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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – A quiet calm washed over
those in attendance as the sounds of the 2nd Marine Division Band
slowly vanished. Marines, family and friends gathered together to
commemorate Chief Warrant Officer 5 Cannon Cargile and his 30 years
of honorable and faithful service to the Corps.
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Major Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson, Deputy Chief of Staff,
Joint Operations to ISAF joint command in Kabul, Afghanistan
presents The Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medals to Chief
Warrant Officer 5 Cannon Cargile during his retirement ceremony on
February 15, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by USMC Cpl. Jeff Drew
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In conjunction with the retirement ceremony, Maj. Gen.
Lawrence D. Nicholson, Deputy Chief of Staff, Joint
Operations to ISAF Joint Command in Kabul, Afghanistan,
presented the Legion of Merit to Cargile for his
exceptionally meritorious conduct as the 2nd Marine Division
weapons infantry officer for the II Marine Expeditionary
Force from 2009-2013. As the commanding general's senior
infantry weapons and the Corps' most senior gunner,
Cargile's key insight and proficiency influenced every
Division unit in support of the War on Terror.
Nicholson also awarded Cargile the Bronze Star Medal for his
service while acting as a gunner for II MEF in Afghanistan
from Feb. to Dec. 2011. Cargile's leadership and knowledge
on the battlefield directly influenced the tactical success
of the forces of Regional Command Southwest. Also, on March
29, 2011, while on a dismounted patrol outside of Patrol
Base Shark's Tooth, an improvised explosive device,
critically wounded the lead Marine. Cargile swiftly
established a landing zone so the wounded Marine could be
evacuated to a higher echelon of medical care.
After
Nicholson presented the awards, he recognized the humble and
professional attitude Cargile brought to the Corps
throughout the years.
“At the end of the day it's not
how many ribbons you have or the rank at which you retire,
it's who you have touched and how you have touched them,”
said Nicholson. “Cannon, your impact will be felt for a
generation. I wish there was a bumper sticker that said ‘I
rode with Cannon.'”
“I have been more blessed than
any other Marine; every person that I've worked for has just
been phenomenal I've been surrounded by the very best,”
Cargile mentioned. “I wanted to publicly thank each and
every one of you for what you have done for me over these
years, 30 years have come and gone and I just can't believe
it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I am truly
humbled to look out here and see all of these faces.”
Nicholson described his feelings for an irreplaceable
individual who brought so much to so many and who will leave
a lasting impression for years to come.
“I am so
honored to be able to have been a part of this ceremony and
I know [your wife] is ready for you to come home, but I do
this with great trepidation and great remorse that I am the
one who is allowing you to walk to the plank and go to
shore,” Nicholson said with solemnly. “You've made an impact
above and beyond anyone in your position. God bless you,
your great family, Semper Fidelis, Oorah.”
By USMC Cpl. Jeff Drew
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
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