SwiftVets.com

[Rdtf]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/memorial/20041105-1042-ca-iraqcasualties-hubbard-baro.html

Maybe I shouldn't post this - But then, a steady reminder of the sacrifice isn't a bad thing.

Best friends, Pendleton Marines died together on second Iraq tour

ASSOCIATED PRESS
10:42 a.m. November 5, 2004

FRESNO – Two Camp Pendleton Marines, best friends since childhood, were killed in action in an area west of Baghdad where the military is preparing an assault on insurgents.

Lance Cpl. Jared Hubbard, 22, of Clovis, and Cpl. Jeremiah Baro, 21, of Fresno, graduated in 2001 after wrestling together on the Buchanan High School team. They enlisted in the Marines together, trained as snipers together and returned together for a second tour in Iraq, where they were killed this week.

Hubbard's father, Jeff, said he was notified of his son's death Thursday at his home in the Fresno suburb of Clovis.

"There's just so much to say. I don't know where to start," he said Friday by telephone as he fought back tears.

The family has not been told details of the deaths. The Defense Department on Friday said the Marines died Thursday from enemy action in Anbar province, where the military was preparing for a massive offensive into the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.

Jeff Hubbard, a retired Clovis police officer, said his son supported the Marines' mission in Iraq but also looked forward to being discharged and attending college. He described his son as confident and popular.

"Kids keep coming back to me since he graduated. Jared was their protector," he said. "If Jared was your friend, you didn't have to worry about anybody picking on you. Whatever needed to be done, people knew you couldn't mess with Jared."

Baro's family could not immediately be reached, but a friend said he had two younger brothers.

"... They're just not going to have that older brother around anymore. That hurts me the most," said Paul Facio, a friend of both men. "Jared is really good, he made time to be with his friends and his family. He was always doing extra hobbies with his brother, his sister, and he always made time for everyone."

The two joined the Marines shortly after high school, partly as a reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks.

They endured boot camp together but were sent to different units when the war in Iraq started. They joined a Marine sniper unit after a brief visit home last summer, Hubbard's family said.

His family had conflicting emotions about his decision to join the Marines, a mixture of pride and apprehension because they knew he had signed up during a time of war.

"He was young and looking for something that was honorable to do in life," said Jason Hubbard, 30, also speaking Friday from the family's home. "He felt that was a calling he definitely could answer."

His mother, Peggy, and an older sister, also were at the home Friday.

Hubbard's 18-year-old brother, Nathan, described him as "a perfect older brother" who looked out for him and helped him with homework.

"He looked out for family and looked out for friends," Nathan Hubbard said. "He was always trying to make people's days better, always had a smile on his face."

The news of the young men's death spread quickly among their friends.

Chris Hansen, Buchanan's athletic director and former wrestling coach, said Hubbard kept in touch with school staffers while in Iraq, and spoke at the school before returning to action. Hubbard also had played defensive tackle on the school's football team.

"A lot of people at our school knew Jared and really cared about him," Hansen said. "He's just a great kid. He wasn't the most talented kid on the team, but he was a kid who was at practice every day and gave 110 percent. He wasn't a quitter. He was a kid you just loved."

Darrell Goodpaster, who wrestled with Hubbard and Baro, also saw his former teammates when they were home on leave.

"This is a terrible thing. But I think this is what they wanted to do, and they made a choice, and they knew what they were getting into and made the ultimate sacrifice," he said. "I have a lot of respect for what they did. It just goes to their character of how tough they were and what kind of people they were."

They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

[Somebunny]

God bless them and their families.

[Guest]

God bless them and their families. They are heroes.