Blood Is Thicker Than Water- Part 6- "AWE" DA 1st Sgt.'s Message

"To everyone especially Aaron,This is the first time I have been on this site. I am very glad to have found it after a long reading session and alot of tears. Don't dare tell anyone! I will deny it. Just kidding. I have shed many tears for you Aaron. So now I get to babble as usual. I was remembering a young PFC Austin back in 2002 checking into Echo Company. As I recall a loud mouth and no bearing.....just the observation of an old Gunny. I soon learned that behind that was a Marine with an infectious spirit and appetite for honor, courage and committment. Oh, and the infectious smile made me lose my bearing a couple times to! Of course you still "owe me for that to Austin". Aaron will know what that means. I also recall many of my walks up and down the catwalks of the barracks that Sgt Rettenberger spoke of on the second floor after liberty call to check on the Marines. Of course Austin and Koci would be drinking there "Power Shakes" before heading to the gym to get there lift on. The motivation and enthusiasm that exuded from that one room (this will blow your mind....I remember it well as room 211) inspired even myself to give more. Thanks very much to both of you!!! SNCO's do not hang out with junior Marines and we probably do not let them know enough how great they truly are but, Echo Company has ranked very high in my best company I was in stories. That is because of Marines like Aaron. So on those walks I would stop and chat and learn more from them than they would learn from me. Even though it is supposed to be the other way around. I also remember during many gun drills and field evolutions that Aaron never slacked off. It did not matter the temperature, day of week, number of times or the attitude of the Marines around him he always smiled and gave an oorah and went about doing it the Marine way. At this point I will mention I miss you very much Aaron. So during OIF I knew that we were in good hands. I remember trooping the line during a rain storm (mom close your ears) passing out cigarettes to the young Marines that ran out of them due to lack of inbound mail. Aaron smiled and said something about doing some pushups for more smokes. Let me say he did many pushups. Many of them. Then as I walked away he yelled out "got cake". This was in reference to cake that I also passed out during my trooping the line. This soon became the communication between myself and him. It went on so much that it became a mutual challenge and password between us. I then remember getting a wound in our defensive position up north and when I returned to the Company from medical Austin had the gun position to our north and looked back at the Company CP saw me and yelled "Oorah Gunny" "got cake". What a big mouth. We were in the defense at sunset. I told him to shut up and put his helmet on. He replied with that smile, turned around and put his helmet on. As this deployment came to a close I was transfered due to a promotion to another unit. I would stop by every now and then to check on these hoodlems that I left behind and could never miss Aarons smile from across the parade deck at Horno and his yelling out "got cake". Did I mention that I miss you Aaron. So then it was time to go to OIF II. My unit left just before 2/1 but, I did get the chance to see Echo in Kuwait do to my units convoy being delayed for a day. I remember being outside the tents of the camp and walking up to the Company that was outside. All the smiles and handshakes reminded me of awesome times with incredible Marines and even better human beings! I started feeling the butterflies in the stomach as I chatted with them and vividly remember wishing that I was going with them. Not because my current unit was bad but because I knew these guys longer and better. I knew what they were capable of achieving. I am very very happy that I had the chance to see them before heading north. The Company had to go to a class in the tent and I had to get back to my unit in the convoy staging area. So why am I going on and on about this? Well as I walked away while the company went into the tent I looked at the ground with a very heavy heart listening to the crunch of sand and pebbles under my feet. Then I heard Austin yell "First Sergeant" I turned around and saw his smile from ear to ear and he yelled "got cake". I said I wish I did and told him to be safe. Of course the rest is in all the messages below. I have been back to Camp Pendleton a few times and one of the last times I got to see Harrell at Camp Margerita where I took a photo of the building dedicated to Aaron. I have that photo on the wall beside my desk to remind me of an incredible man and Marine. I am very glad to have known Aaron and all of the Marines of Echo Company. I think of you all often and especially Aaron. Mom.....you raised a wonderful human being and should be very proud of the man that he became. I am a better person for having known him! Best of luck to all andSEMPER FI"Cheese and Rice""DA FIRST SERGEANT""1stSgt John P. Ploskonka, AKA "DA GUNNY" of Bravo Co. Mar Bks Wash DC