassy, has his suits tailored to hide his pistol, and mingles with official guests. He's also in charge of accounting for all food expenses. He's very responsible now. His previous lack of direction and his being totally dependent on us has disappeared altogether. 

He's a talented musician - played music throughout his youth - and these days he performs in Shanghai clubs as well as at the consulate.

 Now and again he mentions that he misses the action in the field. The rest of the unit he served with in Okinawa, by the way, is deployed to Iraq. 

When he has this urge towards military action, he says he reminds himself of the fear he experienced as he advanced up a hill, for example, moving so slowly through foliage that he wouldn't shake a leaf and give away his position, all the while under heavy automatic rifle fire. He's happy where he is, at least for now.

Letter from From: Allan
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2004 4:23 AM

It is times like these when I regret ever leaving my original Company 2nd Battalion 7th Marines Echo Company. 

Mid morning of the 23rd day of March I received a call from an old friend of mine who had also left 2/7 to join the Marine Security Guard Program. "Hey Allan" the voice on the other end said. It was Ben. I thought that maybe he was just bored over in Monrovia (Liberia) and wanted to give me a call to see how I was doing. But I could sense that something was not right in the tone of his voice. 

"I have some bad news to pass to you," he said. Immediately my heart dropped and I thought someone has been killed. 

He continued. "Vicente is KIA." There was a pause.

I didn't want to believe it and the first thing that popped into my mind was that this was some kind of sick prank that Ben was playing. Ben went into details telling me how David Vicente was on a Security patrol and was the casualty of an IED ( Improvised explosive Device.) The patrol consisted of other Marines in my old Mortars Platoon. . . I teared up and I felt the lump in my throat sink deep down into my stomach. My thoughts went to his family and friends back home in  Methuen, Massachusetts.

I thought that If I had been there I could've done something to avoid the iaccident. And then it popped into my head that If I had still been in Echo Company with them I would have been on that patrol with them rather than David Vicente because that was my old squad in my old Platoon. 

My thoughts moved on to the Marines that were there and who witnessed the horrible event. All their faces rushed through my head. I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. . . Here I was in Shanghai, China, doing one of the easiest jobs in the Marine Corps while my fellow brothers were over in Iraq in harms way. I felt useless... angry... I felt that by joining the Marine Security Guard program I had let down every one of the Marines in my old Unit.

Slowly, I began to collect myself and I then thought about all the good times that I had with all the Marines from Weapons Platoon 2/7 Echo. 

How me and David were in the same group that climbed Mount Fuji together and how we partied a whole 72 hours away in Rapungi, Tokyo. I thought about how he would be in the dance clubs with myself, Rosales, and Mario Figueroa video taping our drunken dancing skills, and all the women we ran into. I thought about how I always use to make him say "park the car at Harvard yard" because it was hilarious the way his Massachusetts accent would come out when he said it. 

I remembered how every time we were all in the field overseas in Okinawa, Japan he would always find something funny out of the crapiest of situations. David had the power to put any of us in the best of moods if we were down. And his witty one liners were priceless. I called him Ray because he some what resembled Ray Liota the actor from Good fellas and had that same cracked smile as Ray had.

David, for all the times you were there to cheer me up and be there as a brother I thank you. Rest In Peace. I will never forget you. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Vicente your son was the pure definition of a Damn good Marine. I am and will always be proud to have served with him. . .
SEMPER FI
Allan
CPL USMC