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3/1 Honors Fallen Marine
(August 26, 2010) | 
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELHI, Afghanistan (August 24, 2010) – Cpl. Max W.
Donahue was remembered by his fellow Marines during a memorial service at
Forward Operating Base Delhi, Aug. 21. |
Fellow military police dog handlers pay tribute to their fallen brother, Cpl. Max W. Donahue during a memorial service at Forward Operating Base Delhi, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 21, 2010. Donahue was killed Aug. 7, 2010, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. |
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Donahue, a military dog handler with I Marine Expeditionary Force, was killed in
action Aug. 7, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province,
Afghanistan. He was 23 years old.
“Cpl. Donahue knew the risk, just like all of you here today. Yet he strapped on
his gear with his partner Fenji, went out every day without complaint and
without hesitation,” said Lt.Col. Benjamin Watson, the commanding officer for
3/1. “He fought and died as a member of the ‘Thundering Third,’ and so we meet
here today to both honor and remember him.”
Donahue was from Kingwood, Texas, and entered the Marine Corps, July 17, 2006.
“When Max joined our unit he was assigned Fenji. Fenji was a new dog, straight
from the school house,” said Cpl. Daniel Cornier, |
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a friend and military police dog handler. “Max worked with Fenji none stop
before our deployment to make sure she was ready. He was very serious when
it came to work.” |
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Nearly every Marine on Forward Operating Base Delhi attended the memorial and
paid their respects to their fallen brother.
“He was a great Marine and a great friend. He and another Marine, Cpl. Karim
Rafehi were best friends,” said Cornier. “He was always looking out for Rafehi
and making sure he stayed out of trouble. He was like a big brother to him in a
way.”
The short, quiet ceremony was marked by Bible verses and prayers honoring
Donahue. |
Marines with Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, salute to honor Cpl. Max W. Donahue during a memorial service at Forward Operating Base Delhi, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 21, 2010.
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Final roll was called; three times for Cpl. Max W. Donahue. Donahue’s name
was called only to be answered by silence. Taps followed in a final farewell.
“Max was the kind of guy that everyone got along with,” said Cornier. “He was
always making all the guys laugh, no matter what the situation was.”
“He would always find the brighter part of any situation, whether it was a
training operation, or if we were just having a bad day. He would come out with
some kind of joke or funny saying to make us all laugh,” said Cornier.
Donahue’s awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit
Commendation Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service |
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Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and NATO ISAF Medal.
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Article and photos by USMC Cpl. Skyler Tooker
Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs
Copyright 2010
Provided
through DVIDS
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