Photo By Logan Pierce | FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Helmand province, Afghanistan - Cpl. Daniel P....... read more read more
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Helmand province, Afghanistan -- “If there was one word to describe Gonzo it would be 'motivated,'” said Cpl. Daniel P. Bothwell. “After every brief before a mission, Gonzo would get all pumped up and say ‘Lets do it!’ with the sound of excitement in his voice.”
Marines, sailors and Afghan dignitaries paused to remember Sgt. Adan Gonzales Jr., along with two fallen heroes of 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, during a joint memorial service at Forward Operating Base Jackson, Aug 16.
Gonzales, an M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon gunner for Scout Sniper Platoon, 1/5, was killed in action, Aug. 7, while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in the Northern Sangin "green zone."
“Adan was the embodiment of what a hard working, dedicated Marine is and always should be. He always gave 110 percent in the performance of his duties and was one of the hardest working Marines I have ever had the pleasure to serve with,” said Gunnery Sgt. Shawn E. Hughes, the 1/5 SSP commander. “He always had a “can do” attitude no matter the situation. ‘No’ or ‘Can’t’ wasn’t in Adan’s vocabulary.”
“His attitude towards accomplishing the mission embodied our platoon quote:‘For so long we have done so much with so little that now we are capable of doing anything with nothing, never above you, never below you, you are my brother,’” said Hughes.
That attitude and drive reflect boldly in the Bakersfield, Calif., native’s career. In 2006, he was the honor man of his food service class. He deployed to Iraq as a food service specialist with Marine Wing Support Squadron-372 in 2007. Upon returning, he served as the warehouse non-commissioned officer in charge for MWSS-372. Gonzales re-enlisted, transferred to the infantry, and became a rifleman in 2010. He later volunteered to attend Scout Sniper School and passed the mandatory test. He was attached to 1/5’s SSP and was slated to attend sniper school in January after successfully completing the screening.
“He loved being part of the Scout Sniper Platoon. He loved the challenge and the dedication it takes to be a scout sniper,” said Bothwell an assistant team leader in the platoon, from Elgin, Ill. “I remember how excited he was when Sgt. Hirsch told him that he would be going to Scout Sniper School. He loved his job and he loved the Marines around him.”
Gonzales bonded with his fellow Marines by sharing stories from his personal life back home.
“Not only was Gonzo an awesome Marine and teammate, he was a loving husband and a caring father. He was always writing letters home to his family that he loved so much and was always talking about how much he loved his wife and kids,” said Bothwell. “It always brought a smile to his face whenever he talked about his family.
The aspiring scout sniper bestowed a treasured gift to his friend, a medallion depicting Jesus Christ. Bothwell left for Afghanistan before Gonzales on an advance party leading to the exchange.
“I don’t know if it’s having this coin with me that’s protected me or just having Gonzo by my side that’s gotten me this far, but I am extremely thankful for the gift and having served with him. I know that he is up there watching over me and the rest of the team. Thank you brother.”
| Date Taken: | 08.18.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.18.2011 08:14 |
| Story ID: | 75538 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, AF |
| Web Views: | 1,733 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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