TRIBUTE TO A MARINE

Tribute to a Marine

Today, June 16, 2007 marks the first anniversary of the passing of a Marine. Ken C. "Soupy", aged 59. He was my co-worker and great friend for 10 years back in the 80's. We worked at a high tech company designing various "things" used in the fight against the Soviet Union. Ken joined the Marines out of high school at age 17. Ken served almost two tours in Viet Nam during the early 60's. His first tour was as a combat engineer. His specialty was finding and disarming VC booby traps when his unit went into a vil. After the intel guys searched the hooch's, Ken would reset the booby traps, but with a little “twist” and also leave a few of his own. Some Job. His second tour was in Force Recon. During his recons he was soaked with Agent Orange several times due to being in "denied" areas. On one of his capers over the fence he "acquired" the shoulder tabs of a Chinese general officer.

He didn’t quite finish his second tour due to being wounded out. He was blown out of a Jeep by a command detonated mine in the road. His CO, Gunny Sergeant and the driver were all killed in the explosion. Ken spent a long time in recovery. He remained in the Reserves till a few years ago and retired as a CWO. Over the years, he suffered many medical problems due to his exposure to Agent Orange and had Dioxin in his bone marrow till the day he died. He underwent two whole body transfusions to try to flush out the Dioxin. He never complained, just soldiered on.

Ken is resting in the Garrison Park Military Cemetery north of Baltimore, Md. Since it’s just like him to command the high ground, he’s buried on the highest point there. I’ll be there myself some day with my late wife in the good company of Ken and thousands of other Veterans. See Ya, Ken. Semper Fi.

Ken C. American. Patriot. Marine.