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80 gather with bulldog mascot in Cuyahoga Falls to celebrate corps' 233rd year with $10,000 memorial
By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008
CUYAHOGA FALLS: They gathered to mark a birthday. And remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Some 80 people and an English bulldog gathered in Cuyahoga Falls on Monday to mark the Marine Corps' 233rd birthday and dedicate a monument on a grassy strip in the middle of Broad Boulevard between Front and Second streets.
The $10,000 memorial stands about 8 feet tall and has the Marine Corps crest. The lettering reads, ''Freedom is not Free'' and ''Dedicated to the memory of those Marines who went before and all those who will follow.''
The familiar Marine Corps motto: Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) can be found at its base.
Lyrics from the Marines' hymn, ''From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli,'' are on the back of the monument. America's 10 wars are listed in chronological order.
The temperature Monday was a brisk 32 degrees, yet the color guard still stood proudly dressed in their dress blues.
Most gathered were former Marines. They, too, were not bothered by the cold.
Falls Mayor Don Robart, a former Marine, said the monument replaced a smaller statue of Marines raising the American flag during the battle of Iwo Jima.
The mayor talked about the honor, courage and commitment of Marines, and talked about those who died on behalf of America. He emphasized that freedom does not come free.
Robart remembered two Falls natives who died from injuries in Iraq: Marine Sgt. Justin Walsh, 24, killed in 2006, and Army Sgt. Bryan Large, 31, who died in 2005.
Retired Marine Sgt. Major John Rethage, of Mentor-on-the-Lake, said we need to remember those warriors who fought for America's freedom. He described the Marines as the strongest fighting force the world has ever known.
He talked about an 18-year-old he met while in his second tour of duty in Iraq. The young man was ''wet behind the ears'' and was an air crew chief on a helicopter in Iraq in 2004.
That helicopter was shot down and caught fire, but Rethage said the young Marine never stopped fighting back.
Rethage said he visited the Marine in the emergency room. Injured with burns to his face, Rethage said, the Marine didn't
complain. He simply said: ''Sgt. Major, Sir, I did my job, I stayed behind my gun returning fire.''
Rethage said he never expected to see that young man again, but when the young man got better, he actually returned to Iraq several months later.
''Why are we [Marines] so willing to fight and if need be, to die? The answer to that question is simple and yet as complex as the soul of America itself,'' Rethage said. ''We fight because we believe. Not that war is good, but that sometimes it is necessary. Our Marines fight and die not for the glory of war, but for the prize of freedom.''
Among the crowd, Winston, an English bulldog, stood out. In World War I, foreign enemies referred to the Marines as ''hounds from hell'' or ''devil dogs.'' The mascot of the Marines is an English bulldog.
The English bulldog was brought to the ceremony by former state representative John Widowfield (R-Cuyahoga Falls), who helped obtain funding for the monument.
Don Bettio, 68, of Stow, a state officer and former commandant with the Chester Puller Detachment of the Marine Corps League, said he was approached by Widowfield in Stow a few years ago and asked if there was anything the veterans group needed.
''John said there was a grant he would pursue for us,'' Bettio said. ''He got things rolling and now the monument is a reality — three years later, but it's here because of him.''
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.
CUYAHOGA FALLS: They gathered to mark a birthday. And remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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akron, oh
Posted 11:50 AM, 11/11/2008
There's a great waste of money. How many memorials do these people need? How about spending that money on homeless vets?
Norton, OH
Posted 12:34 PM, 11/11/2008
Thank you to all the Marines out there. I look up to every one of you for your unwavering bravery. Again I thank you!
Posted 06:55 PM, 11/11/2008
alys...a monument is created to commemorate important memories of past events. This monument pays tribute to those who paid the ultimate price, their lives. It also pays tribute to the homeless vets and wounded vets, who served their country too. There could never be enough monuments in place to honor our military.
