Post by admin4laney on Aug 5, 2005 9:14:55 GMT -5
Mom Cherishes Fallen Marine's Last Voice Mail
Marine Was Proud Of Military Service
POSTED: 6:07 pm EDT August 4, 2005
UPDATED: 9:15 am EDT August 5, 2005
SABINA, Ohio -- Lance Cpl. Brett Wightman's mother cherished Thursday her only son's last words. She replayed the last message he left on her answering machine:
"Hey Mom, this is Brett. Just calling to see what's going on and to let you know I'm OK. Talk to you later. Goodbye."
"I knew Brett was there and I knew he wasn't coming home," said Pam Saville, Wightman's mother.
News 5 learned that Wightman was one of five Tri-state Marines killed in the roadside bombing that claimed 14 Marines Wednesday.
Wightman, 23, of Sabina, was a 2002 graduate of East Clinton High School. During his high school career, he was a track star, captain of the football team and homecoming king.
But all through high school, his sights were set on what came next -- his dream of becoming a Marine. Relatives said Wightman had been interested in the military since he was 3 years old, News 5's Amy Wagner reported.
"He would play with those G.I. Joes and he'd say, 'I'm going to grow up and be one of these guys.' All of his life, that's all he would talk about," said Missy Luttrell, Wightman's aunt.
Family members said Wightman was proud of his military service and planned to re-enlist in the Marines in October.
"It didn't take going to Iraq for him to be a hero to me. He'll always be my hero. He always was," said Stephanie Finley, Wightman's sister. "He was my baby brother and I'll never have him back."
News of Wightman's death left his friends in shock, Wagner reported.
"It finally sunk in late last night and I just got torn up for a while and just wanted to be alone. It was tough because it didn't sink in until then and it's still weird that he's actually not here," said Nick Anderson, a friend.
Anderson and Schuyler Streber were best friends and teammates with Brett. They said being back at their football field just doesn't seem right without him.
"Sometimes you want to laugh because of some of the things we did out here together and you want to cry because of the more emotional times," Streber said. "And to think I'm here right now and he's not -- it's something that's hard to face."
Wightman's former teammates and friends said he was the type of person who would do anything for you. In the end, they said he gave his life so they could be free.
"The world's going to be a lesser place without him. We'll all miss him very much," Streber said.
Wightman died along with four other local Marines: Lance Cpl. David Kreuter, Lance Cpl. Christopher Dyer, Lance Cpl. Michael Cifuentes and Lance Cpl. Timothy Michael Bell Jr.
The five were members of Lima Company, based in Columbus, and the Cleveland-based battalion involved in the single deadliest roadside bombing of U.S. troops in Iraq.
Fourteen Marines were killed in the bombing, most of them from a Columbus-based company that also suffered multiple casualties just months ago. The losses came two days after the same reservist battalion lost six other members in the fighting.
Nine of the reservists killed Wednesday were members of Lima Company, which lost four Marines in another attack in May, said Master Sgt. Stephen Walter, the company's public affairs officer.
All 14 were members of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, based in Brook Park, the blue-collar Cleveland suburb of 21,000, according to Gunnery Sgt. Brad R. Lauer, public affairs chief. The battalion was activated in January and went to Iraq in March.
www.channelcincinnati.com/news/4811438/detail.html
Marine Was Proud Of Military Service
POSTED: 6:07 pm EDT August 4, 2005
UPDATED: 9:15 am EDT August 5, 2005
SABINA, Ohio -- Lance Cpl. Brett Wightman's mother cherished Thursday her only son's last words. She replayed the last message he left on her answering machine:
"Hey Mom, this is Brett. Just calling to see what's going on and to let you know I'm OK. Talk to you later. Goodbye."
"I knew Brett was there and I knew he wasn't coming home," said Pam Saville, Wightman's mother.
News 5 learned that Wightman was one of five Tri-state Marines killed in the roadside bombing that claimed 14 Marines Wednesday.
Wightman, 23, of Sabina, was a 2002 graduate of East Clinton High School. During his high school career, he was a track star, captain of the football team and homecoming king.
But all through high school, his sights were set on what came next -- his dream of becoming a Marine. Relatives said Wightman had been interested in the military since he was 3 years old, News 5's Amy Wagner reported.
"He would play with those G.I. Joes and he'd say, 'I'm going to grow up and be one of these guys.' All of his life, that's all he would talk about," said Missy Luttrell, Wightman's aunt.
Family members said Wightman was proud of his military service and planned to re-enlist in the Marines in October.
"It didn't take going to Iraq for him to be a hero to me. He'll always be my hero. He always was," said Stephanie Finley, Wightman's sister. "He was my baby brother and I'll never have him back."
News of Wightman's death left his friends in shock, Wagner reported.
"It finally sunk in late last night and I just got torn up for a while and just wanted to be alone. It was tough because it didn't sink in until then and it's still weird that he's actually not here," said Nick Anderson, a friend.
Anderson and Schuyler Streber were best friends and teammates with Brett. They said being back at their football field just doesn't seem right without him.
"Sometimes you want to laugh because of some of the things we did out here together and you want to cry because of the more emotional times," Streber said. "And to think I'm here right now and he's not -- it's something that's hard to face."
Wightman's former teammates and friends said he was the type of person who would do anything for you. In the end, they said he gave his life so they could be free.
"The world's going to be a lesser place without him. We'll all miss him very much," Streber said.
Wightman died along with four other local Marines: Lance Cpl. David Kreuter, Lance Cpl. Christopher Dyer, Lance Cpl. Michael Cifuentes and Lance Cpl. Timothy Michael Bell Jr.
The five were members of Lima Company, based in Columbus, and the Cleveland-based battalion involved in the single deadliest roadside bombing of U.S. troops in Iraq.
Fourteen Marines were killed in the bombing, most of them from a Columbus-based company that also suffered multiple casualties just months ago. The losses came two days after the same reservist battalion lost six other members in the fighting.
Nine of the reservists killed Wednesday were members of Lima Company, which lost four Marines in another attack in May, said Master Sgt. Stephen Walter, the company's public affairs officer.
All 14 were members of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, based in Brook Park, the blue-collar Cleveland suburb of 21,000, according to Gunnery Sgt. Brad R. Lauer, public affairs chief. The battalion was activated in January and went to Iraq in March.
www.channelcincinnati.com/news/4811438/detail.html
