|
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan -- The rugged hand-painted
sign reads:
CAMP WEIS
In memory of
Maj. James
Matthew Weis
Killed in action July 22, 2010
Trek Nawa,
Helmand Province, Afghanistan
For the past year, it has been displayed outside the Marine Light
Attack Helicopter Squadron flight line on Camp Bastion, but soon it
will return to the United States to honor the memory of the AH-1W
Cobra pilot who gave his life in service to his country.
|
April 26, 2013 -
Major Scott Weis, the current operations officer with Regimental
Combat Team 7, and Lt. Col. Garrett Hoffman, the commanding officer
of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, look at the sign
dedicated to Maj. James Matthew Weis, Scott's brother and an AH1-W
Cobra pilot who was killed in action in Helmand province in 2010,
Apr. 26. “It means a great deal to me to know that others honor and
miss him,” said Scott. “He was a good man, father and Marine that
left a lasting impression on everyone he met.” U.S. Marine
Corps photo by Cpl. Alejandro Pena
|
Weis' brother, Scott, a Marine major currently serving
with Regimental Combat Team 7 in Helmand province, accepted
the sign from Lt. Col. Garrett Hoffman, the commanding
officer of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Apr.
26, here.
Hoffman, who served as the squadron
executive officer with Weis at the time of his death,
remembered Weis as an affable “Marine's Marine” and
dedicated family man.
“He was a warfighter and great AH-1W
pilot who was dedicated to supporting his fellow Marines both on the
ground and in the air,” Hoffman said.
Weis, a Toms River,
N.J. native, died when his helicopter was struck by surface-to-air
missiles. He was providing air support to Marines on the ground that
were in a firefight with insurgents, said Hoffman.
Scott said
taking the sign home after his deployment ends this fall will bring
a small piece of closure, and he is grateful for the opportunity to
personally collect the memorial Marines created in honor of his
brother.
“It means a great deal to me to know that others
honor and miss him,” said Scott. “He was a good man, father and
Marine that left a lasting impression on everyone he met.”
The Weis family spent their summers boating and fishing in Key
Largo, Fla., and Scott plans on taking the sign back to a house the
family still owns in the Florida Keys.
“Now that I've
received this sign, I plan to get it back to the (U. S.) and down to
the house in Key Largo,” said Scott. “From that point forward, for
us, it will be known as ‘Camp Weis.'”
The Marines of HMLA-169
have already constructed and painted a new sign to replace the one
Scott is taking from Afghanistan. It will also hang outside the
flight line, in prominent view to all who come into the compound.
“It serves as a reminder to all of us to never forget your
fallen brothers,” said Hoffman. “To never forget the sacrifices made
by every Marine, sailor and coalition force in Afghanistan.”
By USMC 1st Lt. Spencer Kenyon
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
Comment on this article |
