As many of Americans celebrate this day of Independence, many will drink, watch fireworks, laugh and celebrate the wars we won and the freedoms we have.

Many will mourn this year for the loss of the children, their husband, their brothers and friends though. 

The true definition of this day is to celebrate our constitution, our freedom and the spirit of our country.

Many Americans though this ten plus years of this long war have forgotten why we do what we do and forget how good they really have it. Some will speculate and play the blame game and some will just ignore the fact of the matter and go about their everyday lives.  But this day is about remembrance of those who went before us and now against our nations enemies and against odds stacked up and fought for the very rights we have today.

As Marines we do this and earn the title for one reason, to fight. And will continue to do so while our country has a flag. Me personally I do this for that reason and not for glory but because we are part of a brotherhood. I could give two shits about politics nor the drama of our nation caused by them. I care only for the protection of my country in turn so my son will never have to stand in my footsteps and hold a rifle to defend it. We do our jobs to fuck up any extremist who wants to step up against our values and way of life and have taken their lives gladly with a grin on our faces knowing we did our job in Iraq and but remain as LordInfamous says humble as fuck. We are NOT heroes. That is a title that is designated for our dead. In the Marines, we have no heros, just Marines.  We are men doing their jobs voluntarily and signed up fully knowing that we would go through hell and back.

Below are the names of the heroes of our command whove paid with their lives in this long year of deployment. A sad reality is their will be more until we get back to the U.S. I ask while you pound your beers and celebrate take a minuet to remember them and look up and say thanks. Or do what we do and pound one beer for each of these 24 Marines in their honor.

For he whom sheds his blood with me, forever will be my brother

Semper fi, I will never forget.

Cpl STEPHEN SOCKALOSKY, Sgt FRANK ZAEHRINGER, SSgt JOSHUA CULLINS, LCpl TERRY HONEYCUTT, 1stLt JAMES ZIMMERMAN,  SSgt JORDAN EMRICK, LCPL DAKOTA HUSE, Cpl CHAD WADE, LCpl LUCAS SCOTT,  LCpl MICHAEL GEARY, Sgt GARRETT MISENER, LCpl MAUNG HTAIK, Cpl JACOB TATE,  LCPL JOSEPH GIESE, LCpl AARON SWANSON,  Cpl JONATHAN TAYLOR,  Cpl IAN MULLER, LCpl CHRISTOPHER MEIS, SSgt JAMES MALACHOSKI, LCpl DOMINIC CIARAMITARO, Sgt SEAN CALLAHAN, Sgt JOSEPH GARRISON, Cpl MATTEW RICHARD, Sgt MARLOW MYRIE, Cpl KYLE R. SCHNIEDER

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