SAN MARINO NEWS
By popular request, here is the text of Ed Blecksmith’s Memorial Day address, delivered at Lacy Park this past Monday.

Memorial Day is not, as some would have you believe, a day to glorify war. It is a day to honor the men who have stepped into the breech to keep this nation free and independent, and who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that freedom. The men and women who now serve in our Armed Forces are the ones who pray for peace since they are the ones who stand to lose their lives in times of war.
Last year, I spoke on Memorial Day as a Vietnam Veteran and described the incredible sacrifices made by the Marines with whom I served in 1967-68. Little could I have imagined that we would be back here in 2005, on Memorial Day, to honor the memory of someone much closer and dear to us.
On the evening of 11 November of last year – Veterans Day – Pam and I received the news which is every parent’s worst nightmare; our wonderful and beloved son, J.P., had been killed during fierce fighting in Fallujah. While this was always a possibility in combat, losing J.P. was both a shock and terribly numbing. Having to bury a child is not the natural order of things; they should, in fact, bury their parents. With J.P.'s passing, we were pulled into the darkness of death. We wept and we grieved for the loss of this bright shining light which had been taken from us.
Over the next several days, the light began to come back into our lives. It started with the realization, based in faith, that J.P. was still with us, that he was and would always be our wonderful son and brother, and that he would continue to be a constant presence in our family. We were also brought back into the light by the love and support we received from hundreds of our friends, as well as complete strangers, from this community who embraced us and began to express their love for J.P. and their support for our family. On 20 November, at J.P.'s funeral and interment, we were overwhelmed by the huge turnout of people, as many as 1500-1800, who came to honor him and pay their respects.
In Christina’s beautiful tribute to her brother, she quoted a short passage from a poem written by General George S. Patton, Jr. in which he said “Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting, but rather let me be proud that such heroes have lived.” The more I reflected on the General’s life, the more aware I became that J.P. and he shared much in common. They were both sons of San Marino, as well as members of same church, Church of Our Saviour in San Gabriel. Both were graduates of their respective military academies, both served in foreign conflict, and both were fierce warriors. However, what really tied them together was the date 11 November; Patton was born on 11 November 1885 and J.P. died on that date in 2004.
Over the past several months, we’ve learned much more about what J.P. was doing in Iraq and how he died. We learned that while J.P. was training at Camp Pendleton during the four months prior to their deployment to Iraq, a number of Marines in other platoons were attracted to his leadership style and attempted to transfer to his 3rd Platoon. We learned that while in the field in Iraq, 3rd Platoon performed with great distinction, especially while protecting Tactical Check Point – 1 just outside Fallujah. On one occasion, TCP-1 received a well coordinated attack from three directions where the insurgents delivered both direct and indirect fire, and rocket propelled grenades. Here is how his summary of action described it. When they came under attack, “Lt. Blecksmith’s tactical discipline ensured the Marines were alert and ready for this attack. As a vehicle pulled up 300 meters behind TCP-1 to fire an RPG-7, his platoon immediately engaged with squad automatic weapons killing the driver and mortally wounding the gunner while under sniper fire from the direct front and small arms fire from the right flank. Lt. Blecksmith coordinated with the Battalion, the rest of the Company, a section of tanks and his twelve fighting bunkers to reduce the threat. He conducted Type II close air support bringing in a 500-pound bomb within danger close of his position without friendly casualties.”
We know his Platoon killed over 100 insurgents and J.P. described his guys as being “awesome.”
On 7 November, Third Platoon led the initial assault into Fallujah being the first unit through the breach and into a night attack of the Jolon District and was responsible for seizing the first objective, Battalion Objective Three, which enabled the rest of the Company to advance on other objectives. For the next three days, Third Platoon would lead the Battalion’s assault where India Company came under direct fire from insurgent forces within the city. During this time, “Lt. Blecksmith led his Platoon from the front with the skill and confidence of a seasoned combat veteran. His platoon eliminated over a dozen insurgent positions through a series of combined arms attacks.”
On 11 November, after insurgents had back filled behind the advancing Marines, India Company moved east into a new battle space. Once again, Third Platoon was the main effort for this attack or, as Lt. Col. Malay said at the brief he gave us on 20 April, only the Third Platoon could do what we needed done. By the way, because his radioman had injured his back the day before, J.P. carried his radio for him to give him a break. Around 0930, while clearing a building of insurgents in the Jolon District, two members of the Second Squad, Third Platoon, were wounded – one badly – and, after a short time to evacuate the wounded, J.P. called his people together, told them to get their heads back into the game, and they continued their mission. While with one of his squads in a building and the two others out on the street, 3rd Platoon came under enemy fire once again. J.P. occupied the roof of the building and was giving direction to his two squads down below, as well as directing the fire of the M-203 grenadiers onto their targets. While standing on the roof and exposing himself to a “cone of fire,” J.P. was struck in the left shoulder, one inch outside the protection of his flack jacket, and the bullet was deflected down off his shoulder through his heart. His last words were, “I’m hit,” and then he dropped. The men who were with him came to his assistance, as did a Corpsman, but he died almost as soon as he hit the ground. We do not know what killed him; whether it was a sniper, which the radio surely would have attracted, or just a random round that was flying around him.
One thing we do know, from letters and e-mails J.P. sent home, he loved his Marines and they, in turn, loved him. Before he deployed, J.P. said to me that he had two primary goals; one was to effectively lead his men into combat and the second was to bring them all home alive. He accomplished his two goals! Everyone in 3rd Platoon came home alive, except J.P. He was also the only officer to die from 3/5. One of the great stories we heard while visiting with his Platoon in April, was this one from Lance Cpl. Tanner. He told of 10 November, while they were clearing buildings, he developed this strong desire to have a hamburger MRE that evening. When the MREs were delivered, J.P. got the last hamburger meal. After stewing over it, Tanner went over to J.P. and told him how much he had been looking forward to that hamburger meal and, even though he had already cooked it for himself, J.P. gave it to Tanner and said, “Happy Birthday, Marine.” 10 November is the Marine Corps Birthday. When Tanner told be this story, his eyes welled up with tears, he gave me a hug and said that he would never forget his Lieutenant.
J.P. touched many, many lives; here in San Marino, at Flintridge Prep, at the Naval Academy and throughout the Marine Corps. There is a scholarship fund in his name at Flintridge Prep which is already over $150,000. Alex, Emily Tait and others have established the J.P. Blecksmith Leadership Foundation and website as a vehicle to raise money for the Scholarship Fund. You can view their wonderful website, in J.P.'s memory, at jpblecksmith.org. You can order a tee shirt, sign the guest book, or sign up for the 5K run to be held here in San Marino on the 4th of July.
A final element, in dealing with J.P.'s death at age 24 which helps to take some of the sting out of his passing, is knowing that he was doing what he wanted to do. He was living his dream. He was effectively leading and protecting his Marines in a noble cause. He died a faithful and courageous leader of his men. And he died for each of us here today as our nation fights an enemy just as evil as the one the “Greatest Generation” defeated in World War II. This war is just as critical to the survival of our country as the one we fought in the 1940s. This may be an even more insidious enemy that plays by no rules of warfare, is completely single minded in their hatred for this country and, we are dealing with an ever growing complacent population and a political environment that would not have been tolerated during World War II. J.P. was a part of the next Greatest Generation.
I would like to close with a quote from Jack London as it captures the essence of the life that J.P. lived during his all too short 24 years.
“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
J.P. clearly used his all too short time to its fullest measure.
Thank you for coming this morning and thank you for your gracious support for our family over the course of these difficult months.